Real Madrid

[siamak]

The Whites extend their home winning streak and their lead in the table

Villarreal had all the right moves on Sunday night, but despite their potential, their all-star line-up, and their quality football, they were up against a Real Madrid that didn't even flinch against one of La Liga's top teams. Guti provided the magic touch and Robinho (2) and Sneijder added the goals but, more importantly, the victory was a job well done by an entire squad. With fans glued to their seats until the final whistle, Real Madrid moved one step closer to the title and left their closest rivals even further behind in the points table.





Minutes before the hour hand struck nine, while players were in the middle of their pre-match warmup -Salgado and Torres were given the nod along the wings and Baptista in place of Sneijder, while Pires was a last minute scratch due to a stomach virus- an overflowing Santiago Bernabéu burst into applause as the scoreboards read 'Athletic Bilbao 1-1 F.C Barcelona'. It was simple math: second-place had drawn so a victory over Villarreal would increase the lead (+9 and +15) in the points table and make another major statement in La Liga. There was no better way to kick off a match that kept fans transfixed for 94 minutes.

Tribute to good football

If the stage and high expectations for good football weren't enough, the leaders' incredible stats this season were in store for another boost (53 points, 17 league victories, and eight straight wins). It was a match between Champions League contenders, but also the proving ground for a squad wanting respect. Rhythm, the search for high-quality touches, verticality, one scoring chance after another, talent, the dedication of each and every player... The best possible football to open a match which deserved a second round of applause from the Bernabéu.



From applause to standing ovations. The triple 'R' trident –Raúl, Robinho, and Ruud Van Nistelrooy- had already displayed its desire to get one past former teammate Diego López. But the highest-scoring trio in the league (27 goals) also boasts of a top-class assistant. José Mª Gutiérrez 'Guti' dazzled the fans. The way the second captain placed the ball from the top of the box... Opening lanes for Raúl and Van Nistelrooy... Robinho found the hole and Guti read the pass as if it had been drawn up and studied. The Brazilian international received the ball and slipped it into the bottom left side of the net fot his seventh La Liga goal. His eighth would come shortly after. Robinho dusted off Guti's boot in celebration. The Bernabéu errupted.

Top-notch arch rival

Caution couldn't be thrown to the wind. Villarreal had done more than enough to prove capable of answering. Hats off to Gago, who was the first line of defense and responsible for slowing down Nihat. The Yellow Submarine may have created few chances, but they certainly were dangerous ones. Cani found an opening at the top of the box and served an assist to Rossi, who curled the ball into the top right corner of Casillas' net and brought the Madridista keeper's streak of 574 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal to an end. The Bernabéu went silent, but soon applauded the wear-and-tear and talent of their players, who tightened their grip on the oppponent's goal.



The Whites created on chance after another in front of an inspired Diego López. The best chance for Madrid to retake the lead came off the boots of Míchel Salgado, who put on another display of commitment and dedication. Guti pressed forward to the goalline and left a perfect ball for number '2' to unleash a powerful strike on which the Yellow's keeper managed to save. More applause for Guti's magic and Salgado's integrity. Cheers and chants quickly turned to whistles and complaints when referee Álvarez Izquierdo failed to call a penalty in Van Nistelrooy's favor.

Team schooling

The first half was a perfect demonstration of offensive football, and the second confirmed that Real Madrid is the team in top form and that Villarreal have plenty of options to have a great season and are worthy of third-place status. The Madridistas exited the tunnel with the same intensity and, just like in the first half, took eight minutes to score, 2-1.

This time the leader showed off its counterattack. Guti began the play with a tremendous pass to Sergio Ramos after evading two defenders with one touch. The defender shot forward to the edge of the opponent's box and passed to Raúl, who followed up along the right wing. The captain's strike was saved by an ever-more confident Diego López. Ramos unsuccessfully tried to knock in the rebound, but Guti was there for the second ricochet, which Diego López also stopped. With the fans on their feet, the third time was the charm as Robinho hammered the ball into the back of the net. The Bernabéu again exploded in ecstasy.


But there was still plenty of football to be played and Villarreal had no intention of throwing in the towel. In the 75th minute, Capdevilla capitalized on a rebound in the six to score his first of the season. A poor shot by Josico became a great one for the Yellow Submarine's number '5'. The match was all leveled up, 2-2, but the key to this leader is the combination of individual talent, group effort, and winning attitude. Honorable mention for Raúl, whose fighting spirit provoked the corner which ended in the Madridista's third of the night. Gago provided the assist to Sneijder, who had just come off the bench. The Dutchman, a specialist against Villarreal, beat the defence's last man before doing the same to Diego López. The Santiago Bernabéu went wild as the team gathered for a group embrace. The best team in the league now has 17 straight victories in its indomitable stadium and is one day closer to the title.




MATCH SUMMARY:

3- REAL MADRID: Iker Casillas; Míchel Salgado (Drenthe, min.80), Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Miguel Torres; Gago, Guti, Baptista (Sneijder, m.73); Robinho (Higuaín, m.88 ), Raúl, and Van Nistelrooy.

2- VILLARREAL: Diego López; Javi Venta, Cygan, Godin, Capdevila; Senna, Bruno (Josico, m.58 ), Cazorla; Cani (Angel, m.58 ) Nihat (Tomasson, m.74), and Rossi.

GOALS:

1-0 (m.9): Robinho
1-1 (m.16): Rossi
2-1 (m.56): Robinho
2-2 (m.75): Capdevila.
3-2 (m.76): Sneijder

REFEREE: Álvarez Izquierdo. Booked Gago, Godin, and Senna.

NOTES: Matchday 21 of La Liga played at the Santiago Bernabéu. Attendance: 80,000.

[siamak]

"We cannot relax. We're our only rival"

Bernd Schuster was a happy man during tonight's post-match press conference. While the Madridista boss was pleased with the result, the fact that Real Madrid now have a nine-point lead over Barcelona is even more sastisfying.





Villarreal played one of the best matches by any opponent in the Bernabéu and you managed to pick up an important win.
It wasn't that big of a deal in my opinion. Other teams didn't win their matches and we earned two important points over Barcelona.
Robinho, who recently turned 24, is proving how much he has matured.
Robinho is having a good season. He's scoring and making plays. We are very happy for him.

Real Madrid played good football tonight and has the result to show for it. Is this what you wanted Real Madrid to look like when you took over?
We're much better now, but last year there was a major change which has to be taken into account: there are new players while others decided to stay, and it takes time to make it all work. Little by little, one match at a time, including the Champions League, where learning where we stand and what our limit is. We're building up to our potential. We have to know what we can offer and continue like this until next year.

It looks like players like Raúl and Robinho are back.
The fact that there are new players who are hungry and want to win works in their favor. Those who weren't performing up to par are now, and that's the future of this team.



Did you expect so much help from Barcelona?
The only team that can afford to slip up is us. The way we're playing puts pressure on our rivals, especially after matches like tonight or last week's derby, which at first glance looked like we might lose. That said, we haven't given anyone a chance. We've played at our rhythm and rivals now believe we're going to continue playing like this. We just have to make sure we do for many weeks to come.

Would losing La Liga be a catasrophe?
It's not the time to comment on that. I don't know what will happen at the end of the season. We took a major step today and earned another two points over Barcelona. We cannot relax. We're our only rival.

Sneijer had slowed down a bit after getting off to a great start this season. Do you think tonight's goal will help boost his confidence to continue moving forward?
Wesley didn't start due to physical problems, but he played great in the Calderón. Wesley is in good form and has had some great matches. I'm happy about all of that, not just this goal.

[siamak]

"We have to keep fighting in every match"

Iker Casillas and Fernando Gago gave us their opinions of Sunday's important 3-2 victory over Villarreal.



Gago:
"I feel more and more comfortable. A confident player only improves and I am pleased with the way the match ended. It was a pretty goal. I saw Sneijder and gave him the ball. We were lucky and managed to score."
"We knew they were a good team, but we had faith in our abilities. We had to stay awake in attack, but more so in defense. Proof lies in the fact that one little distraction resulted in their second goal."

"Winning is all that counts, but playing well makes it more special. We have to keep winning this way. It's time to enjoy this victory. Barcelona lost two points and our lead is quite significant, but we have to focus on playing our game and winning."

Casillas:
"It was complicated. We played well in the first half, but their first goal cooled us off. We wanted to answer from that moment on and in the second half we had plenty of chances to win. We capitalized on them and took this well-deserved win."

"Diego López was great. He had several praiseworthy saves. We're happy to have won and to have a larger lead over our rivals.

"We have to keep playing like this. We're winnig. We're in good form and we cannot think that we're already champions. We have to keep fighting in every match because we cannot let our rivals catch up to us with such a substantial lead."

"The record for not conceding a goal didn't create any pressure. Not allowing any goals for so long makes me very proud, but what's best for this team is winning and then taking the title."

[siamak]

"We proved that we are where we are based on our own merit"

Robinho and Michel Salgado expressed their satisfaction after defeating Villarreal on Sunday night.



Robinho:
“I am happy for the team, which managed an important victory, the match, and my goals. I am also pleased that we have a bigger lead over Barcelona.”
“I want to keep playing well. I hope this is my year; my year with Real Madrid. I am working to triumph, to be an idol in Madrid, and to triumph with a club as great as this one.”

“I dedicated the second goal to those who love and help me. That's why I gestured to the crowd that always supports me.”

“It's a significant lead, but there's a lot of Liga left. No matter what is said, we're on the right track. I don't see myself as a league champion yet, but we're working on it.”



“Villarreal was a great opponent. They played well and made it very hard, but we pulled off an important win. We're doing well at home and beating us here is complicated.”

“Guti is increíble. He looks for the forwards when he has the ball and I try to help him so he moves up more. Things worked well tonight and resulted in goals.”

“I like playing up front, but I also help my teammates in defense. I stole some balls tonight and am pleased to have done so.”

Michel Salgado:
“What happened to Sneijder happened to me. I received a hard knock which put my leg to sleep. Fortunately it took place near the end of the match and we were able to hold on for the victory.”

“We didn't miss and we played well against one of the best teams in the league; a team difficult to defeat. We proved that we are where we are based on our own merit. We played serious football and are now nine points ahead of Barcelona heading into what promises to be a complicated February.”

[Rasputin]

We want La Liga and the Champions League"

Although away on African Cup of Nations duty with Mali, Mahamadou Diarra hasn't forgotten about Real Madrid and has been closely following his club.





You seem really happy.
Everyone likes to get off to a winning start. Starting off with a victory in a group as difficult as ours isn't the same as starting off with a defeat or draw. The three points we earned against Benin were as valuable as gold, especially after Nigeria lost to Ivory Coast.
You played very well.
The whole team did. We're satisfied.

Are you happier playing for Mali than you are for Real Madrid?
I have different duties. My mission for Real Madrid is to recover and cut off balls and then to pass to Guti, Batista, or Sneijder. I have a lot more freedom here and many more options to choose from.

You even participate in attack.
I play further back for Madrid and I don't have time to make it to the box. With Mali, on the other hand, I can reach it without disrupting the gameplan or tactics.

Are you in contact with Real Madrid? Who do you talk to while you're playing the African Cup?
Cannavaro and Casillas would keep me up to date, but I lost my cell phone and haven't heard anything.



You may have lost your phone, but they lost the chance to move on in the Copa del Rey.
La Liga and the Champions League are what really interest us. Those are the two competitions that Madrid really cares about.

Can you already picture yourself at Cibeles because of the seven-point lead over Barcelona?
There's still a lot of Liga to be played, so whoever thinks it's already over knows nothing about football.

You know who won the derby, right?
Of course. We did 0-2 thanks to Raúl and Van Nistelrooy.

A lot of people miss you in Madrid.
Oh yeah? I'll be there in a heartbeat as soon as I can leave.

How do the Malians who play in Spain get along?
Fantastically. The three of us make up a great group. We understand one another, but our national team takes priority now.

Could you call it a Spanish clan led by Diarra?
Well, I'm the captain which means I have a lot more responsibilities. The captain is in charge of communication between the directors and the team. Kanouté and Keita are also heavyweights here.

What are your thoughts on the African Cup so far?
It just got started, but everyone already knows that it's going to be a difficult competition. I hope Mali makes it to the final, and if we do I hope to play any team but the host, Ghana.



Is African football making any progress?
The great football you see is proof of it. The whole world saw that Benin, a huge underdog, has the resources to hang in there with any team.

When will there be an African league?
We're still missing a lot: major sponsors, advertising, televisions, money... It's not that easy. I think players will have to settle for playing in Europe for a long time to come. A prestigious league in Africa is still a far-fetched idea; a dream hard to imagine right now. I think it's practically impossible.

What do you miss about Spain?
We eat very well here and we can't complain, but a nice paella would be great.

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

we are the bestttttttttttttttttttttttt ...

gracias a Dios otra vez mas somos los campeones de la ligaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


Real Madridddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd



R. Madrid is the best of the world.

[Rasputin]

رئال مادرید 10 نفره قهرمان شد


رئال مادرید برای دومین سال پیاپی قهرمان شد
سه بازی مانده به پایان فصل، رئال مادرید به نحوی معجزه آسا قهرمان شد.
در دیدار هفته سی و پنجم مقابل اوساسونا که رئال مادرید می توانست با پیروزی، قهرمانی خود را قطعی کند پنالتی دقیقه 83 فرانسیسکو پونال امید طرفداران رئال مادرید برای کسب زودهنگام عنوان قهرمانی را بر باد داد.

اما رئال مادرید، با وجود آنکه فابیو کاناوارو، مدافع خود را بعلت دریافت کارت قرمز از دست داده بود، در دقایق پایانی توسط آرین روبن و گونزالو ئیگوان دو گل به ثمر رساند.

این دو گل که به فاصله 3 دقیقه از یکدیگر به ثمر رسیدند، رئال مادرید را برای سی و یکمین بار به مقام قهرمانی باشگاه های اسپانیا رساندند.

با این پیروزی رئال مادرید سه بازی مانده به پایان فصل از تیم ویارئال که در مکان دوم جدول لالیگا قرار دارد 10 امتیاز فاصله گرفت و حتی در صورت باخت در سه بازی آینده صدر جدول را از دست نخواهد داد.

این باشگاه که برای دومین سال پیاپی به مقام قهرمانی باشگاه های اسپانیا می رسد در شش بازی آخر خود بدون باخت بود و پنج پیروزی کسب کرد.

این اولین مقام قهرمانی لیگ برند شوستر محسوب می شود که تابستان سال گذشته و پس از برکناری فابیو کاپلو، سمت مربی گری رئال مادرید را در اختیار گرفت.

شوستر پس از مسابقه اذعان کرد: "ساختن یک تیم ممکن است تا چهار سال طول بکشد، بخصوص در مورد رئال مادرید که انتظارات زیادی هم از آن وجود دارد."

"مربی باید وقت لازم برای کارکردن را داشته باشد تا بتواند قهرمانی کسب کند و تیم را بهتر کند."

بارسلونا که رقیب جدی رئال مادرید به شمار می رفت، شش هفته قبل در 4 امتیازی رئال مادرید قرار داشت اما با کسب تنها یک پیروزی و سه تساوی از مجموع شش بازی، نه تنها از رقابت برای قهرمانی بازماند، بلکه مقام دوم جدول را نیز به ویارئال واگذار کرد که در شش بازی اخیر 4 پیروزی به دست آورد و اکنون با 4 امتیاز اختلاف نسبت به بارسلونا در مکان دوم جدول اسپانیا قرار دارد.

بارسلونها پیش از پیروزی 6-0 مقابل والنسیا در یکشنبه 4 مه، در چهار بازی نتوانسته بود گلی به ثمر برساند.

بارسلونا روز چهارشنبه در مسابقه ای که تنها حکم یک بازی حیثیتی را دارد، میهمان رئال مادرید خواهد بود و ساموئل اتو و دکو را نیز بعلت دریافت اخطار در بازی مقابل والنسیا در اختیار نخواهد داشت.

[Rasputin]

FIFA says it has received an official complaint from Manchester United about Real Madrid's pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese winger has been repeatedly linked with a move to Spain and Madrid officials have expressed a desire to secure his services.

United claim the Spanish club is engaged ina deliberate campaign to unsettle the 23-year-old.

FIFA says it has now received an official request from United to look into the matter, but will need time to analyse the documents before it can make any decision.

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

Matchday 3 of the Spanish league will see the clash between Racing and Real Madrid on Sunday at El Sardinero (19:00 CET). The Whites won't be able to count on Gago due to an injury. Racing star Munitis was injured yesterday and won't be able to play for another six weeks. Schuster and López Muñiz will make changes to the lineups they used for the Champions League and UEFA Cup, respectively.


Real Madrid are fresh from defeating Numancia 4-3 on Sunday and BATE Borisov 2-0 on Wednesday. Due to the team's tight schedule, changes in the lineup must be made for tonight's match, but the players will nevertheless try as hard as ever to earn yet another victory this week.

Fernando Gago will miss the game because he was injured against Borisov with a Grade II fibrilar tear on his left thigh. He won't recover in less than four weeks and his spot on the pitch will be covered by Guti and Diarra.

It looks like Rafael van der Vaart will play down the left wing and Higuaín down the right. Bernd Schuster may also use Raúl and Van Nistelrooy as starters, therefore having three of his strikers on the pitch together for the first time since the match with Deportivo. The coach will no doubt count on Raúl's scoring abilities against Racing -13 goals in 13 seasons-. Ramos and Cannavaro will also return and will join Pepe and Heinze in defence -the latter may replace Marcelo as a starter-.

Racing drew against Sevilla and Barcelona in the league, and defeated Finnish side Honka 1-0 in the UEFA Cup with a lineup consisting mainly of subs save for Serrano and Garay. Important men such as Gonzalo Colsa are expected to return to the starting eleven against the Whites.

As mentioned above, Pedor Munitis is injured and will have to miss the match. Real Madrid's Garay -on loan to Racing this season- will also have to miss the encounter. Striker Juanjo -8 goals in 9 games- will probably be paired with Pereira, while César Navas and Marcano will take on centre back duties.

El Sardinero has never been an easy venue for Real Madrid, winning 15, drawing 12 and losing 13 of the 40 games they've played there. They've scored a total of 59 goals and conceded as many as 60.

[Rasputin]

Real Madrid 7-1 Sporting Gijon


This Real Madrid has great goal-scoring skills; the team netted seven against Sporting. The victory is important for the Whites, as it will give them energy to tackle the tight schedule that will see them play again on Saturday and Tuesday.



The Madridistas tried to defeat keeper Sergio Sánchez at the sound of the first whistle. Gonzalo Higuaín had the first chance after receiving the ball in the centre of Sporting's box from a pass by De la Red (3'). It was the first warning for a goal that was to come, aided by the fact that Gijon simply didn't feel comfortable at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

The Whites scored just when the visitors started to attack Iker Casillas' goal. De la Red carried the ball to the edge of the box and passed it to Raúl, who in turn gave it to Van der Vaart for him to send it to the back of the net (17’). The goal allowed Real Madrid to feel more comfortable and they started to make the crowd enjoy itself.

Higuaín had another chance on the 26-minute mark from a cross Raúl managed to pull off with hardly an angle after he made a run with the ball to the edge of the pitch. The captain looked for the second goal of the evening with a counterattack during which he passed the goal to Higuaín right on the goal-line, but the Argentine missed (30'). A couple of minutes later, De la Red crossed the ball into the box for Van der Vaart to score with a beautiful finishing touch with his heel (32').

The fans went wild. The team wanted to please them more and tallied yet another strike again in no time. Robben ran down the right wing with the ball and crossed it to the other side of the area. Higuaín received it and scored with a powerful crossed shot in the 36th minute.

Nothing changed after half-time and the team kept trying to net more strikes. Soon, a long pass from Robben was used by Van der Vaart to tally his third strike of the evening (46'). Four minutes later, the Dutchmen swapped roles; Robben received the ball from a great midfield pass by Van der Vaart and defeated Sánchez 30-meters away from the goal with a powerful shot (50’).

With 5-0 on the scoreboard, Bernd Schuster decided to give some men a rest and Diarra was replaced by Javi García -who made his First Division debut with Real Madrid-. Meanwhile, former Madridista David Barral pulled off a good attacking play for Sporting that ended with a goal by Kike Mateo (53').

Real Madrid wanted more strikes despite the large cushion in the score and kept trying to net some more. The next was scored by Raúl -his first in La Liga this season- on the goal-line when the ball fell at his feet after Sánchez cleared a powerful shot by Robben down the right wing.

The final goal of the evening was the crowning jewel of the game, coming from a beautiful triangulation between Saviola and Raúl that ended with the captain's great finishing touch (59’).

Sporting never gave up and their fans at the Bernabéu had a good time despite the seven goals against them. The Madridistas at the stadium were thrilled with the team's performance and cheered as the team left the pitch.

[Rasputin]

Real Madrid were desperate to end their seven game winless streak away from home and they found themselves on the right track when they went infront through an own goal by Zenit centreback Hubocan.

Danny managed to equalize for the hosts in the 24th minute but all their hardwork went straight down the drain when the visitors restored their lead just six minutes later through goalscorer extra-ordinaire, van Nistelrooy.

First Half

Zenit began positively infront of an electric and thunderous crowd at the Petrovsky Stadium. But Madrid were able to quickly wrestle control and after just two minutes, they conjured up their first attempt at goal.

Van Nistelrooy casually dinked in a cross to Higuaín who, completely unmarked, thumped a bullet header goalwards and Malafeev was forced to make a superb reflex save to parry the ball over.

The Russians failed to clear the resulting corner Madrid worked their way into the lead. Van der Vaart slid in a harmless looking low cross from the right and Hubocan, under pressure from a crowd of advancing black shirts behind him, smashed the ball into his own net.

Three minutes later, the Zenit’s backline was exposed again when Robben slipped in van Nistelrooy but the striker slipped just as he pulled trigger on the edge of the box and ballooned the shot well over.

The home sides looked utterly overwhelmed as they struggled to find their normal rhythm and range and it took Dick Advocaat’s men until the 20th minute before finally settled into the game and created their first real threat.

Danny streaked down the left wing and his deflected low cross found Pogrebnyak but Casillas dashed off his line quick enough to smother the ball, although he received a knock to his knee for his troubles. Moment later, Arshavin thumped in a half volley just outside the box but his effort lacked any real power or direction to trouble the Madrid goalkeeper.

But Zenit’s attacking persistence and patience paid off when they levelled proceedings on 24 minutes. Arshavin floated in a cross from the left and Danny lunged forward at the far post to beat a sloppy Heinze to the ball and knocked it in past a stunned Casillas.

Straight from the restart, Madrid charged forward and van der Vaart tested Malafeev with a stinging shot from 20 yards out but the goalie did well to fist it well clear.

And the Spaniards were back infront right on the half hour mark. Van der Vaart’s initial shot ricochet off Puygrenier and van Nistelrooy latched on to the loose ball to finish off clinically with a left-footed shot across the face of Malafeev.

Five minutes later, Higuaín had a glorious chance to make it three when van der Vaart put him through with a cheeky backheel but the Argentine drilled his effort just over the bar.

The half ended strongly with chances at both ends. Danny first had a penalty claim waved away when he was shoulder charged off the ball by Diarrà, before Denisov caused some panic in the Madrid goal when his cross-cum-shot was clumsily fumbled out by Casillas.

From the ensuing corner, Hubocan’s header pinballed off a crowd of players before dropping kindly into the gloves of the merengue shot-stopper. From that, Madrid launched a rapid counter attack when Robben powered down the right flank and whipped in a low ball across the face of goal but it carried too much pace as it flew past just infront of Higuaín.

Second Half

Zenit again started with zest and Arshavin caused some mayhem in the Madrid goal early on when his cross was untidily cleared but the Spanish giants got their reprieve when Hubocan handled the ball amid the scramble.

But just like the first period, Madrid almost stunned their hosts through their first attack of the half. Higuaín threaded in a through pass to Robben but the Dutchman’s poor first touch let him down as he allowed the ball to run ahead of him and Malafeev rushed out to collect.

Robben then tried to make amends for that on 55 minutes when he pummelled in a fierce drive from 25 yards out but his swerving effort did not have enough dip to creep in under the bar.

Los Merengues continued to press forward relentlessly as the Russian champions were pinned back in their own half. But once the game passed the hour mark, Bernd Schuster’s side retreated in an attempt to protect their lead.

Zenit sensed their chance and poured forward in numbers and Casillas had to pull off a crucial double save in quick succession, first to deny Arshavin’s curling cross that somehow trickled all the way to the far post, before he turned around Sirl’s powerful low drive with his fingertips.

Robben then forced Malafeev to a near identical save at the other end, before Higuaín spurned another scoring opportunity. He had done well to flick the ball over the shoulder of Pugrenier to release himself towards goal but his attempted chip was blocked by the on-rushing Malafeev.

Zenit then had a triple chance to draw level inside the space of three minutes in the final quarter of the game. First, Danny’s cutback on the byline found Domínguez but his close range effort was blocked by the legs of Casillas. Zyryanov then saw his header just shaved the bar, before Arshavin’s low drive inside the box cannoned off the foot of the post.

The Spanish champions had every man behind the ball in the final ten minutes of the contest as Zenit peppered the Madrid goal with crosses, shots and kitchen sinks, while the visiting defence adopted an “anywhere-will-do” philosophy.

Zenit’s last and final chance to salvage a point arrived a minute into injury time. Arshavin danced past two defenders down the left flank to tee up Danny but the Portuguese’s first time shot whistled over the bar via a slight deflection off Pepe’s back.

Los Blancos held on desperately for their first away victory in Champions League football in almost two years and for the first time in five seasons, they managed to win both their opening two games of the competition.

LINE-UPS

Zenit St. Petersburg (4-3-3): Malafeev – Anyukov, Puygrenier, Hubocan (Domínguez 72’), Sirl – Zyryanov, Tymoshchuk, Denisov – Danny, Pogrebnyak (Tekke 72’), Arshavin

Unused subs: Contofalsky, Shirokov, Fayzulin, Ricksen, Dong Jin

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Casillas – Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Cannavaro, Heinze – Diarrà, De La Red – Van der Vaart (Javi García 62’), Higuaín (Saviola 87’), Robben (Drenthe 61’) – Van Nistelrooy

Unused subs: Dudek, Raúl, Marcelo, Torres

ZENIT ST. PETERSBURG 1-2 REAL MADRID

0-1: Real Madrid (Hubocan 3’ o.g)

1-1: Zenit St. Petersburg (Danny 24’)

1-2: Real Madrid (Van Nistelrooy 30’)

BOOKINGS

Zenit St. Petersburg: Arshavin (25’), Tymoshchuk (32’), Hubocan (46’)

Real Madrid: Van Nistelrooy (47’)

MATCH STATS

Possession: Zenit St. Petersburg 57% - Real Madrid 43%

Shots (On Target): Zenit St. Petersburg 18 (5) - Real Madrid 17 (5)

Corner Kicks: Zenit St. Petersburg 14 - Real Madrid 7

Fouls Committed: Zenit St. Petersburg 14 - Real Madrid 10

[Rasputin]

Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster has welcomed the capture of Ajax striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar.

Ahead of today's clash with Sevilla, Schuster said of his new Dutch signing: "He's a good signing, who has been on the agenda of Real Madrid for a while. He has been a big scorer for a team like Ajax.

"Players like (Ruud) van Nistelrooy, (Marco) van Basten and Ronaldo were big scorers in the Netherlands and became important players when they went to play elsewhere in Europe.

"I hope the same happens with Huntelaar."