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21.09.2016 » Real Madrid 1-1 Villarreal. And the record died on the beach!
Real Madrid have dropped the first points in La Liga this season and it all happened at the Santiago Bernabéu this Wednesday evening, in front of a compact Villarreal side. The Merengues couldn't go beyond a 1-1 draw and even saw the visitors grabbing the lead near the half-time break when Sergio Ramos conceded a penalty-kick. As we've seen happening multiple times in the past, the Spanish defender would eventually redeem himself later in the game and send the game back to square one through a strong header. However, Zinedine Zidane's men failed to find the back of the net for a second time on the night and had to settle with the division of points for the first time this season...
Cristiano Ronaldo game photos in Real Madrid vs Villarreal
Real Madrid 1-1 Villarreal - Goals and highlights:
All Cristiano Ronaldo actions vs Villarreal:
The good news? Real Madrid are still undefeated in La Liga. The bad news? The much vaunted 16-game winning streak in the league is now over.
Villarreal were always going to be a major test for Los Merengues and today, the Yellow Submarine proved a formidable opponent as Madrid struggled to find gaps to exploit all game long.
A 1-1 draw this early in the season isn't a major issue, but while Madrid has won quite easily this season, their performances haven't always been top quality. Today, against a combative opponent that wouldn't sit by idly, Madrid met their match.
Real Madrid dominated possession for the most part, in fact that wasn't the issue in this game, but some sloppy and disconnect play in the final third, and in particular the lack of any real creativity in the final ball. All summed, it would lead to Madrid playing a fairly predictable game, relying on crosses into the box to get their goal, a strategy that Villarreal were able to deal with throughout the entire game.
The centerback pairing of Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos always seems to lead to a couple of issues. On paper, it seems ideal, but they never seem to be as solid as they should. And both players combined to cause the first goal.
An ill advised dribble from Varane near the box was easily capitalized by Villarreal and Miguel Trigueros' subsequent shot clattered off of the raised arms of Ramos. Tge resukt? A penalty-kick earned by the visitors.
Bruno Soriano, known more for his passing more than his finishing, brilliantly executed a panenka on Casilla, sending the keeper flying as the ball nestled into the back of the net.
Coming into the second half, Madrid immediately showed more purpose and grabbed the equalizer a little earlier than they probably expected. Rising high in the 48th minute, Sergio Ramos, as he often does, atoned for his earlier error scoring the goal to even the game.
The next 40 or so minutes, however, would be very taxing and frustrating for Los Blancos. Chance after chance came and was squandered as a result. It was reminiscent of the early games under Rafa Benitez, just an inability to finish in front of goal.
Ronaldo and Benzema both struggled and the game would finish 1-1. Points dropped, but Villarreal are a formidable opponent. With the surprising Las Palmas and then Borussia Dortmund coming up in the next week, this season is about to get a lot more difficult and slip-ups like this certainly won't go unpunished...
Author: Terrance Ross
Real Madrid line-up vs Villarreal:
Goalkeeper: Casilla
Defenders: Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Danilo
Midfielders: Kroos, Kovacic, James Rodríguez
Attackers: Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema.
| Match stats provided by www.ronaldo7.net
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|---|---|---|
Real Madrid
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vs
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Villarreal
|
1 |
Goals |
1 |
23 |
Shots |
8 |
6 |
Shots on goal |
3 |
17 |
Corner kicks |
3 |
9 |
Fouls commited |
9 |
4 |
Yellow cards |
1 |
0 |
Red cards |
0 |
59% |
Ball possession |
41% |
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Real Madrid is for La Liga on September 24 of 2016, against Las Palmas. You can watch Juventus live stream, Las Palmas vs Real Madrid, Sporting Gijon vs Barcelona, Manchester United vs Leicester City, Arsenal vs Chelsea, and Borussia Dortmund vs Friburg, all matches provided from our streaming live game pages.
Real Madrid next game:
Las Palmas vs Real Madrid kick-off time (24-09-2016):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 02:45
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 01:45
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 00:15
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 20:45
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 19:45
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 15:45
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 14:45
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 11:45
Sources: ronaldo7.net / realmadrid.com / goal.com / skysports.com
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