Just seen Atleti's first, lol at Iker!
La Liga - 2014/15
- Thread starter jojojo
- Start date
Unfortunately couldn't watch the game but what a final score. Atlético is the city's top dog. It could have been even worse if it wasn't for that last minute Champions League goal. Happy for Tiago as well (although helped by Casillas blunder). What a phase in his career (also thanks to Simeone). He deserved it after some unlucky career choices. Hopefully he holds this form till next year's euro.
Anyone have highlights for the match?
There is a huge egg on my faceReal have been completely torn apart
It's hard to believe but they usually do this to us on a lesser scale. They defend well, score first and then we're in trouble. Today was a whole new level where they actually outplayed us.
Ancelotti is the only one to blame for this. He keeps playing 3 in the middle against their 4. At the same time Bale and Ronaldo don't press enough and it leaves Atletico with extra man in midfield. And then there are set pieces, crosses and anything else that might end up on Mandzukic's head..
Lol Ronaldo 2 game suspension didn't really work like expected. Mad props to Atletico and the argie of course.
2 game suspension didn't really work like expected. Mad props to Atletico and the argie of course.It was a beautiful watch, always is when Real gets destroyed. 
It was a beautiful watch, always is when Real gets destroyed.
Most expensive squad in the world and all that still getting a battering to let's be honest, their less glamous neighbours, beautiful.
Enrique better not feck up tomorrow. It's probably his last chance.
Well duh. Best player in the world needs more help. Bale, Benzema, Kroos, Khedira, Isco. Get the f*** out with that garbage. Poor guy.
I'll lose it if we lost. Athletic are not even good at home this season. Regardless, we should grab that win tomorrow.
The moment Enrique puts on his "thinking cap", we are in trouble. Sometime doing the obvious things isn't bad. Just don't start with Pedro and that Munir. He shouldn't be anywhere near this team with his level of skills.
Apparently Casillas thinks it was not his mistake for 1st goal.
Every team has its kryptonite and you're just that to them and they are that to Real Madrid. Outstanding match.
By scoring first. Both Madrid teams are prone to losing their cool.
Was at the Madrid derby today. Vicente Calderon is incredible as a spectacle and experience. The fans are as passionate as they come, rivalled only with Dortmund IMO.
I haven't watched it back but from what I noticed from my seat:
Griezmann was everywhere.
Mandzukic had one of the beat games I've seen from him. Won everything in the air, strong, technically very good.
The Atleti fans know how to work Ronaldo and Bale and they are a genuine 12th man.
Real looked like they couldn't be bothered.
I haven't watched it back but from what I noticed from my seat:
Griezmann was everywhere.
Mandzukic had one of the beat games I've seen from him. Won everything in the air, strong, technically very good.
The Atleti fans know how to work Ronaldo and Bale and they are a genuine 12th man.
Real looked like they couldn't be bothered.
So, a trip to the Basque country for Barça tomorrow right after RM lose their game... sounds familiar! The Catalans' recent record at the San Mamés is only slightly better than at Anoeta, so a draw is a lot more likely than a loss at least. Though as @jojojo pointed out a few pages back Barça really should be winning this given Athletic's current state and their respective runs of form.
I doubt Messi and Neymar will start on the bench this time around.
How the hell do our players average a 6.09 rating?!The stats...
You picked the right match. Griezmann seems to be getting better with every game - I wasn't sure how he'd fit in, but he's doing better than just fitting in.
I think there's a lot of similarity between Simeone and Mou. I would say Simeone is doing better than Mou considering the respective resources they have.
Madrid's record against Barcelona and Atlético in the past few years in the league is actually shocking. Something like 1 win and 5 defeats in 8. Always felt it was ridiculous that they are mentioned in the same breath as Barcelona and Bayern as the best sides around since those two have actually dominated their league and consistently did well against the top sides, something Madrid never managed to do.
Madrid smashed Bayern 5-0 just last season.
And beat Barcelona comprehensively earlier this season. Atletico deserve some joy against them after 15 or so barren years.
Simeone is still much more a risk taker than Mourinho. He also plays youth a lot. He doesn't talk total crap either. Doesn't talk down other managers in order to talk himself up.
There are some similarities but there are also a lot of differences.
You do understand the concept of relatives don't you? I never said they never have good results against top teams. I said their record overall is inferior to Bayern and Barcelona who I consider to be the best teams of the past few years. The fact that they smashed Bayern last year and had a couple of good results against Barcelona is still well short of the achievements of those two which is why I feel it is unfair to paint them on the same level.
For one, he's much more likeable.
I'm not claiming Madrid are up there with those teams so I have no real problems with your conclusion, but rather with how you reached it. You havent really taken into account the competition and strength of the leagues that those sides faced. Bayern in 12/13 won their league by 25 points (that is not exactly being pushed to the limit like Madrid are being now) and drew both games with Dortmund 1-1 (so that goes against what you said about them doing consistently well against the top sides, in the league at least which is what I assume you are referring to as I am sure your post is a response to yesterdays result). Dortmund were obviously strong as evidenced by them reaching the final but they were not equipped to put in a strong challenge for the league as well as in Europe.
As for Barcelona under Pep. What top sides did they have to overcome domestically? I will give you Madrid under Mourinho but that was by 10/11. Madrid in 08/09 were not exactly anything special. Going out in the Copa in the 4th round to a third division side, finishing 2nd in the group to an average Juventus and losing both home and away to them. Getting smashed 5-0 on aggregate by Liverpool and losing both home and away to them. Getting annihilated 6-2 at home to Barcelona as well as having lost to them at the Nou camp as well. They also lost 3-0 vs Valencia away as well. And Madrid were the only other team in the league at the time who were seen as strong other than Barcelona. Not exactly what I would call tough competition.
The following season Madrid improved but not really by much (nowhere near as much as they should have after the money they spent). Once again they went out in the 4th round of the cup losing 4-0 (4-1 on aggregate) to Alcorcon (a Segunda Division B team), they actually managed to finish top of their group in the CL this time albeit were still unable to beat a poor Milan side and even lost to them at home in one of the games (and this really was a poor Milan side, which lost 7-2 on aggregate to United in the last 16 and finished third in Seria A). Madrid then went out in the last 16 once again, being unable to beat Lyon once over two legs (tbf this Lyon team was good, but not great. They lost 4-0 on aggregate to Bayern when they met. A top team should not have lost to Lyon). In the league once again they were unable to beat Barca or even score against them.
Quite simply they were not one of the top sides in 09/10 despite the money spent. Barca, Milan, Roma, Inter, Bayern, United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Lyon were all better than them that year (maybe even some others). And just like the previous season they were the only other side in Spain that were considered strong. Tbf they did push Barcelona in the league, but going by the results that I posted in earlier in this post, I think that just reflects badly on La Liga back then rather than the strength of Madrid or at best shows that they had the potential to be a top team, but were not one yet. And even if you think Madrid were a good side that season, they were not as strong as Atletico are this season or last season, or as strong as Barcelona are this season or last season. And despite the ease at which Barcelona won games in the league during those years in addition to the ease in which they beat Madrid, their away record in the CL was not the greatest, especially in the knockouts (which doesn't reflect well on the rest of La Liga).
Like I said, 10/11 is fair enough as Mourinho made Madrid into a top team and one of the very best again. But simply using results against the other top teams like you were is very faulty and lacks context. It does not take into account the quality and competitiveness of the leagues these respective sides were in. La Liga this season and last year is stronger than it was back when Barcelona were dominating. I think it would be fair to say that Peps Barcelona would not have always gotten favourable results against this Atletico side either (we all saw what happened when his side faced Inter and also when they faced Chelsea in 08/09 and their less than stellar midfield in 11/12. Heck even Atletico back then were good for a result against them despite not being as good as they are now). United from 06 to 09 did not always get good results in the big games in the league (the only big game they won in 08/09 was vs Chelsea at home) and that was not because they were not a good side. They were a very good side and a very dominant one I might add too despite these results which goes against your logic. Its just that they were playing in a very competitive league which was very strong at the top. Which is what La Liga is now.
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real madrid is crying for di maria for sure, besides helping ronaldo to score load of goals he always helped the defense.
The worse Casillas plays the more unhappy I get, because the more covetous will be Madrid's glances towards our own goalkeeper!
I´d say they are desperately missing Modric. They cant replace Modric and Kroos. One of them being out might be worse than Ronaldo being out.
Furthermore for most parts of the season their tenacity/dedication covered for their defensive imbalance. Its okay to have Kroos, Modric(Isco), James, Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo on the pitch, if everyone is chasing players like a maniac. Once they take a step less, they are in trouble.
My word, Simeone is dominating Real more than Pep did with Barca. 6 games, 4 wins, 2 draws, 0 losses. 12-4 goal difference. 3 clean sheets in 3 home games. This is a club that couldn't buy a single victory against Real in over 10 years before he took over. Unbelieveable stuff.