LL R37 : Real Madrid vs Valencia

Sunday, 8th of May, Santiago Bernabeu

Expected lineup:


La Liga is basically over unless dat legend Tamudo comes back for one last stand which is impossible. We have to play for our pride and to hold the pressure on the posers. Valencia are shit but capable of an upset like they did with Barca a few weeks ago so we must be careful.

Messi will not be playing, so if Espanyol can park it, they can frustrate Suarez and Neymar. Still even if Barca drop points there is still Atleti who are a pain in the ass with their stupid 1-0s

We should rotate some positions this game. Valencia arent very good this season. Should be easy for us.

There are some players who are guaranteed to play such as Danilo, Varane, Isco and Lucas but for who may be a mystery.

I think we will play this line up if Casemiro is not back:


Should be an easy 2-0 win. We are peaking at the right moment in the season. Too bad it may be too late for LaLiga because of Rafa.

Yeah, Rafa made things stupidly hard though those dropped points against Malaga and Betis have definitely come back to bite us.

Anyway, Valencia would go into try hard mode so I expect another tough match for Los Blancos.

We dropped points against Betis with Zidane iirc. It was the game he took out Danilo at half time or was it alittle later, cant remember. You may be referring to Sporing Gijon. We drew against Sporting early in the season. We have basically been trailing since matchday 1.

Funnily enough we have lost less games than both Barca and Atleti in LaLiga but they boast a better h2h than us. Not that it would make a difference at this point

Fwiw, I totally meant what I wrote. Those two matches under Zidane I really feel we should have won despite Malaga being a complete pain in the ass usually. We win those and we would have been chilling at the top of La Liga.

Of course, so could have been said for a whole bunch of games so take it as me crying over spilled milk.

Oh i stand corrected. Thought we won that game. A quick glance at sofascore and my memory is refreshed. Man Ronaldo missing that stupid penalty. They probably thought the title race was over

Tough game, Valencia will not just gift us the match.

Everyone drops points against teams they shouldn't 3-4 times a year... Atleti and Barca have done it too. Problem was that we already used up our allowable quota of such games by mid January. We had to be perfect the rest of the way and we haven't been because, frankly, the team is flawed and far from perfect. Got close to it though.

I expect nobody to complain if by chance we lose or draw this tie. Though with CR7 back, I would expect the commandante to flaunt his legendary scrub killing abilities with extreme prejudice.

We'll see soon enough.

This will be Arbeloa's last game for us.

http://www.marca.com/en/football/real-madrid/2016/05/06/572c4f2fe5fdeae8728b469b.html

Turok_TTZ wrote:I expect nobody to complain if by chance we lose or draw this tie. Though with CR7 back, I would expect the commandante to flaunt his legendary scrub killing abilities with extreme prejudice.

We'll see soon enough.

We all here on GL criticized Ronaldo at the beginning of the season when he was in his scrub-killing mode, but since Zidane took over, he has become a Giant killer - Giant killer with respect to the team and the importance of the game. he has been there for us at the most crucial period this season.
I think its unfair to still label him a scrub killer, at least for now.

Considering the importance of all the games left, every team is a giant that needs to be slayed.

Valencia are scrubs. CR7 is well known to feed on scrubs. We need such. Who said Scrub killer is a negative? CR7 will have his ups and downs but efficient scrub killing can be the difference between becoming league champions or losing out in 2nd or 3rd place. there is barcelona and atletico but after those two are the scrubs of la liga. every point counts. we need the scrub killers to do their job: kill off scrubs and maintain pressure on those ahead of us.

Valkyrja wrote:This will be Arbeloa's last game for us.

http://www.marca.com/en/football/real-madrid/2016/05/06/572c4f2fe5fdeae8728b469b.html

A shame he goes out on a whimper and in decline but in regards to personality and honor, Arbeloa is one of the very few who truly understands the club comes first and foremost. If only certain others had the same conviction...
I hope he has a role in the club in the near future.

Arbeloa is going to play at some point in the game. Just hope it is not from start

halamadrid2 wrote:Arbeloa is going to play at some point in the game. Just hope it is not from start

He might start so he can get his goodbye walk when substituted.

Mourinho wrote:Arbeloa is not just a player for me, he is a friend. How does a player turn into a friend? By being an example of passion for his profession, for love of his club, for his dedication to the group and its objectives, for his honor with relation to those with whom he works day to day.

In the history of our great club, there are and will be many of the world’s greatest players. Arbeloa may not have that accolade, but he is surely one of those who has given Real Madrid, his fans, his coaches and his teammates everything he had, and everything he didn’t.

For Arbeloa, I only have my words of gratitude. In my 16 years as a coach I have him in my podium of the most important players of whom I have worked with. A good player and an exceptional man.

Gonna miss this GOAT for sure, having watched him picking up those *bleep* midgets was glorious

Goalkeepers: Casilla, Ruben Yanez and Alex Craninx.
Defenses: Varane, Pepe, Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo, Arbeloa and Danilo.
Midfielders: Kroos, James, Casemiro, Kovacic, Modric and Isco.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Lucas Vázquez and Jese

Navas, Bale and Carvajal have all been rested due to injury concerns

For the love of god don't play Benzema and Casemiro unless needed in the 2nd half. In fact, don't play them period. Ronaldo too. Put Vasquez with James and Jese up front. Start Isco in the midfield. Heck, put Naco as a DM so Kroos gets a half of too and split the game between Modric and Kroos (one half each).

Not a time to take any risks. We're in the CL Final ffs.

Agreed with Benzema but Casemiro only had a minor injury that kept him out for like 3 days. Benzema on the other hand should be given more time, wont happen with Bale out though. Zidane likes to play at least 2 of the BBC when one is injured

I'll miss him, will definitely miss him. The dressing room will miss him. A leader, a true madridista will depart from our club. I know he isn't the best option available but I want to see him play his last game at the Bernabeu. I know we have a very crucial game against Valencia but I just want to see him on the pitch one last time. I hope Bernabeu chants his name just like when they did on his birthday, he deserves it.

Gracias ALVARO

Z made it clear in his press conference that Ronaldo will play in both La Liga games:

The best way for Cristiano to gear up for the final is to play in both of them

As for Benzema, Z said that he's ready to play and insinuated that he'll get some playing time to see if he feels any pain or discomfort:

I don't know. He's ready to play but for how long, I don't know. That depends on how he feels in himself

The general feeling I got from his press conference is that he won't be resting his key players, if they are fit, for the title race. He's not thinking about the final, as of yet, and he'll always field the strongest XI available for the remaining league games.

My favorite quote from his press conference is this one:

Earned the right to continue? I haven't won anything yet

It's nice to see that he has high expectations; that he doesn't think that reaching the CL final is some kind of a trophy; that a manager's right to stay is predicated on silverware and silverware alone; that he doesn't have that LVG-transitional-period-BS thinking. It's nice to see that he thinks just like the club's most demanding fans.

I would expect nothing less from Real Madrid's head coach.

Modric rested against Valencia. Kroos-Case-Isco ?

James

sportsczy wrote:For the love of god don't play Benzema and Casemiro unless needed in the 2nd half. In fact, don't play them period. Ronaldo too. Put Vasquez with James and Jese up front. Start Isco in the midfield. Heck, put Naco as a DM so Kroos gets a half of too and split the game between Modric and Kroos (one half each).

Not a time to take any risks. We're in the CL Final ffs.

What happened to fighting for everything sports? Backtracking now are we? To fight on all fronts is to take risks. You should understand better than most.