Real Madrid post match post mortem

[Vester]

We are a brilliant team, there's no dounting that, mostly because we are so well coached. Their players will know they were second best, not that they'll care because they went through.

Even so, next season we have to address the problem of not putting good teams to bed. It's been a problem this season against the top 4 or 5 in the league, just the one win, and its bitten us on the arse last night really. We might get away with it in the league because you can compensate against other sides, but not in knockout football at this level.


 

Agree. We are arguably the best team in the world and there is a reason we are always favorites for every trophy we compete for and force every single team in the world to accept they need to defend most parts of the game. A loss yesterday is extremely disappointing but not the end of the world, even the best team lose games. But since we aim and claim to be the best team in the world I hold this team to the highest standards. We have on multiple occasions this season struggled to better the top teams like Liverpool/Arsenal and now Real Madrid. We have played at least as good, mostly way better, on every occasion against them this season but failed to outscore them every single time. Pretending thats not an issue and/or simply just bad luck doesn't do us any favors. We can claim bad luck 1-2 times. Maybe 3. But when we have zero wins in seven this season against Liverpool/Arsenal/Real Madrid we must look ourselves in the mirror and question if its really good enough for a team that aims to be the best. Hopefully thats exactly what we do, improve and come back stronger.

 

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

Our game management is also piss poor this season.

We were never ahead in this tie (in both legs) for more then 10 mins, that's absolutely shocking, Madrid were ahead for a total of 79+ mins over both legs. How is that acceptable for a team that's ethos is 'controlled possession'

Not only this UCL tie. Ahead against Chelsea twice, ahead against Spurs twice and drew, Ahead at Anfield and give a goal away within 2mins of the 2nd half starting.

I felt that the last goal we conceded at the bernabeu could come back and haunt us, it was so avoidable, I'm not gonna dig out the player responsible but we should have shut that game out at 2-3.

It is what it Is, we need to find a way to win vs Chelsea, and win 4 in a row. Summer transfer window needs to be a good one.

From what I can remember the lead up to the third goal Ortega sent a kick long when we didn’t need to an it ended up coming back at us resulting in a goal. Madrid were getting up an other head of steam to come at us and we couldn’t manage the game and hold onto the ball. All ifs and buts now though.

 

[stonerblue]

Battered em from start to finish. Still not sure how we lost.

 

[Chippy_boy]

I never realised he was chipping it down the middle but now on reflection I think you're correct... it was deliberate and it backfired..

Agreed. Penalty taking is a funny old business. Safest way is to blast it into the corners and then 9 times out of 10 it is a goal... unless you send it wide of course. Anything else requires some guile - waiting for the keeper to move, giving him deceiving signals etc. You cannot just chip the fucking thing forward and "hope" the keeper dives one way or another. It's fucking idiotic to do that.

 

[mcfcbill91]

I'm disappointed this morning, but certainly not as much as previous years.

Winning the CL has given me a different perspective and I feel like we've had a huge education on how it can be won also. You can pinpoint moments in each game, like Lukaku's header in the final last season or Dias making a ridiculous block in the first leg against Bayern before we went 1-0 up.

Simply put, I thought we gave our all last night and played well. We pinned Madrid back like no-one has before, but just couldn't get the second goal. KDB had the golden chance.

But, to put ourselves in the position to even challenge for these trophies again after last season is incredible. Our players have a brilliant mindset and must be congratulated for their efforts, they look exhausted at times but continue to show up and give their all. It's been a tough season with injuries too. I hope we've got enough left to make one last big push for the title.


My only criticism is the club continuing to make a mess of ticketing. No idea what is going on, but there were Real fans/neutrals dotted about in ES3 with some weak attempts at managing it. I came off the scheme after the shambolic nature of the final ticketing last year and it's disappointing to see this continue.

We also had stewards telling us all to sit down, on the back row of a stand, during extra time of a CL quarter when we're trying to attack. They've not been near us all season but obviously felt that was the right time to do so.

If they want to get tough on ticketing, it needs to be across the board, not just toward ST holders and 'legacy' fans. Feels like the touristy big spenders are being prioritised more than ever.

 

[SamBlue]

After the game in Madrid I was properly pissed off with our performance, wrote some of my thoughts here and got a lot flak for that. Instead saying it was 50-50 at Etihad and that was my heart saying, I should' have said 90-10 for Madrid that was my head saying following this season pattern of all our games - at home particularly - when it mattered. Astonishingly flaky and obliging in conceding all sorts of goals, it was never realistic going all the way in the competition like CL and against the mother (or father) of all teams that could expose us. And Pep will need to reconsider many things for the next season.

 

[Bluewars II]

From what I can remember the lead up to the third goal Ortega sent a kick long when we didn’t need to an it ended up coming back at us resulting in a goal. Madrid were getting up an other head of steam to come at us and we couldn’t manage the game and hold onto the ball. All ifs and buts now though.

Story of our season sadly. Can still win the double which would be a remarkable achievement.

 

[Chippy_boy]

It's a shame because he was everywhere on that pitch but that penalty is the most ridiculous one I've seen since the Aguero one against Chelsea.

Said the same (about the penalty) myself. I remember the Aguero one all too well.

 

[Ric]

This is bizarre if true if they weren't injured.

I guess they felt they had nothing more to give, and didn't want to stay on to the detriment of the team?

 

[JTFactsPlz]

Probably been covered already but who played Bellingham onside for their goal? I sit in the NS so don't have the best perspective, but looked like he was a couple of yards ahead of our defence when he picked it up, i know it will have been checked, but has anyone got the image?

I believe it was Walker.