Real Madrid 2 Valencia 2
La Liga
| Real Madrid |
|
|---|---|
| Valencia |
|
- theguardian.com, Sunday 4 May 2014 21.56 BST
Real Madrid 2 Valencia 2
La Liga
| Real Madrid |
|
|---|---|
| Valencia |
|
- theguardian.com, Sunday 4 May 2014 21.56 BST
Good evening
Here is a no-particular-order, randomly chosen, universal list of things that make people all around the world go sad:
- War
- Famine
- Poverty
- Unrequited love
- Requited love
- The death of Bodie Broadus
- Cats stuck in trees without a fireman around to help
- The fall of Valencia Club de Fútbol
O Valenica! It was you. It was you who ten years ago – where does the time go? – had the strength, spirit, skill, sauciness, haughtiness and chutzpah to shepherd the La Liga title away from its bed-hopping gymnastics with Barcelona and Real Madrid. No other side won as much, lost as little, scored as many and conceded as few. It was a glorious time to grace the City of Joy. Voices still hurt from the singing in the Plaza de la Reina and heads still pound from the wine and beer and beer and wine that flowed and flowed like the waters of the Turia Fountain. Heck, it wasn't even the first time they had done it.
That success should have emboldened the club to go onto to bigger and better things, should have being the operative word. Since then, all they have to their name is a reputation for firing managers, a handful of third place finishes and a 2008 Copa del Rey winner's medal. The closest they have come to reclaiming their title – in points terms – was when they finished fourth in 2006/07, 10 behind Real Madrid. Over the last four seasons, in three of which they have finished third, they were on average 32 points behind the eventual winners. Of course, their cause was not helped by the collapse of the Spanish economy, the two stadium fiasco or the subsequent need to sell players like David Silva, David Villa, Roberto Soldado, Juan Mata and Jordi Alba. Sigh, imagine how good they could have been with all those on board. Now however, as Sid Lowe wrote recently, "Valencia are any old team. And that's the saddest thing of all."
Real Madrid, however, are not any old team right now. In case you haven't heard, they have already won the Copa del Rey; they are in the final of the Champions League; and they could still win the Spanish League. They are also jam-packed with some of the best players in the world right from Cristiano Ronaldo to Karim Benzema via Sergio RamosGareth Bale. The BBC have pocketed most of the headlines this season but there have others who have been just as good, like Luka Modric.
In all the hullabaloo of Real's brilliant bashing of Bayern – and it really was a brilliant bashing – it seemed to get lost on many just how good the former Spurs midfielder was. Oh sure, they mentioned his corner set up the first goal but few seemed to see the workload he got through in front of the Madrid defence. No other player recovered the ball for Madrid as much as Modric did and only Pepe put in as many successful tackles as the Croatian. Best of all, he did not commit one single foul while doing all of this. It took him a while to settle in Spain but settled he has and Spurs fans must spending their days deep in what-could-have-been thinking.
Madrid's prosperity, power and players should have Valencia shaking and quacking in their fluorescent football boots. So too should Madrid's form at home. They have won 15 of their 17 games at the Santiago Bernabéu and Valencia have not left there with three points since March 2008. They have also not left any of their last six away games with anything more than a point. However Los Che gave Madrid a decent run for their money earlier in the season and Madrid needed a late goal from Jese to emerge victorious. Can they cause Madrid some palpitations and possibly nick three points? Hmmm, probably not but stayed tuned anyway. It'll be fun. Promise.
Team talk!
Real Madrid: Diego López; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Alonso, Illarramendi, Isco; Bale, Cristiano, Benzema. Subs: Casillas, Coentrão, Khedira, Casemiro, Nacho, Álvaro Morata, Di María
Valencia: Alves; João, Costa, Mathieu Bernat; Fuego, Keita, Parejo, Feghouli, Vargas, Alcácer. Subs: Guaita, Barragán, Vezo, Míchel, Fede, Jonas, Araújo.
In case you missed it earlier, here is our report from the match between Atlético Madrid and Levante, where Atlético squandered the chance to all but seal the league title when they slipped to a surprise 0-2 defeat. Unfortunately, some absolutely idiotic morons decided that the best way to react to the result was by racially abusing Papakouli Diop. Jesus wept
7.39pm
Simple, right?
7.45pm
An email! Thanks the Lord. "In all likelihood, the title will come down to whether Atlético can Barcelona at Camp Nou or not," states Edouard Mattille. "And the question will inevitably be about how hard Barcelona will play, considering a draw would give Real the title. Always an awkward situation. Of course Real will have to get the work done here today as against the other teams, but considering their form and what is at stake that should be a given."
What does anyone else reckon will be the outcome of the title race?
OK, the players are on the pitch and we are almost ready to rock.Madrid are in their traditional white and Valencia are in their, em, eye-catching orange. The Santiago Bernabéu is oddly quiet this evening. Madrid looked confident in the segregated tunnel. Valencia looked like they were on a first date with a rather imposing person, who frightens them almost as much as they excite them.
8.02pm
1 min Off we go then. Valencia get us going. They are playing right to left in the first-half. You'd expect them to do the opposite in the second half but anything is possible in football. Before we get going, there is a moment's reflection and a huddle from Valencia. Do those huddles actually work?
Updated at 8.52pm BST
2 mins Nothing to see around here just yet so here is an email from Matt Dony: "Yes, it really is sad to see the fall of Valencia. In those heady days of the early 00's, they played such attractive football in the Champions' League. Baraja, Aimar, even Carew looked like a top striker. That particular wave of Spanish dominance holds a special place in my football heart, and sealed a fondness for Real (Cemented by McManaman's volley in the 2000 final vs Valencia.) See also (to a lesser extent) Deportivo La Coruna. Ah, isn't the past always better?"
4 mins Madrid slice through Valencia for the first, and surely not the last, time today. Carvajal picked the ball up wide on the right and played it to Ronaldo. On the edge of the box, he one-twoed with Bale and was put through on goal. With the whole feckin' thing to aim at, he somehow hit the chest of Alves.
Updated at 8.52pm BST
5 mins Real Madrid get two corners in quick succession but fail to do anything with either of them.
7 mins More excellent work from Bale. He forces Bernat off the ball in the box, works his way to the end line and then sends over a clipped ball for Benzema at the back post. It is a touch behind him and this means the striker fails to get the requisite power on it to trouble Alves. Something tells me Alves will be kept busy tonight.
Updated at 8.52pm BST
9 mins Eeeeeeeeeep!
GOAL!!! Real Madrid 1-1 Valencia (Ramos)
Ramos to the rescue!
Bundle! Photograph: Dani Pozo/AFP/Getty ImagesUpdated at 9.26pm BST
This had been coming. After an extended bout of Madrid pressure, Di María picked the ball up outside the box on the right-hand side. He curled a wonderful cross to the back post where it was met by the head of Ronaldo, who had freed himself from the grasp of João. He simply knocked it back across goal to Ramos, who was waiting in the middle, and he nodded it home from about 2 yards out.
Updated at 9.21pm BST
After the Madrid goal, Valencia looked to attack and João sent Feghouli scuttling down the right side. He put a ball across the box but there was nobody in there to get on the end of it. Valencia worked the ball to the right once more and to the feet of Feghouli once more. He cut the ball back into the Madrid box. This time there was a man on the end of it and this man was Parejo who side-footed it past Diego López from about 12 yards out.
Updated at 9.27pm BST
68 mins While I was typing all that, Ronaldo missed another one-on-one with Alves and Alcácer came on for Jonas.
70 mins Keita picks up a yellow card for a late tackle on Carvajal.
71 mins On comes Casemiro for Isco.
72 mins Madrid push forward. Ronaldo gets the ball outside the box. Surrounded by Valencia players, he shoots and unsurprisingly his effort is blocked. The ball filters to Marcelo on the left and he sticks one in the mixer. The Valencia defenders win that and clear the danger for now.
74 mins It has worked once already today.
76 mins Corner to Madrid on the left. Di María swings it to the back post. Casemiro rises above the rest but he cannot control his header and it goes well over the bar.
78 mins Ronaldo sets Bale lose on the Valencia defence. He strides forward but is stopped in his tracks by the torso of Costa. The free-kick is right on the edge of the D. Up steps Ronaldo and he absolutely belts one at Alves who pulls off another great save, diving to his right.
79 mins Another corner to Madrid on the left. Di María takes once again. This time it lands on the head of an unmarked Ronaldo but from a few yards out, he can but head it over the bar. For a man of his heading ability, that is another poor miss.
80 mins Alves gets a yellow card for time wasting.
81 mins Parejo is in good company then.
89 mins Vezo replaces Parejo. Madrid continue to push and press but are getting no closer to scoring.
90 mins There are five more minutes separating Valencia from three incredible points.
Di María picked the ball up wide on the left. He sent the ball into the box and Ronaldo did a spinning back-heeled volley past Alves and into the Valencia goal from a few yards out What a finish that was and what a finish we have here.
Updated at 9.57pm BST
Full-time: Real Madrid 2-2 Valencia
90 + 5 mins Di María, on the left once more, whips the ball to the back post. Morata gets to the ball before everyone else but he can just steer his effort inches wide of the post. And that is that.
Updated at 9.55pm BST
That's that folks. And that's the first time the top three have all dropped points on one weekend. Thanks for all the emails, tweets and opinions. Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday. Bye!
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