Yawn. Like this was really a surprise. Who in their right mind though the suave and sexy football of Schalke had a chance against Madrid?
But in all seriousness, Real should be preparing for the quarters and Schalke should be BANNED from next year's competition for crimes against football!
Well done Madrid. You went and you did a professional job on what as a more defensive Schalke as opposed to the headless clowns of last season. Crisitiano got back on the scoresheet which pleased me SO greatly, and Marcelo.....nuff said.
But there was no question or any doubt of Real winning. I refused to entertain the possibility of a draw or any of that crap. Schalke were going to get beat because they are an AVERAGE team and they have a coach that does not really have the tactical tools to trouble a team like Madrid.
Not every team can have the money and riches of Barcelona, Real, Chelsea and PSG. But within your own limitations, you can still make some stuff happen. You can still keep the ball, make the right pass, the right run. You can have some structure in how you play and you can't somehow do WORSE than damn Ludogorets...a team from Bulgaria who gave Real more problems than y'all.So when you think about all that, how Schalke looked like they had no interest whatsoever in scoring in their own home ground, that is why they need to be thrown out. They are wasting a space. If you take a team that did not make it like Napoli....they would have made it much tougher for Madrid in Naples. With that crowd and the way they play, it would have been a much better match to watch. But instead, I was forced to watch a non-event as it was just waiting for the inevitable to happen which was Real scoring and just putting this game to bed.
Huntelaar going off did not help, and with no Draxler and Boateng having completely lost all skill that he once had....there was nothing Schalke had to offer. And when you are playing the defending champions, if there is not at least ONE footballer that you can entrust in making things happen, then there is nothing more that can be said. The choice to forfeit must be taken so that we don't have to waste time going through the obvious motions.
It's hard to say whether Madrid look like they can go on and defend it. They did not have to perform at a high level as they were not pushed. But Varane and Pepe looked very solid at the back, with my young Frenchman developing into a GREAT central defender. Lucas Silva looked alright, but again, there was not that one outstanding performance as you can feel the wound of that 4-1 derby lubrication has not yet healed. But if the sleeping giant of Bale does wake, IF he wakes and they get their Modric and Ramos back....they have a target, to do what has not been done in the modern era....DEFEND THEIR TITLE.
HH
