Analysis: Real Madrid looking to push Barcelona all the way to the wall
Real Madrid can pride themselves in the way they crashed out from the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League semi-finals in midweek. They bottled their chances in the first leg by allowing Borussia Dortmund to press them hard throughout 90 minutes as Robert Lewandowski scored an incredible amount of four goals. From there, it was always going to be difficult for Los Blancos to stage a comeback.
However, as dramatic as it may sound, they came only a goal away from reaching Wembley this Tuesday. Two late strikes from Benzema and Ramos almost put Real Madrid in dreamland. The miraculous third goal never occurred and the Santiago Bernabeu became the ground of priceless scenes of celebration for visitors Dortmund.
After watching bitter rivals Barcelona suffer humiliation against Bayern Munich on Wednesday, the Spanish giants will return to domestic action with their heads held high. Unlike the Catalans who made things so easy for Bayern in the semis, Real Madrid proved to their fans that they have the fighting spirit of warriors no matter how difficult a situation is.
In La Liga, the situation is very much similar. With only five matchdays to go, one cannot expect Los Blancos to surmount the 11-point gap that keeps them in second position behind leaders Barcelona. However, what Madridistas now wish is that their team grabs the last 15 points at stake.
Real Madrid’s Spanish Primera Division campaign has become a matter of pride since months now. Maths explain that if they lose to Real Valladolid this Saturday, Barcelona will become champions with victory at home to Real Betis on Sunday.
Delaying Barca’s title party is the ambition of Los Blancos. Angered by their Champions League exit on Tuesday, they might attack Valladolid mercilessly this weekend. The latter do not have much to play for as they seat in 12th position – a bridge too far from the European zone but safely above the bottom three.
Real Valladolid’s last three visits to the Santiago Bernabeu have been rather forgettable. The huge gap in class between the two sides produced straightforward defeats: 7-0 in February 2008, 2-0 in April 2009 and 4-2 in October 2009.
Prediction
Result: Real Madrid 5-1 Real Valladolid
