Shower of goals at the Bernabéu
Real Madrid 4-3 Mallorca
November 11, 2007 - Seven goals, excitement and, above anything else, fun. Real Madrid and Mallorca put on a marvelous show at the Santiago Bernabéu tonight. Once again, the Whites won at home and manage to stay leaders in the championship.
Mallorca returned to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium for the first time since their 3-1 defeat in Madrid that gave the Madridistas the League title on 17 June. Tonight's match proved to be very exciting, finishing 2-2 at half-time and anticipating a very tense and exciting second half.
Bernd Schuster was forced to change his lineup because Guti and Ramos had to miss the game due to suspension. Cannavaro and Heinze were once again paired as the team's centre backs, and Sneijder acted as playmaker, with Gago and Diarra in midfield.
Mallorca proved to be fierce from the opening minutes on, fighting hard to take the three points at stake, but Real Madrid were also determined to win and had their first dangerous play on the 3-minute mark; Robinho gave the ball to Raúl down the left wing. The captain then crossed the ball accross to the right for Ruud van Nistelrooy to score, but the Dutchman couldn't reach it in time.
The specatcle of goals began in the 11th minute when the Brazilian Marcelo-Robinho connection came to fruition; when Robinho was just inside the box, he passed the ball to Marcelo down the right wing with his heel. The left back then crossed it into the box and Robinho headed it into the back of the net.
The Bernabéu roared, but Real Madrid's joy was short lived, as Varela scored inside their box just two minutes later.
On the 16-minute mark, Robinho got a pass from Sneijder after leaving Mallorca's defence behind him; he faced keeper Lux alone and scored his second goal with his left foot.
Three goals in fifteen minutes... Real Madrid decided to stand their ground and relax their game a bit, focusing on stopping every attacking venture by Ibagaza. Both sides had several chances on goal, but Mallorca's Varela managed to score the best strike of the match from outside the box with an extremely powerful shot with his right foot.
The first half came to an end with a 2-2 score, but everyone at the stadium felt more goals were coming. The first to score in the last 45 minutes was Mallorca's Dani Güiza -recently called up by Spain-, who defeated Casillas with a shot from just outside the area.
Mallorca were winning, but Real Madrid never gave up and eventually netted their third in the 62nd minute; Raúl scored from an assist by Robino on the goal-line.
The Whites kept trying to put in the winning goal and Ruud van Nistelrooy eventually netted it from just inside the box thanks to an assist by Raúl.
This victory allows Real Madrid to be leaders in the competition for another two weeks, being that there will be a stoppage in the League next weekend due to international fixtures. The three points they took tonight enlarges the point difference between them and the other contenders for the title.
MATCH REPORT:
4 - Real Madrid: Casillas; Torres, Cannavaro (Pepe, 45’), Heinze, Marcelo; Sneijder (Higuaín, 74’), Gago, Diarra, Robinho (Drenthe, 88’); Raúl & Van Nistelrooy.
3 - Mallorca: Lux; F.Navarro, Héctor, Ballesteros, Varela (Víctor, 90’); Nunes, Basinas, Pereyra (B.Valero, 51’), Arango (Webó, 76’); Ibagaza & Güiza.
REFEREE: Fernández Borbalán. Booked Diarra (89’) and Higuaín (90’).
GOALS:
1-0, min 11: Robinho
1-1, min 12: Varela
2-1, min 16: Robinho
2-2, min 35: Varela
2-3, min 59: Güiza
3-3, min 62: Raúl
4-3, min 73: Van Nistelrooy
NOTES: Matchday 12 of the Spanish League. Venue: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Christian Alarcón, member of the Mexican Embassy in Madrid, saw the fans make donations at desks laid out at the stadium to help victims of the Mexico floodings.
Match report by Cristina Monge
Photos by Alejandro González
Translation by Matthew Goltz
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