Madrid accumulate goals and a boost in morale

The Bernabéu faithful are enjoying the moment knowing that difficult games lie ahead, with the team under Zidane accumulating a boost in morale and a sack-full of goals. The last few matches at the Bernabéu have been similar in nature. Goals, fun and even moments of relaxation... Last night’s game against Espanyol followed that pattern. An Espanyol side who were weakened with players absent due to clauses in the loan deals involving Asensio and Burgui. They also suffered absentees through injury, the most notable being that of Caicedo. The visitors who started the match with fear and who found themselves three goals behind after just 16 minutes. Galca’s side managed to wake-up but by that point their fate was already settled.

The game itself threw up some interesting talking points. A source of good news was the return of James with the Colombian playing well, especially in the first period before tiring in the second half. Cristiano also played better and not just as a result of his three goals, as the player from Madeira showcased some fine dribbling that hadn’t been seen at the Bernabeu for some time, preferring to showcase his power over skill in recent months. It looks now as if the Portuguese striker is more focused on recovering these forgotten skills that allow him conserve his energy level. The second of his three goals last night being extraordinary. Cristiano has managed to find the net eight times in both LaLiga games against Espanyol and is tied with Luis Suárez at the top of leading scorer in the Spanish league.

Barcelona have complained in the past that Espanyol play with less intensity when they face Madrid. In that there is a shred of truth and some error. The Barça-Espanyol rivalry is historic and this manifests itself in the derby games. But looking at the statistics for the current century, Espanyol have taken the same number of points off Madrid and Barça: 17. The famous ‘Tamudazo’ and recent tense Catalan derbies along with yesterday’s poor display at the Bernabéu have reinforced this view. At the end these debates are the essence of football.