B. Dortmund 2 - 1 Real Madrid (Champions League, Day 3)

Real Madrid lost to Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in the third match day of the Champions League group stage. Lewandowski put the home team ahead in the 36th minute and two minutes later Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored in the last seven matches, took advantage of Özil’s assist to equalise the match with a nice chip. In the second half, in which neither team played with fear of losing the match, Schmelzer gave victory to the German team. Nevertheless, the Whites, who were playing their 350th match in the European Cup, kept alive their chances of qualifying for the next round in first place and will play two of their remaining three matches at home. A win at the Bernabéu against Dortmund in two weeks would give them sole lead of the group.

Real Madrid stumble in Dortmund

Real Madrid only made three changes to the team that played the match against Celta. Khedira, who on 19 minutes was taken off injured and was replaced by Modric, Di María and Benzema were players included in Mourinho's team who took a gamble in playing Ramos and Essien at right and left back. Borussia Dortmund began the match looking ready right from the beginning and wanted to show Real Madrid how they had reached two years undefeated in the Bundesliga in Signal Iduna Park, but the visitors showed solidarity in the defensive and also created problems in the home team’s area. Proof of this is that in the first half hour of the match they had enjoyed 60% of the possession and had already been fouled eight times against the three that they had committed.

Until then the German team had only generated chances from the edge of the area. Kehl’s two lashes at goal (13 'and 27') were met with a great response from Casillas although the second was even better than the first. The Whites could have also taken the lead on three occasions, but Özil missed from in front of goal following a cross from the left in the 5th and Di María’s shot in the 22nd minute and Ronaldo’s in the 26th both went very high.

After that first half hour the match changed completely and control of the match went back and forth constantly between both teams. Dortmund struck first. The ball was played into the hole for Lewandowski in the 36th minute and the Pole did not falter in the one-on-one with Casillas. 1-0 and the Signal Iduna Park roared following the goal which put their team ahead, but Real Madrid did not shy away from the match and the reply was immediate. Only two minutes later from the midfield Özil saw Ronaldo's run and picked him out with a great long pass. The Portuguese, who was faster than the two players marking him subtly chipped Weidenfeller. Two more chances, one per team, came before the break. The first fell to Götze with the ball ending in Casillas’ hands in the 44th minute. The last was Ramos’ following a great cut inside past Schmelzer, but his shot went wide.

The script did not change in the second half and the alternating possession was still the order of the day. No one was afraid to lose the match, both teams attacked with everything and the chances kept coming in what was a pulsating match. Götze had the first chance on 50 minutes. His shot with the inside of the left foot after a good team move was stopped by Casillas. Di María responded. A good inside pass from Benzema and the Argentine, as Ronaldo did for the visitors’ first goal won the foot-race against the German team’s centre backs, but shot well wide in the 55th minute.

There were no truce and it was Dortmund who again went ahead on the scoreboard. Schmelzer who was alert on the edge of the area took advantage of a Casillas punched clearance to put the ball in the back of the net with a volley in the 64th minute. From that moment it was Real Madrid who featured most heavily in the match and Mourinho decided to bring Higuaín on for Benzema. The last fifteen minutes were dominated by the visitors but get the goal that they were looking for. Real Madrid, who were playing their 350th European Cup match, will play two of the three remaining matches that will bring group D to a close at home. A win at the Bernabéu against Borussia in two weeks would give them sole lead of the group.

Summary

Stadium: Signal Iduma Park
Attendance: 80,000
Goals: 1-0, min 36: Lewandowski. 1-1, min 38: Cristiano Ronaldo. 2-1, min 64: Schmelzer

Real Madrid 2 - 0 Celta (Spanish League, Day 8)

Real Madrid demonstrated against that the international break did not put the shackles on the team’s progress. The Whites earned their fifth consecutive victory at home and finished the match with a clean sheet. Higuaín, with an accurate cross-come-shot, little more than ten minutes into the first half and Ronaldo, from the penalty spot, won the game against the team from Galicia, who fought bravely and were well set out on the pitch. The Portuguese player, who has scored 11 goals in his team’s last six games, is now the leading goal scorer in la Liga, although there are still games to be played this weekend. The best possible news before the clash against Borussia in the Champions League in Dortmund on Wednesday.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Higuain scored against Celta

Real Madrid returned to the Bernabeu 20 days after their last match at home against Deportivo, and did so with Ramos and Essien on the wing, Modric and Alonso controlling the match in midfield, an in-form Kaká (two goals in the two matches he played for Brazil) behind the striker and Higuaín up front. It was the Argentine who opened the scoring in the eleventh minute with a cross-come-shot form the left wing that surprised Sergio, sailing over his head. It was not the Whites’ first chance; Ronaldo had an opportunity in the second minute, Kaká, two minutes later, and Ramos in the fifth minute had previously attempted to put their team ahead.

“We need to win because we can’t afford to lose points”, commented Mourinho in the press room the day before the match. His players demonstrated this on the pitch Not only because after barely ten minutes had they taken the lead, but also because of the passion they showed to win the ball back from their opponents and how they went after the second goal, which could have come at the midway point of the first half, but Ronaldo’s header from a Higuaín cross went wide from the goal mouth in the twenty-third minute.

The home side’s dominance did not flummox the team from Galicia that was well set out defensively and even attempted to surprise the Whites on the counter attack, with Iago Aspas as their most advanced player. It was the reserve team player that took the visitor’s first shot on goal in the twenty-sixth minute, but Casillas, who was very watchful, stopped his finish with a beautiful stretching save. Ronaldo, once again very active, replicated the visiting side’s effort twelve minutes later in what was to be the final action of the first half. Alonso and Modric combined and the Portuguese, in the penalty arc, lifted the ball off the ground and immediately struck it without letting it touch the ground in an attempt to squeeze the ball past Sergio. Only the crossbar prevented the work of art from increasing the scoreboard.

Mourinho looked for greater width after the break, deciding to bring on Di María for Kaká. Celta showed themselves to be brave and brought up their defensive lines. The change made by their coach in the fifty-second minute corroborated this; Mario Bermejo was brought on for Bustos. Paco Herrera brought on a forward to play alongside Aspas up front, replacing a midfielder. Then Park, the home side’s only international player, came on for the reserve team player six minutes later.

Despite this, the opportunities continued to fall to the home side. Ramos, with a volley, had the first chance, but his shot went very high over the bar from Ronaldo’s precise pass in the fifty-eighth minute. The Portuguese player also had a chance to score after a great cross from Essien, although his header from inside the area once again went wide. The second goal belonged to the Portuguese player, being scored in the sixty-seventh minute. Özil was clearly brought down by Cabral inside the area and Ronaldo, with an astonishing calmness, converted the penalty. It was his eleventh goal in his team’s last six matches.

The goal saw the few chances that Celta had dry up and sealed a hard-fought victory against a brave team that was well set out defensively. Real Madrid, therefore, completed their fifth consecutive victory at home, Ronaldo scored in his sixth consecutive game and Casillas, who made three great stops at the end of the clash and was given an ovation by the fans, kept a clean sheet. This is the best possible news before facing Borussia in the Champions League on Wednesday in Dortmund.

Summary

Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Attendance: 74,815
Goals: 1-0, m.11: Higuain. 2-0, m.67: Cristiano Ronaldo (pen).

Coentrao: Penalties, injuries and punishments

Coentrao started this season in order to confirm his great performance in the last European Championship after which, was included in the team of the tournament. But reality is still quite different from what is imagined. It was starting the 2012-2013 season and Coentrao has begun to live a nightmare. So, after playing the first two games of the season as a starter, the Portuguese left-back has seen as the penalties and Mourinho's punishments for lack of discipline have left him out of the fields the rest of the season. In fact, in the last nine games has only been on the bench in two of them (against Deportivo and Ajax). The rest of them have watched the match from the stands or on television.

Fabio Coentrao

And the worst moment has come with the injury last Friday in a meeting that Portugal played against Russia in Moscow. The left defender has already returned to Madrid to begin recovery of the injury (abductor) that will keep him one month away from the pitch.

Although the Portuguese coach does not forgive any of his misconducts (such as being late to training) and Coentrao has been already repeatedly punished for it, Mourinho has confidence on him. In fact, Mourinho himself has been in charge of ruling out that the defender player is going to leave Real Madrid in the winter market: "I think Coentrao can follow the steps of his friends (Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe) and become a great player with strong personality, so he will not be out in January".

Marcelo: "I want to make a full recovery"

Marcelo is now in Madrid after suffering a fracture in his fifth metatarsal of his right foot last Sunday while training with the Brazilian national squad in the vicinity of Wroclaw, Poland. The left-back is now feeling more motivated to overcome this difficult situation thanks to the numerous messages of support he has received from Madrid fans all over the world, to which he wants to reply with words of thanks via Real Madrid media: “I am so happy to get all these messages supporting me from the fans. I had no idea so many people cared so much about me and I am really grateful to everyone. I want to make a full recovery so that I can bring more joy to the fans ".

Marcelo

“I am going to do everything properly to return to play with the team”. Marcelo’s statement encapsulates the determination with which he is facing this most challenging moment of his career. He remains philosophical without losing his sense of humour: “This is not enough to get anyone down, least of all me. I am always a cheerful person. It’s happened, I can’t change it but now I have to work hard to get back to playing”.

The massive response of the Real Madrid fans to his injury is a source of pride and brings him even more strength: “I’ve seen the messages of support and I am very pleased. I had no idea so many people cared so much about me and I am really grateful to everyone. I want to make a full recovery so that I can bring more joy to the fans. Yesterday I was a little glum, but when I got home and saw my wife and child I felt a lot better. These things happen and you have to keep your chin up and keep going”.

This is a new experience for the Brazilian in his footballing life and he wants to move on as soon as possible: “I hope this will be the first and the last time it happens. I would not wish this on anyone. These things can happen during training or in a match and now what I have to do is do things properly so that I can get back on the team as soon as possible, If I keep my head up and don’t lose heart, my team mates and my family will help to me to get through this”.

The new Mourinho's left-backs

While Real Madrid doctors are working to reduce the recovery time of Marcelo and Coentrao, Jose Mourinho is working on alternatives to replace his two left-backs.

Casado (R.M.Castilla player)

The first option is to change the Arbeloa's position. The international Spanish player will change the 'chip' and think that next month will play left-back. The good thing for Mourinho is that the white defender has already played a lot in that position and has given guarantees. The trouble, forces to change the two sides of the defensive line and Sergio Ramos or Essien will have to fill the gap left by Arbeloa on the right wing. In principle, this would be the plan A.

The second option would be to choose Nacho, the youth squad player, to occupy the left side. The versatile Real Madrid Castilla defender also has played in more than once in the left side. In fact, his debut with Real Madrid in a Spanish league match was against Valencia, at the Mestalla Stadium in the season 10-11, and he played in that position. And had a good performance. With this variant, Mourinho has the opportunity to place Arbeloa on the right side so there would be only a change.

The last option, the more unlikely. Mourinho may bet on a natural leftie player to occupy the left-back position of Real Madrid; Casado. The Real Madrid Castilla player is having a great season with the youth team and said that "Nobody is happy with the injuries of the teammates. You can open more doors but I have no hurry. I'm ready but the Castilla is my team. If the coach calls me I will be there to help as I have done in other times. Both me and my colleagues are always ready", without forgetting that "No one has spoken to me. All happened suddenly, was a crazy weekend. Several times I have trained with the first team and the coach knows me. I will keep working, now I have the mind set on the next Saturday's match against Cordoba".

Mourinho: “We will be a team until the end"

The national teams’ commitments have pushed the inter-club competitions to the background this week while Jose Mourinho continues working. The Real Madrid coach revisited the team’s current situation during a press conference delivered to the club’s official media, making the following statements, among others: “In this team, statistics count even in friendly matches, which are sometimes more difficult to play and find motivation for, but people have always responded in a positive way. I used to think, and still do, that this responsibility is somehow part of the team’s brand image, that is, doing things right and feeling that in representing the Real Madrid, you cannot joke even in friendly matches”.

Mourinho at his office

Do you feel comfortable at your office in Valdebebas? It’s a very cosy…
Welcome to my home, welcome to Valdebebas. We’re all very close although it’s only temporary. Our hotel and the new facilities are almost done. In fact, we’ll be enjoying wonderful working conditions, but right now, here, we’ve got everything we need.

We’re at a competition standstill, with 19 international players overseas. How do you take advantage of time these days?
We do take advantage. We do things that later on are important. For example, right now I’m focusing on the Borussia Dortmund match, which I wouldn’t be able to do under normal conditions. If we played against the Celta this weekend, I’d be focusing only on the Celta. This week I’m working on the Borussia match with four players in the training sessions. We bring in junior players to try to give continuity to those who are not currently playing with their national teams. We work and make plans. This morning, for example, we held some meetings with the hotel managers to make some final arrangements. But I miss competition. You don’t work the same way.

Having 19 international players is very important for the Real Madrid?
It is important. It means that they are top-of-the-line players and that they are also important for their countries. Some of them who are not full-time starters between inverted commas at the Real Madrid are key players for their individual countries. I like them to go because it’s good both for them and their self-esteem. For instance, I’m immensely happy that Kaká has come back. For us it’s important. For the real coach who enjoys being one, as well as training and playing, these are tough weeks that stir up some doubt. You don’t know how they’ll return, what they’re doing, if they’ll be lucky during their matches, if they’ll come back feeling happy or less happy, if they’ll bring back some problems with them or not... When both matches are close –mainly when national teams’ matches are also on these weeks turn out rather complicated.

Marcelo: Three months out

Marcelo sustained a fracture in his right foot that will leave him away from the fields at least three months, so he was removed from the Brazilian team, reported the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in a statement.

Marcelo injured at a hotel room

The Real Madrid left-back suffered a hit on Sunday while participating in training with the Brazilian team in the Polish city of Wroclaw which caused a fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, as was observed in the examinations he underwent at a local clinic. According to the Brazilian team doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar, Marcelo will not play for Real Madrid or the Brazilian national team for a period of three months, so that the player may not be called until 2013.

Real Madrid also made a statement with the same information: "Marcelo, left flanker for Real Madrid, sustained a fracture in his right foot, according to information from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in a press release. The injury happened to Marcelo this Sunday when he was participating in a training session with the Brazilian selection in the Polish city of Wroclaw. The Brazilian has fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, as was verified by examinations he underwent in a local clinic. The Real Madrid player, who returned to Madrid immediately, will be placed in the hands of the club´s medical services, who will check the extent of the injury and will determine the treatment to be followed by the player".

The left-back was playing for Brazil since the beginning of the week, was part of the team that thrashed 6-0 on Wednesday to Iraq and was considered a starter in the team that will face Japan on Tuesday. "I'll be back shortly. There is still plenty of time to return and participate in the Confederations Cup 2013" said the Brazilian player. "I leave the group knowing that the Brazilian team is evolving, the work is correct and the results will appear", he added.