March 14, 200817 yr DEPORTIVO vs. REAL MADRIDGoalkeepers: Casillas & Dudek.Defenders: Salgado, Pepe, Torres, Marcelo, Cannavaro & Heinze.Midfielders: Diarra, Gago, Baptista, Guti, Drenthe, Robinho & Sneijder.Forwards: Raúl, Higuaín & Soldado.
March 16, 200817 yr 1- DEPORTIVO: Aouate, Manuel Pablo, Lopo, Pablo Amo, Coloccini, Filipe, Wilhelmsson, Sergio (Antonio Tomás, 86’), De Guzman, Lafita (Guardado, 79’) and Xisco (Riki, 68’).0- REAL MADRID: Casillas, Miguel Torres, Pepe, Cannavaro, Heinze (Baptista, 77’), Sneijder, Guti, Diarra, Drenthe (Higuain, 70’), Raul and Soldado (Robinho, 70’).GOAL:1-0 (min. 56’): Pepe own goal.REFEREE: Turienzo Alvarez. Booked De Guzmán (60’), Coloccini (69’), Torres (71’), Aouate (89’), Lopo (90’), and Pepe.NOTES: Matchday 28 of La Liga played at Riazor Stadium. Attendance: 35,000.
March 16, 200817 yr Raúl, Heinze, and Torres"We controlled the ball but weren't able to create any chances"Raúl, Heinze, and Miguel Torres all agreed that forgetting about Saturday's defeat against Deportivo as quickly as possible is the best thing for Real Madrid.Raúl:“We were weak in the first half and had more possession in the second, but we just didn't have a clear path to the box. We didn't have many opportunities even though we played with the same intensity as in other matches. They really made it hard for us and they were very dangerous when counterattacking. They had a lot of men in defense, which prevented us from reaching their goal. We knew it would be difficult, but we have to keep in mind that there are ten matches left and that we still have a significant lead. We cannot think about the past. We have six home matches and four road matches left, so we really depend on ourselves, our points, and our results.”“Seasons are very long and there are always variances. We have to continue working and thinking one match at a time.”Heinze:“We're always sad when we lose, but we have to move forward. We cannot lower our heads, but rather continue working as we have been. Talking does us no good. We have to win as many points as possible and finish off the league on a winning streak. We have two straight home games coming up and both are extremely important. We have to win all our matches, whether home or away, if we want to be champions. We want to have as many points as possible at season's end, so we have to win no matter where we play.”“Depor played with a lot of men in the first third and they cut off all our attacks. They used a very intelligent defensive strategy. We left it all on the field but weren't able to score, and that's the only thing that counts. Whoever scores in football wins, so all I can do is congratulate them.”“The statistic is meaningless, but it's still there. The goal was a matter of bad luck. Despite playing a correct match we weren't able to create many chances. We have to keep working and make sure we put all five senses into winning the league.”Torres:“The 17-year streak is what we're least concerned about. We came here to extend our lead. We just wanted to maintain the eight points, but it wasn't to be. They were well-positioned and a solid defensive unit.”“We prepared for this match all week long, but they played well. We must do just as we have been: fighting and battling in order to finish first at the end of the season.”
March 16, 200817 yr Player Ratings: Deportivo 1-0 Real MadridDeportivo produced an impressive performance as they extended Real Madrid's run without a victory in Riazor to 18 years. The visitors forward line offered very little, while the resurgence in their hosts continued as they looked confident and decisive, even if they did need an own goal to win. Goal.com has judged every player and dished out marks out of ten.Casillas 6 - Did not have a huge amount to do and was helpless for the goal that came out of nowhere to beat him,Torres 5.5 - Madrid's defence were not there weak point and the right-back looked as ragged as anyone. Was repeatedly skinned by Lafita, and should have stopped Filipe before the goal.Heinze - 5.5 - The same goes for the left-back as he even went forward in order to help, although made little impact at that end.Pepe 6.5 - The own goal was a shame for the defender as he had not played badly, and even ventured forward.Cannavaro 6.5 - Maintained his position and stood firm whenever the home team broke away and cannot be blamed for the defeat.Diarra 6 - Was given the task of protecting the back four and, in the main, achieved that without much fuss. His passing, however, remains a huge problem.Guti 4 - Was not on form and looked lethargic. Gave too many balls away, and never once bothered to do something about it. On nights when his passing deserts him, he looks a real liability.Drenthe 6.5 - An industrious first half, but all theat hustle and bustle rarely made an impact on the Depor defence. But he was trying ever so hard, unlike some of his teammates.Sneijder 5.5 - Also did very little impress and his long range shot that went well wide in the second half summed up his display. Absolutely no imagination.Raul 4.5 - Virtually anonymous up front. Whether that was because of his own performance or because of a lack of service is open to debate.Soldado 4.5 - At least looked to involve himself, but in all honesty neither forward created anything for themselves.SubsRobinho 5.5 - Has helped Madrid in sticky situations before, but did nothing to help here even though he looked lively.Baptista 5.5 - Came on and appeared to quickly become frustrated with the lack of movement and space up front.Higuain 5 - Came on did virtually nothing to help turn around Madrid's fortunes on a night when nobody really stood out.
March 16, 200817 yr Depor Made It Hard For Us - RaulReal Madrid captain Raul was disappointed with his side's inability to break down a well-manned Deportivo side, but insisted the title race is still in their hands...Madrid were disappointing from start to finish at the Riazor this evening, as they have now gone without a win in Galicia in over 17 years.With Deportivo putting everyone behind the ball, los Merengues looked absolutely clueless when it came to breaking down the backline, extremely stunted creatively, lacking width and killer instinct in front of goal.Indeed on the counterattack the once SuperDepor bagged all three points when Pepe was practically forced to turn a Lafita cross into his own goal, and could perhaps count himself a shade unlucky.The NegativeThe list of poor performers is lengthy — and indeed Raul wisely decided against naming any names — but had no problem admitting his side quite simply were not good enough on the night, particularly in the first half.“We were weak in the first half and had more possession in the second, but we just didn't have a clear path to the box," he moaned."We didn't have many opportunities even though we played with the same intensity as in other matches."They really made it hard for us and they were very dangerous when counterattacking. They had a lot of men in defense, which prevented us from reaching their goal."The PositiveHe was, perhaps rightly, keen to end on a positive note, reminding one and all that in the worst case scenario they still finish this weekend five points clear of Barcelona in second place. Barca have a tricky tie themselves, heading to Almeria — the same place where Real Madrid's current slump began.The captain was keen to highlight that there are just four away games left of the final ten to play, and with most of the big games coming at home, on paper, los Blancos will still be hopeful they can win back to back Liga titles and end the season with some silverware."We have to keep in mind that there are ten matches left and that we still have a significant lead," he said."We cannot think about the past. We have six home matches and four road matches left, so we really depend on ourselves, our points, and our results."
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