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Played
December 4, 2010 9:00 PM GMT
Santiago Bernabéu.
Referee: Pérez Lasa
December 4, 2010 9:00 PM GMT
Santiago Bernabéu.
Referee: Pérez Lasa
La Liga Preview: Real Madrid - Valencia
After Clasico humiliation, los Blancos will have to show their mental strength against los Che...
By Robin Bairner
Not Humiliated
Not only did Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid lose their unbeaten record when they were hammered by Barcelona last Monday, they also lost their dignity as a string of unwanted records were suddenly placed beside them. The Portuguese coach is known for his mental strength in tight situations, but he has never been faced by the prospect of bouncing back after such a defeat, and a dangerous Valencia side would probably not be his choice of opposition for Saturday evening.
There was genuine optimism around the Bernabeu approaching the game in Catalunya earlier this week, but from the outset it was clear that los Merengues would find living with a Barca side at the peak of their powers an impossible task. By full-time, the discipline of the Madrid side had vanished, and Sergio Ramos’ red card only added to the pain of a 5-0 drubbing.
“One team played very good, one team very bad,” Mourinho confessed to the press. “I've always said that the club [Barcelona] is a finished product and Madrid are a long way short.
“Humiliated? No. It's easy to deal with this loss, we just weren't good enough.”
The rhetoric around the camp is good. There is an acceptance of the pain suffered on Monday, but equally there is a desire to right what was a very poor performance. Against los Che, los Blancos have an immediate chance to show the rest of Spain that they are in the title race for the duration and won’t be finished by Barca’s tour de force.
Be Careful
Valencia may be one of Spain’s greatest clubs, but they approach this fixture very much in the shadow of Real Madrid given recent events. That won’t necessarily displease coach Unai Emery, whose men are starting to emerge from a four match winless streak in the autumn that has cost them a place in the top four at present.
Much of their positive work has been done at home, with victories over Rangers, Getafe, Bursaspor and Almeria serving to boost confidence. On their travels in La Liga, however, they have not won since the last weekend in September, when Sporting de Gijon were beaten 2-0. Going to Real Madrid, even a Real Madrid in a state of shock, will be no easy ask.
“Both Real Madrid and Barcelona are at their highest level ever,” Cesar Sanchez told the media. “In addition, Madrid are characterised by being able to recover from painful losses, and they will be looking forward to Saturday’s game.
“We have the same desire to win as them. We must play our game and work hard for 90 minutes, because they will not forgive mistakes, and they can change the game in an instant.”
Chasing the final Champions League spot, los Che will see Saturday night’s encounter as an opportunity to earn some unexpected points at the Bernabeu. Madrid are vulnerable, but by the same token, Valencia are unpredictable and must approach this fixture with the vigilance it requires. From Cesar’s comments, the mentality appears to be right.
TEAM NEWS
Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence in the squad is headline news as he was doubtful earlier this week due to an inflamed tendon. Ezequiel Garay is also present.
Sergio Canales, Gonzalo Higuain, Kaka and Fernando Gago remain on the sidelines due to injury.
Ricardo Carvalho and Sergio Ramos are both suspended.
Valencia
Cesar and Moya are out, so third choice goalkeeper Guaita will be given the honour of protecting the net. David Navarro and Vicente are overlooked due to technical decisions, while Jeremy Mathieu, Sofiane Feghouli Manuel Fernandes and Mehmet Topal are injured.
Not only did Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid lose their unbeaten record when they were hammered by Barcelona last Monday, they also lost their dignity as a string of unwanted records were suddenly placed beside them. The Portuguese coach is known for his mental strength in tight situations, but he has never been faced by the prospect of bouncing back after such a defeat, and a dangerous Valencia side would probably not be his choice of opposition for Saturday evening.
There was genuine optimism around the Bernabeu approaching the game in Catalunya earlier this week, but from the outset it was clear that los Merengues would find living with a Barca side at the peak of their powers an impossible task. By full-time, the discipline of the Madrid side had vanished, and Sergio Ramos’ red card only added to the pain of a 5-0 drubbing.
“One team played very good, one team very bad,” Mourinho confessed to the press. “I've always said that the club [Barcelona] is a finished product and Madrid are a long way short.
“Humiliated? No. It's easy to deal with this loss, we just weren't good enough.”
The rhetoric around the camp is good. There is an acceptance of the pain suffered on Monday, but equally there is a desire to right what was a very poor performance. Against los Che, los Blancos have an immediate chance to show the rest of Spain that they are in the title race for the duration and won’t be finished by Barca’s tour de force.
Be Careful
Valencia may be one of Spain’s greatest clubs, but they approach this fixture very much in the shadow of Real Madrid given recent events. That won’t necessarily displease coach Unai Emery, whose men are starting to emerge from a four match winless streak in the autumn that has cost them a place in the top four at present.
Much of their positive work has been done at home, with victories over Rangers, Getafe, Bursaspor and Almeria serving to boost confidence. On their travels in La Liga, however, they have not won since the last weekend in September, when Sporting de Gijon were beaten 2-0. Going to Real Madrid, even a Real Madrid in a state of shock, will be no easy ask.
“Both Real Madrid and Barcelona are at their highest level ever,” Cesar Sanchez told the media. “In addition, Madrid are characterised by being able to recover from painful losses, and they will be looking forward to Saturday’s game.
“We have the same desire to win as them. We must play our game and work hard for 90 minutes, because they will not forgive mistakes, and they can change the game in an instant.”
Chasing the final Champions League spot, los Che will see Saturday night’s encounter as an opportunity to earn some unexpected points at the Bernabeu. Madrid are vulnerable, but by the same token, Valencia are unpredictable and must approach this fixture with the vigilance it requires. From Cesar’s comments, the mentality appears to be right.
TEAM NEWS
Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence in the squad is headline news as he was doubtful earlier this week due to an inflamed tendon. Ezequiel Garay is also present.
Sergio Canales, Gonzalo Higuain, Kaka and Fernando Gago remain on the sidelines due to injury.
Ricardo Carvalho and Sergio Ramos are both suspended.
Valencia
Cesar and Moya are out, so third choice goalkeeper Guaita will be given the honour of protecting the net. David Navarro and Vicente are overlooked due to technical decisions, while Jeremy Mathieu, Sofiane Feghouli Manuel Fernandes and Mehmet Topal are injured.
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Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
-
Real Madrid CF 3-0 Valencia CF
- 13.15 %
-
Real Madrid CF 3-1 Valencia CF
- 10.61 %
-
Real Madrid CF 2-0 Valencia CF
- 9.89 %
| Spain - Copa del Rey (ESPC) | Jan 23, 2013 | Valencia CF 1 - Real Madrid CF 1 |
|
| Spain - Primera Division (LIGA) | Jan 20, 2013 | Valencia CF 0 - Real Madrid CF 5 |
|
| Spain - Copa del Rey (ESPC) | Jan 15, 2013 | Real Madrid CF 2 - Valencia CF 0 |
|
| Spain - Primera Division (LIGA) | Aug 19, 2012 | Real Madrid CF 1 - Valencia CF 1 |
|
| Spain - Primera Division (LIGA) | Apr 8, 2012 | Real Madrid CF 0 - Valencia CF 0 |
|
Real Madrid CF
    |
||
| May 17, 2013 | Real Madrid CF 1 - Atletico Madrid 2 | ESPC |
| May 11, 2013 | Espanyol 1 - Real Madrid CF 1 | LIGA |
| May 8, 2013 | Real Madrid CF 6 - Malaga 2 | LIGA |
| May 4, 2013 | Real Madrid CF 4 - Valladolid 3 | LIGA |
| Apr 30, 2013 | Real Madrid CF 2 - Borussia Dortmund 0 | UCL |
Valencia CF
|
||
| May 18, 2013 | Getafe 0 - Valencia CF 1 | LIGA |
| May 12, 2013 | Rayo Vallecano 0 - Valencia CF 4 | LIGA |
| May 4, 2013 | Valencia CF 4 - Osasuna 0 | LIGA |
| Apr 28, 2013 | Real Sociedad 4 - Valencia CF 2 | LIGA |
| Apr 20, 2013 | Valencia CF 5 - Malaga 1 | LIGA |
| 1 | Iker Casillas | Goalkeeper |
| 17 | Arbeloa | Defender |
| 18 | Raúl Albiol Tortajada | Defender |
| 3 | Pepe | Defender |
| 12 | Marcelo | Defender |
| 85 | Lassana Diarra | Midfielder |
| 6 | Sami Khedira | Midfielder |
| 14 | Xabi Alonso | Midfielder |
| 22 | Ángel Di María | Midfielder |
| 10 | Mesut Özil | Midfielder |
| 7 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Striker |
| 25 | Jerzy Dudek | Goalkeeper |
| 24 | Ezequiel Garay | Defender |
| 12 | Pedro León | Midfielder |
| 26 | Morata | Striker |
| 9 | Karim Benzema | Striker |
| 14 | Esteban Granero | Midfielder |
| 19 | Mahamadou Diarra | Midfielder |
| 13 | Guaita | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Bruno | Defender |
| 33 | Marius Stankevicius | Defender |
| 6 | Hedwiges Maduro | Defender |
| 20 | Ricardo Costa | Defender |
| 18 | Jordi Alba | Defender |
| 7 | Joaquín | Midfielder |
| 6 | Albelda | Midfielder |
| 24 | Tino Costa | Midfielder |
| 10 | Juan Mata | Striker |
| 9 | Roberto Soldado | Striker |
| - | Saúl | Goalkeeper |
| - | Dealbert | Defender |
| 23 | Miguel Brito | Defender |
| 11 | Pablo Hernández | Midfielder |
| - | Alejandro Domínguez | Striker |
| 10 | Ever Banega | Midfielder |
| 23 | Aritz Aduriz Zubeldia | Striker |
| Mesut Özil | |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Squad Number: | 10 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 9 | 5 | 0 |
Mesut Oezil was hauled off at half-time in the Clasico, having offered very little as an offensive threat in the game. The German will retain the faith of Jose Mourinho after being a key player for Real Madrid over the course of the season and will be deployed as the chief playmaker. Los Che aren’t the solidest side in La Primera Division, so there should be hold there for him to punish.
| Roberto Soldado | |
| Position: | Striker |
| Squad Number: | 9 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 21 | 8 | 0 |
Former Real Madrid youth Roberto Soldado will see Saturday’s fixture as a great opportunity to get one over on his old employers. With four goals in his last two matches, the physically imposing front man will hope to exploit the kind of holes in the Real Madrid that Barcelona found. He has proven himself to be a deadly finisher from his time with Getafe, and if Valencia can get the No.9 to that level he will be a potent force.
1 
17 
18 
3 
12 
85 
6 
14 
22 
10 
7 
13 
2 
33 
6 
20 
18 
7 
6 
24 
10 
9 Much will be learnt about this Real Madrid side by the way they respond to last weekend’s game. Jose Mourinho would expect to have his men going into this fixture with a positive and determined mentality, which could make all the difference come full-time.
Results
Times In BST
Live
Final
scheduled
Suspended
Cancelled
Postponed
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lionel Messi Striker Barcelona |
46 | 4 |
|
Cristiano Ronaldo Striker Real Madrid |
34 | 6 |
|
Radamel Falcao Striker Atl. Madrid |
28 | 8 |
|
Roberto Soldado Striker Valencia |
21 | 5 |
|
Negredo Striker Sevilla |
20 | 3 |
