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Sociedad get real against Ronaldo-less Madrid

Roar Guru
31st August, 2014
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Real Sociedad cap off an unbelievable comeback to register their first win of the season after they defeated a shellshocked and stunned Real Madrid outfit 4-2 in Anoeta.

Madrid started the match brilliantly and had all the ball early on and looked to be firing, albeit without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

They were running rampant in the first 30 minutes, moving the ball with ease, creating chances and scoring goals. If it hadn’t have been for a couple of excellent reflex saves from Sociedad keeper Eñaut Zubikarai and the help of the crossbar, Madrid could have easily been 5-0 up in the first half hour.

Some very poor marking and complacency cost the Galacticos all three points and once Sociedad levelled the scores the Madrid players were clearly rattled.

Madrid took the lead early when Sergio Ramos scored a brilliant header off an inswinging Toni Kroos cross off a corner. The ball was whipped into the near post and off a running start, Ramos was able to climb above the rest and head the ball to the far post giving Los Blancos an early lead. Ramos almost made it two a couple of minutes later when he rattled the ball off the crossbar from a brilliant free kick about 25 yards that would have been a certain goal had it dipped just an inch lower.

Five minutes after they had opened the scoring they had found the back of the net again, this time through a sublime piece of skill from Gareth Bale, nutmegging a Sociedad defender in a slick turn before burying his shot into the bottom right hand corner. They looked set for a romp, but it wasn’t to be.

At times durinh the opening 30 minutes when Madrid would break they would have shots in goalscoring positions where players were lining up in bunches to have a crack. Kroos, Isco and Modric were bossing midfield and a gulf in class was evident but somewhere around the half hour mark Madrid started to become complacent.

They should have killed the game off but a goal against the run of play from Ingio Martinez for Sociedad proved to be the catalyst for an unprecedented comeback. A brilliant cross from a Castro corner is flicked on by Xabi Prieto and his flick found Martinez lurking at the back post who finished from close range.

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Minutes later they were at it again and had levelled the score at 2-2. Same story from Madrid, poor marking from an excellent De La Bella cross found man of the match David Zurutuza surging into the box who delivered a bullet of a header past a hapless Iker Casillas.

Madrid were well and truly rattled and the crispness and slick movement all of a sudden seemed to have dissipated and the dominance that had been shown by their midfield was reversed as Prieto, Castro and Zurutuza gained the ascendancy and dictated play.

Real Sociedad went on to score two more goals in the second half as Zurutuza bagged a second and Carlos Vela added a fourth to seal the game off. While it’s unquestionable that Madrid have some serious weapons going forward, some very basic defending errors cost them a game they really should have won.

All four goals from Sociedad were a result of bad marking and bad decision making from Madrid defenders. Pepe should consider himself very very lucky if he finds a starting spot in the Madrid team as he made way too many basic errors at the back for Madrid. Both he and Carvajal made way too many simple errors and I expect Varane and Arbeloa to feature in the starting XI next week at home to Bilbao.

Rodriguez showed flashes of his class but was largely quite on the right wing as when Madrid were winning they had a field day down the left hand side through Bale and Marcelo. Once the scores were leveled the Madrid players had a vastly different performance from when they were winning, with nobody really stepping up and taking charge of the game when it was needed (ala Cristiano Ronaldo/ Angel Di Maria).

The midfield combination of Kroos, Isco and Modric was at times breathtaking but all three are quite similar style of players and the defensive presence of a Xabi Alonso was sorely missed. Madrid may think twice about selling Sami Khedira who almost pulled one back coming off the bench but his header just went over the bar.

Khedira could be the anchor that Madrid sorely needed and he may well be included next week. It’s early in the season and Madrid definitely showed glimpses of the world class team they could be, but the team will take time to gel as there response to adversity was largely underwhelming.

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They take on Atletico Madrid at the Bernabeu when they return from the international break which will give the players a break and also some headspace but Carlo Ancelloti will have some tough decisions to make in the meantime and if we know anything about the decorated Italian, he won’t be afraid to make them

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