This Madrid team is from another world

The referee didn’t influence the result, but he certainly officiated his way into the match report. Really it’s the only complaint we can have of this evening’s game between Eibar and Real Madrid. Instead of talking about Isco and his move to central midfield or praising the work of Gaizka Garitano, we’ll focus instead on officiating errors. Such mistakes in football are not only inevitable but also unavoidable, much like a lightning strike, a hailstorm or one of those odd black cats that seem to find their way onto the pitch and disrupt games every now and then.

Neither Eibar nor Madrid deserved these mistakes. Nor, of course, did the fans that packed out Ipurua. Without the whistles directed at the referee (some justified, some not), the match would be remembered as an example of good football and even better sportsmanship, a celebration with no losers. That’s the only complaint we can have after the final whistle. But we’ll get over it.

The first thing this game taught us is that size doesn’t matter. Constrained by the size of the pitch, we half expected Cristiano or Bale to find themselves sprinting out of the tiny Ipurura stadium like Forrest Gump and ending some of their runs in the nearby mountains. We thought perhaps the cramped conditions would even the playing field by unsettling the visitors. It didn’t turn out that way. The pitch actually helped the visitors, which is often the case when good teams play. Even the referee helped them. Wherever they play, this Madrid team is capable of matching and surpassing almost every quality their opponent can muster, be it intensity, speed, enthusiasm or goals. And money, but that goes without saying.

Tonight there were no tricks. Garitano’s team showed exactly why they’re sitting comfortably in mid-table while Ancelotti’s showed why they’re top of the league with 14 straight wins in the La Liga and Europe , just one win short of the record held by Miguel Muñóz and Mourinho.

For the first ten minutes Eibar were at their best. In a short space of time they had three good chances that could have ended in a goal. That they couldn’t keep up was down to physical form, nothing else.

Back to the referee though. The opening goal, a header from James, saw both Benzema and Cristiano offside in the build-up. The referee’s mistake to allow the goal was so glaring that there can only be one explanation: that the officials were just too distracted watching the football. Not officiating the game, but simply enjoying it. A human error, pure and simple.

Cristiano’s first goal, Madrid’s second of the game, was a touch fortuitous. Carvajal charged down the right flank behind the Eibar defence before Cristiano appeared to mishit a shot that made its way in off the post. After Benzema scored the third, Eibar turned their eyes to the referee once again with suspicions that James’ pass was played in from behind the sideline. The officials continued to incur the wrath of the home crowd with the fourth: Albentosa deflected a Cristiano free kick with his arm and Borbalán flagged for a penalty, though this time there could be no complaints.

The controversy was unnecessary and unfortunate. Nevertheless , take nothing away from the football that both teams played tonight as a black cat made its way across the pitch.

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1xOxMLq

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