23.11.2013 » Almería 0-5 Real Madrid. Ronaldo scores the opener but gets injured
There were no surprises in Almería this Saturday night, as Real Madrid went to the "Mediterráneo Stadium" to beat the home side by a clear 0-5. It's the 5th straight win for the Merengues, who keep chasing and pressuring Barcelona and Atletico Madrid on the top of the Spanish League. It was Cristiano Ronaldo who broke the deadlock and still very early in the game, as he put Real Madrid on the lead with less than 3 minutes played in the first half. Benzema, Gareth Bale, Isco and Morata would all score a goal each in the second half, but it all took place after Ronaldo picked up a muscular injury on his left thigh and which has forced him to leave the pitch. There are still no official news on the true extent of the injury, but the first impression gathered is that it shouldn't be too serious since Ronaldo walked away from the pitch on his own foot. Real Madrid will now play against Galatasaray next Wednesday, for the UEFA Champions League matchday 5 and at this point, it's highly likely that Ronaldo will have to miss at least that game.
Cristiano Ronaldo game photos in Almería vs Real Madrid
Almería 0-5 Real Madrid goals and highlights video:
Real Madrid got an early lead in Almería, after seeing Ronaldo scoring his 14th goal on his last 7 matches, nearly only 3 minutes after the kickoff took place. The 28-year old forward was very fast to react to a cross from Isco on the right and with a small touch using his left foot, he sent the ball past Esteban to make it 0-1 for the Merengues. No one seems to find a way to stop this man from scoring and lately, his thirst for goals seems to have gotten even bigger than usual.
The first half an hour was completely dominated by the visitors and Almería was lucky to be down only by one as we entered the last 15 minutes of the 1st half. That's when the home side finally started to settle down, outmuscling Real Madrid in midfield and getting upfront with danger in several fast attacking plays. Carlo Ancelotti was certainly happy to see the half-time arriving, as he must have felt that a few adjustments were needed to be made in order to avoid any serious upset.
The Merengues came on to the 2nd half a bit more organized, but they had an unpleasant surprise just 6 minutes after the break. After a long run down the left wing, Cristiano Ronaldo felt some pain on his left thigh and immediately walked away from the pitch. After a brief talk with the Real Madrid doctors, Ronaldo has calmly gone to the locker rooms, leaving the entire Madridismo in suspense. Jesé Rodriguéz stepped in for his place and fortunately the visitors managed to react quite well to Ronaldo's absence.
It was precisely Jesé Rodríguez who started the play for the second goal of the night. After a good initiative on the left, Jesé left the ball over to Karim Benzema in the middle and the Frenchman only needed two quick touches to set it up for his left foot and fire away a great shot. It was Benzema's 7th goal in La Liga this season and his 9th in all competitions.
The third goal was the result of a big mistake made by Levante's left-back Dubarbier, following a great play by Isco. The former Malaga midfielder tried to find Gareth Bale with a low pass towards the back of Levante's defense, but Dubarbier intercepted it and tried to control it as he turned inside. Bale was keen to read what was about to happen and easily snatched the ball away from the defender just before he hit the back of the net without much difficulty. With the score set at 0-3, Real Madrid knew they had the game in their hands as Levante had started to show signs of giving up.
With 74 minutes played, it was time for Isco to also add his name to the scoresheet. The always dynamic Jesé Rodriguéz found his teammate in the middle and Isco showed how he doesn't need much space to shoot and score. The 21-year old midfielder struck the ball with his right foot and made it go right between an Almeria defender legs. The shot was very precise and gave no chance at all for Esteban to reach out to it. Everything was too easy for Real Madrid at that point and there would still be time for another goal...
Just two minutes after Isco goal, Alvaro Morata also seized his better opportunity to score his second goal in the league this season. The "Canterano" picked up a terrific pass from Casemiro and chipped the ball over Almeria's goalkeeper to set the final score to 0-5. The Merengues will return to Madrid with the 3 points and a comfortable victory in the bag, but the main concern is now to know about Cristiano Ronaldo injury status. Roughly two hours after the game is over, the only official news that came out indicate a left thigh muscular injury, but without any details on how much time it may actually keep Cristiano Ronaldo out of competition. More news will certainly be revealed in the next hours...
Real Madrid line-up vs Almería:
Goalkeeper: Diego López
Defenders: Arbeloa, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Carvajal
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Illarramendi, Isco
Attackers: Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema.
| Match stats provided by www.ronaldo7.net
|
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|---|---|---|
Almería
|
vs
|
Real Madrid
|
0 |
Goals |
5 |
11 |
Shots |
34 |
4 |
Shots on goal |
16 |
1 |
Corner kicks |
6 |
15 |
Fouls commited |
7 |
1 |
Yellow cards |
2 |
0 |
Red cards |
0 |
42% |
Ball possession |
58% |
Cristiano Ronaldo next game will be for Real Madrid, against Galatasaray for the UEFA Champions League, this Wednesday (November 24, 2013). You can watch Juventus live stream, Real Madrid vs Galatasaray, Ajax vs Barcelona, Cardiff vs Manchester United and Manchester City vs Tottenham, all matches provided from our football live section.
Real Madrid next game:
Real Madrid vs Galatasaray kick-off time (27-11-2013):
Jakarta (Indonesia) | GMT+7: 01:45
Spain (Madrid) | GMT+2: 20:45
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | GMT+1: 19:45
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | GMT-3: 15:45
New York (United States) | GMT-4: 14:45
Los Angeles (United States) | GMT-7: 11:45
Beijing (China) | GMT+8: 02:45
Sources: ronaldo7.net / foxsports.com / goal.com / kicker.de
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