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Monday, 21 March 2016

Madrid Hit Four Past Sevilla

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Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty but eventually got on the scoresheet as Real Madrid cut the gap to their neighbours Atlético in second place in La Liga to one point after beating Sevilla 4-0 at the Bernabéu on Sunday.

The margin of victory slightly flattered Real because Sevilla had their chances. Kévin Gameiro missed a penalty for them in the first half with the score at 1-0 and the visitors had an equalising goal wrongly ruled out in the second half, just after Ronaldo had missed from the spot.

Madrid remained third in the table, 10 points behind the leaders Barcelona, whom they face in their next league game at Camp Nou on 2 April, while Sevilla slipped to sixth place.

Sevilla started brightly and had two attempts in the first five minutes but Madrid responded by taking the lead. After a run on the right Gareth Bale found Karim Benzema near the penalty spot and the French striker scored with a half-volley high into the net.

Real continued to press and a Bale shot was turned on to the post by Sergio Rico. A minute later the Wales international flicked a Ronaldo header into the net from close range but was incorrectly ruled offside.

Rico then made two more brilliant saves, first denying Benzema and then Ronaldo, but a moment later Sevilla should have been level. Raphaël Varane was spotted tugging the shirt of Adil Rami while trying to defend a set piece but from the resulting penalty Keylor Navas parried Gameiro’s kick, his third penalty save of the campaign.

Ronaldo, too, missed from the spot in the second half after José Antonio Reyes was penalised for tripping Luka Modric in the area, but the Portuguese fired over.

Bale then headed on to the bar from a corner but a minute later Sevilla looked to have punished Madrid for their wastefulness when Gameiro latched on to a long ball and shot past Navas, but the Frenchman was wrongly ruled offside.

Ronaldo then struck, arriving at the far post to knock in a low pass from Danilo before Bale turned in Benzema’s chipped pass from inside the six-yard area. Jese completed the scoring as injury time approached, finishing off a one-two with his fellow substitute James Rodríguez.

Friday, 18 March 2016

Bale Out of Wales Friendly Squad

Gareth Bale has been left out of Wales' squad for the forthcoming friendlies against Northern Ireland and Ukraine.

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey and West Ham defender James Collins are also absent from Chris Coleman's squad.

Coleman said Bale's absence was a joint decision between the Football Association of Wales and Real Madrid.

Wales host Northern Ireland in Cardiff on 24 March before travelling to Ukraine four days later.

Bale was also absent from the Wales squad that lost to the Netherlands in November, following correspondence with Madrid.

His availability for March was thought to depend on the impending birth of his second child.

Midfielder Andy King is also absent after missing Leicester City's win over Newcastle on Monday because of illness.

But Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies is included despite suffering a head injury in Thursday's Europa League loss to Borussia Dortmund.

Davies joined Spurs from Swansea City in July, 2014

Fulham defender Ashley Richards comes into the squad in place of Newcastle's Paul Dummett, who picked up a hamstring problem in January.

Richards' Fulham teammate George Williams also comes into midfield in the absence of King and Wolves' David Edwards - who required surgery on a foot injury.

The other changes from Coleman's 24-man squad in November see Southampton's George Isgrove, Brighton's Andrew Crofts, Reading Hal Robson-Kanu and Birmingham City's David Cotterill all recalled to a now-26-man squad.

Coleman on Bale: "It was a joint decision. Real Madrid have been absolutely first class all the way along.

"They have never ever put an obstacles in our way, so equally we have to recognise that, if you look at the last couple of months, they have been tough for Gareth fitness-wise.

"And looking at the bigger picture it is all about the summer, making sure we have our strongest squad going into the tournament and, of course, he is part of that.

"So at this moment in time it suits both parties that he does not come. It is not just the games, it will be the travelling as well."

"Both parties feel it is right he stays where he is, works there, gets treatment, does everything he needs to do there. I think he will benefit from that between now and the end of the season."

Coleman on the relationship with Real Madrid: "We have worked as hard with Real Madrid as with any other club. Internationals do not belong to us. I have said that before.

"We have to make sure we look after them when we get them and we treat them properly because if you do not, you gamble with their fitness and down the line you are going to be punished for that.

"You cannot blame clubs for reacting if their player has been pushed too much and you have gambled with him if he is carrying an injury, he goes back to his club and he can't play for three or four weeks.

"We have never ever done that. We have never gambled,

"But to be fair to Madrid, myself and Osian Roberts, we went out there spent a few days there. I think they appreciated that. We certainly did."

Full Wales squad

Goalkeepers: Hennessey, Ward, Fon Williams.

Defenders: A Williams (c), Chester, Davies, Gunter, Matthews, Taylor, Henley, Richards.

Midfielders: Ledley, Allen, Vaughan, Huws, J Williams, MacDonald, G Williams, Isgrove, Crofts.

Forwards: Cotterill, Robson-Kanu, Lawrence, Church, Vokes, Bradshaw.

Tuesday, 1 March 2016

WhatsApp Cristiano

Cristiano Ronaldo has apologised to his Real Madrid team-mates for claiming they are not at his level, according to reports in Spain.

Following Real’s 1-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid at the weekend, a result that leaves them third in La Liga, four points behind their city rivals and 12 points off leaders Barcelona, Ronaldo was quoted by the Press Association as saying: “If we were all at my level, maybe we would be leaders.

“I don’t want to disrespect anyone, but when the best players aren’t available it’s harder to win. I like to play with Karim [Benzema], with [Gareth] Bale, with Marcelo. I’m not saying the others like Lucas Vazquez, Jesé [Rodriguez] and Mateo Kovacic are not good players. They are very good players, but it’s not the same.”

Real centre-back Sergio Ramos defended his team-mate soon after the comments were made, saying: “I know Cristiano well and I don’t think he was trying to shift the blame onto any of his team-mates,” and the player himself has now also apparently moved to ease any offence his colleagues may have taken from his assessment of their abilities.

According to El Mundo, Ronaldo apologised to his team-mates via WhatsApp, and in an interview with Marca, the 31-year-old is reported as saying: “I was referring to the physical level, not level of play. I am not better than any of my team-mates.”

Sunday, 21 February 2016

Cristiano Misses Penalty in Malaga Draw

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Cristiano Ronaldo scored a disputed header and missed a penalty as Real Madrid drew at Malaga to trail La Liga leaders Barcelona by nine points.

After a quiet start, Real forward Ronaldo headed in Toni Kroos' free-kick despite looking offside.

He then had a penalty saved by Carlos Kameni after he was brought down.

Keylor Navas kept Real in the game with several fine saves but Raul Albentosa was unmarked at the back post to fire in the equaliser.

Both goalkeepers were in fine form but rather than view this as two points dropped, Real may look at the result as a point gained given the chances that fell to their opponents, who moved into the top half of the table.

The result matched the goalless draw that Javier Garcia's side achieved in the Bernabeu earlier in the season and although Zinedine Zidane's team move into second, ahead of Atletico Madrid on goal difference, they can slip to third again when their city rivals face Villarreal later on Sunday.

Ronaldo walked out of a midweek news conference ahead of Real's Champions League tie at Roma when he was asked about his record of not having scored away from home since 29 November.

But after scoring in the 2-0 win in Rome and at Malaga he answered those critics, although four league games without an away goal hardly constituted a drought.

He was fortunate not to be flagged offside when he nodded in the opener, his 34th goal of the season, and he made the most of the touch he drew from Weligton in winning the penalty.

Malaga will feel that justice was served when Kameni saved to his left, with the Cameroon goalkeeper also keeping out Ronaldo's near-post shot later in the game.

New coach Zinedine Zidane has six wins and two draws from his eight games in charge

Real were without the injured Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, in addition to the suspended Raphael Varane, and it was at the back that they looked most vulnerable, particularly with several dubious back-passes early on.