BATE Borisov 0-1 Real Madrid | Champions League Review
Tuesday, 25 November 08, 03:29 PM · Comments (31)
With an improved performance from both the team and captain Rau'l, Real Madrid qualified for the next round of the Champions League as they beat BATE Borisov 1-0 thanks to a goal from the captain in the seventh minute.
Bernd Schuster started with Casillas in goal, Torres, Pepe, Ramos and Heinze in defense, Guti, Gago, Sneijder in midfield, while Drenthe, Rau'l and Saviola all started in attack.
The German used a 4-3-3 formation which I didn't like at all (Helmet_o9, one of my readers had a funny feeling before the match that Schuster would use that formation and it turned out to be true).
If I were the coach, I would play with only two strikers in attack unless I had Villa, Ruud and Ibrahimovic all on the same team. Additionally, playing with 4-3-3 requires a strong midfield with an exceptional defensive midfielder (wish we have but injured - Diarra) and a very talented attacking midfielder to feed the three strikers.
Anyway, it was good for the German that Sneijder was fit and able to start. He really played exceptionally well and was probably the man of the match after Rau'l.
Guti did a great job as well. However, I didn't like how Drenthe played. I mean he has started in three or four matches already and hasn't yet improved. He has the pace, but where is the basic passing and crossing skills? Horrible. I'm sure I can do better than him. I have faith in him and so does Schuster, but we can't continue counting on him with his current performance. He must improve or he'll sit on the bench. He is just lucky that Robben is injured and there isn't a pure winger other than him.
I'm thinking that we could use Van Der Vaart on the left or just bring a talented winger from the Castilla team, how about that? I think it is worth a try, right?
The defense has definitely improved even with the return of Heinze. I think Pepe is the one who improved it. Also moving Ramos to central defense was a good decision. Now I think once Cannavaro returns, it will be better. We haven't conceded any goals in the last two matches and thats good.
The captain had probably one of his best matches this season. Not only for scoring the goal but for what he did on the pitch. If you have been reading this blog for a while, you'd know that I have always criticized Rau'l and demanded that he gets benched, and I'm still convinced that not just Rau'l, but also any other player on the team, If they don't perform well, no matter who they are, they should warm the bench - I think thats fair.
Anyway, the bottom line is that we improved - won - and qualified to the next round. This allows us to concentrate on La Liga and the next seven difficult matches we will play.
Off to bed, more tomorrow.
Hala Madrid!
P.S: Juventus drew Zenit.
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So, it's true right? Whenever heinze played in the central, he sucks, but if he played in the left back, he did his job well, without heinze in the centre, we got two cleansheet, a very hard thing to get during this and last month, raul always play well in champions, i can't watch the match, since the one which is broadcasted in my country is man utd-villareal, but from what i read, it looks like we improved a lot after the defeat from juve-valladolid, so, we should be ready for the derby against getafe, Hala Madrid!
I'm a doc and unfortunately I had a shift during the match..but I was on oleole...in the match zone hoping not to receive an equilizer..and we did it....I think it's too good to have three points in la lega and champions league despit all the injuries we have.....and let me tell all of those Catalonian ppl who say Real Madrid is weak....hey..did you see hoe you played in the abscence of Messi....only one injury did that with you..!!!??? we have more than 10 injuries here!!! and we can still manage....anyway ..it was a fantastic goal by Raul...thank god we had Sneider...and hope to get Cannavaro and Rubbin soon....if only we have Rubbin before the Classeco I could romise you to defeate Barca....but....I hope we can manage though...Getafe won't be easy to be defeated also..all of us remember what happened last year in the match against them.....now it's high time we get our revenge on them.....
hope we will continue to win.....
Hala Madrid...............
Today match was quite mediocre.. Im not satisfied at all with Madrid's performance, and not only in this game, Im talking about the last 5 or 6 matches...
Heinze as a leftback is like an old drag queen.. c'mon.. Did you guys saw when he was trying to do that "chilena" and he almost gives the ball to one of BATE's fowards??...
Halaaaaa!!!... 
PD: Check this post in Fansdelmadrid.. Its brilliant!!
LINK
The problem with Royston Drenthe finishing is this... since he is a left footed and plays on left wing he outdribbles his opponents but ends up crossing it with his left foot cuz he dosent know how to cut in and shot with his right so if he is going to do this then he should switch to right wing most of the time because then he can cut in and shot with his left because he has a strong shot.. shoting with your left foot from the left wing leaves you with no angle
the game for one did not put me to sleep....I enjoyed this game. It was better than the last games we played. I saw improvement in Real's game. Raul played well tonight. But he needs to show up in LaLiga too not only in CL games. My boy Saviola started and for that I am glad. The more he plays the better he will become again. Drenthe sucked. heinze was a mess. I think Schuster needs to bring up a couple more catilla players. A couple defenders and wingers and we'd be ok.
cant wait for Diarra to come back. Gago was horrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Otherwise it was an ok game given our problems!
But we can still finish first in the group if Juve lose. And for those who think Gago isn't all that good, his man-of-the-match performance showed you what he's capable of. Hala Madrid! 
. I don't know why they just don't get Nilmar who i believe is just as good as pato if not better he has been playing at a consistently high level with Internacional from brazil. 
31 Madridistas have commented on "BATE Borisov 0-1 Real Madrid | Champions League Review" · Add yours
A few of us mentioned at the beginning of the season that Drenthe should have been loaned out so he can grow and develop. Due to injuries he has played a more important role but his lack of skill and maturity is really showing. There's no doubt that he has skill but he would be better and more lethal if he had more skill.
Raul was on the mark he really stepped up his game. Pepe and Ramos again showed their class and a solid display. Torres although he did not go forward he covered the defense quite well. Heinze played much better than he has before although one of his mistakes almost tied the game he did provide balls to the front.
Gago played one of the best games so far this season. Overall improvement over this weekends performance.
A Much improved performance even though i feel like heinze is too slow... since zenit and juventus played 0-0 lets hope BATE beat juventus next game and we beat zenit so we can be first in the group.. good game but we can still improve.. now its time to focus on getafe and get all 3 points.. hopefully some of our injured players come back