Arbeloa and Ronaldo scored in an exciting 3-0 away win for Real Madrid against Xerez. The gap at the top have been reduced to 2 points as Barcelona lose to Atletico Madrid on Sunday night. iSporter Karan Shah analyses the game.
Madrid came into this match knowing Barcelona face a tough test and it would be good to put pressure on the leaders with a win against Xerez. Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the starting line up and started up front with Higuain. Kaka, Granero, Lass and Xabi started in the midfield and Garay, Arbeloa, Ramos and Marcelo covered the defense. The teams were playing on what seemed to be like an absolutely dug up pitch and Manuel Pellegrini’s team were lucky to see no major injuries to the players.
The first half started quite well for the home team as they pounded a few shots which Iker had to parry away. Madrid were caught by surprise as they failed to put passes together and were constantly in their own half defending for the first fifteen minutes of the first half. Madrid, however, had the best play of the first half when a string of almost 15 passes resulted in a Ronaldo header hitting the crossbar. The ball was mainly in the midfield area of the pitch in the first half with the pitch getting worse and both teams went goalless into the break.
Los Blancos started attacking more in the second half and Xerez were relying more on their counter attacks but Madrid drew first blood when Xabi put a through pass onto Arbeloa who out ran his defender and scored a cool side footer which certainly looked like a striker’s goal. Higuain looked quite unimpressive and was substituted for Raul around the hour mark. Madrid, for once, did not rest on their laurels and pushed further up with Cristiano tantalizing the defense with some amazing trickery and shots.
The second goal came soon as Kaka put in an inch perfect cross and Ronaldo sent a smashing header beyond the keeper to make the score 2- 0 to Madrid. The flood gates had opened and it seemed that Madrid were heading into the Champions League knockout with a win against Xerez. There seemed to be a few claims for a penalty in Xerez’s box but the referee thought otherwise. The third goal was a result of some amazing passing between Kaka and Ronaldo. Ronaldo gave Kaka a through pass who shielded the ball from the keeper to pass it back to Ronaldo to score into the empty net to make it 3-0.
The Whites gave a footballing lesson to Xerez in the second half and deserved the three points. The match against Lyon awaits as Madrid gear up for one of their most important months for this season.
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