Spanish League: Day 37

VILLARREAL 1 - REAL MADRID 3

The incentives are a mysterious business in football, especially when there is no justification for competition. No one knows exactly what led to Real Madrid and Villarreal to engage in a fun and intense game at this point in the spring and nothing to be played in qualifying. Just know that as night fell the local team was activated and the visitor decreased. In the process, Cristiano kicked two fouls. One in every time. Two exhibitions of touch and accuracy. Two strokes to accompany the instep touch and hit the ball a violent effect. Two excuses to get two goals. With the second he added a figure that talks about his extraordinary ability to score: 38 goals in this League tying the Zarra and Hugo Sanchez's record.

Cristiano and Marcelo scored against Villarreal

Real Madrid started controlling the ball. Xabi, Granero and Kaka controlled the ball in midfield. They are people who help to receive the ball and know return it. Something that seems so simple and that is seen so rarely on this team. Absences of Khedira and Lass contributed to these earthly pleasures. Without his two defensive specialists, Mourinho applied his particular law of compensation: Granero ​played but was protected by a line of five defenders. The invention added people to the midfield, where Marcelo and Arbeloa went up to give the extent necessary to the maneuvers. Madrid squeezed Villarreal, which was lazy at each retreat. The domain, however, was not total.

Marco Ruben did not stop to annoy. He is one of those players excruciatingly competitive. Otherwise does not explain that Xabi Alonso was about to slap him. He did not. By then, Ruben was an hour harassing. In the first minutes of play, Marco Ruben caused an error of coordination between Casillas and Pepe before scoring a goal disallowed due to offside. Then he surprised Pepe on the edge of the area, stole the ball and went to the bottom line to center. Cani was preparing the foot when Pepe, back, cut off the pass. From the corner, Real Madrid made ​​the play of the first goal.

Villarreal threw the corner kick and did not realize the consequences. Its players were negligent and Kaka enabled to Marcelo, who ran 50 meters without having to worry about anything. He scored the opener from a great lobbed shot (16'). The Whites scored a second strike only five minutes later: Kaka was tackled outside the box, a free-kick was awarded, and Ronaldo converted it with a spectacularly powerful shot.

Things changed after half-time. Villarreal stepped up their game and kept possession of the ball for longer periods of time. This resulted in their only goal of the evening, scored by Cani following a great combination between Rossi and Bruno (51'). The match became intense, but Real Madrid looked to hurt their hosts with quick counterattacks, while Villarreal in turn tried to net an equaliser through efforts from Cani and Rossi. However, Ramos, Pepe and Carvalho were solid in defence and put an end to all of the locals' chances.

There was still time for Cristiano Ronaldo to score yet another strike from another set piece. It came on the 92nd minute and allowed him to equal Hugo Sanchez and Zarra's historic record.

Summary

Stadium: El Madrigal
Attendance: 22,000
Goals: 0-1, M. 16 Marcelo. 0-2, M. 21 Cristiano. 1-2, M. 51 Cani. 1-3, M. 92 Cristiano.