Real Madrid vs Villarreal

1 point behind the leaders and by the time we play Villarreal we may have a chance to take top spot.

We have a full squad. However, Carvajal is feeling some discomfort after the clash with Draxler in the CL and wont be risked with CL next week. This means we will see Danilo again against a tricky winger. Ffs

We need an early goal to calm our nerves. Villarreal are solid at the back and have a lot of speed in attack with Bakambu. We need to be really really careful

Predicted line up:

A harder match than I feel their form shows but as long as we get a win and keep Barca and Atleti honest, it should be alright. I suspect Ramos is gonna do something stupid.

Absolutely no reason to keep playing with Pepe when Varane is available. Even the last game, instead of covering the second post he covers the first post which is Goddamn goalkeepers primary post in such situations and concedes a training ground goal. Add his horrible passes and pls no.

Pepe has indeed become a complete liability. Shame he is not aging well at all though, for a couple of seasons he has been solid for us, world class even. Ramos, on the other hand, is still a blockhead.

If Pepe has been awful then there is no adjective to describe Varane and Ramos

Pepe was excellent vs Getafe. That goal was on Isco and Kroos for being so passive in tracking back. Pepe did what great defenders do force Sarabia to take a shot from distance covering the near post and blocking as much of the path as possible. Sarabia just score a great goal. Varane would probably have been nutmegged and Ramos would have brought him down. Pepe like the great defender he is acted like one but Sarabia just got a great hit of the ball and it sailed it

Any performance against Hey-tafe should be disregarded since it is Hey-tafe. Pepe has been in bad form Hala, it is absolutely visible. Not sure about Varane but I can find many, many adjectives to describe Ramos. All of which are ban-able offenses.

Both Ramos and Pepe have been equally horrible this season...  age, nagging, injuries, whatever it is.  Mistakes happen for everyone, even the legendary CBs, on a fairly regular basis.  That's just football. However, the mistakes should be made while trying to make the right play...  i.e. getting there late, trying to play an offsides trap and being covered, getting outmuscled in the air, etc.  But Ramos and Pepe make completely unnecessary and stupid ones over and over and over again.  These are inexcusable.

At least Varane makes mistakes while trying to make the right play.

Just as an example, the great Nesta cost Italy NT the Euro in 2000 by making two mistakes in the final... one in stoppage time allowing Wiltord to score and another in OT allowing Trezeguet to score. But he was looking to do the right thing. Just got outpaced on the first one and outfoxed on the second one. It happens.

Zidane has rested Pepe and hasnt called up the slightly injured Bale and Carvajal. Apparently its nothing serious and they should be back for the Rayo game

Hope Lucas starts and not James. It would be so unfair to Lucas if he didnt start having played so great this season. Knowing Zidane he might actually play him

I think James should play instead of Kroos

Navas, Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Nacho, Casemiro, Modric, James, Lucas, Benzema and Cr7

So that Villarreal can walk through our midfield? No thank you

That's a lot of guys missing.

Navas
Danilo-Varane-Ramos-Marcelo
Casemiro
Modric-Kroos
James-Benzema-CR

Lucas Vasquez is an energy player with speed... i like him coming on fresh when Villareal is already tired.  Jese/Vasquez would really do damage against a tired side imo.  James...  not so much.  He's not a guy who brings speed.  Better off starting James then bringing him on as a sub imo.

James better work hard with tracking back to help Danilo though. He can't get lazy.

halamadrid2 wrote:If Pepe has been awful then there is no adjective to describe Varane and Ramos

Pepe was excellent vs Getafe. That goal was on Isco and Kroos for being so passive in tracking back. Pepe did what great defenders do force Sarabia to take a shot from distance covering the near post and blocking as much of the path as possible. Sarabia just score a great goal. Varane would probably have been nutmegged and Ramos would have brought him down. Pepe like the great defender he is acted like one but Sarabia just got a great hit of the ball and it sailed it

All the great defenders covers the first post? Lmao.


As a CB you cover the second post and make the player go to the first post, that way you make the angle narrow for the GK . That is why GK are always asked to cover their first post properly... The angle is now narrow.

Instead Pepe makes the angle bigger by not covering the second post and sarabia scores a training ground goal so effortlessly.


From Di Maria to Pepe what a fall .

Danilo is weak defensively and will need support from the RW.
Vasquez tracks back admirably so expect vasquez to start.

Gaspar's coach, the talented Marcelino Garcia Toral, does not feel that optimistic. "We're suffering plenty of injuries and that forces us to repeat lineups. It's our third match in six days. We're not going to the Santiago Bernabeu in an optimal situation."

Four absentees stand out in Villarreal's injury list: defender Mateo Musacchio, midfielder Tomas Pina, and forwards Samuel Castillejo and Roberto Soldado. All four would very likely start if they were in shape.

Villareal have their own issues as well and do take into consideration, they have not won at the Bernabeu. However, if Bakambu starts, see Ramos get rough up again and they have the ability to snatch something out of this.

So apparently according to Marca, Lucas and Isco may start this game. Zidane ffs

Would make a lot of sense for Lucas to start on the right over James. Danilo needs all the help he can get and Lucas is more of a fit in that department. Not saying Lucas is a better player as James is definitely, by quite some margin, a more skilled footballer but work ethic is needed in this match on the right.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CgggKnoVAAIxqAG.jpg

right line up from zidane thank the maker this guy isn't puppet .

Atletico and Barca will or have won their games

This is a must win against a tough opponent

Very happy with the line up. Lucas
Danilo please don't suck.

You know things are bad with Danilo when trapping a ball has become a tedious task.