Written by Saad Noor, at the Santiago Bernabeu
Real Madrid struggled to break down Real Mallorca’s resolute rear-guard in what was a tense and often cagey encounter between the teams that sit 2nd and 9th respectively in La Liga.
Former Madridista Michael Laudrup’s side fought hard for the entire 90 minutes and were nearly rewarded for their attempts, most notably at either end of the game. First it was a one-on-one in the opening minutes of the game whereby Mallorca’s star man Emiliano Nsue broke free on the right flank from a counter-attack with just the keeper to beat. Iker Casillas is some keeper though so that might have been the reason why Nsue’s shot shook the post instead of rippling the back of the net.
The Mallorca Academy graduate was involved again at the death for the last chance of the game when he set-up Cameroonian Pierre Webo for a shot which once again Casillas was equal to.
However, with Madrid struggling to hold off a team that has struggled away from home this term with just 4 wins away from the Iberostar Stadium.
Saying that, Mallorca did hold Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou in October but with Madrid chasing the Catalans, they had to send out a strong message to their title rivals. They did that but it wasn’t the type of message Mourinho would have wanted to be sent over to Barca.
The Balearic side held their own against the capital giants and were unfortunate to eventually fall to Karim Benzema’s second-half winner.
The same Karim Benzema that Kaká said needed to try a bit harder, that Madrid newspaper Marca has definitively turned on after 18 months of cheerleading, and that Mourinho had pointedly noted had scored fewer goals than the centre-backs Sergio Ramos and Ricardo Carvalho. No sooner had Madrid scored than Mourinho was dashing down the touchline to get Lassana Diarra on the pitch and protect the lead. Which looks like a masterstroke but might have looked rather different if Casillas hadn’t made that crucial save in the last minute.
Mourinho admitted that the line-up changes he made in the narrow win were not beneficial to the team but the underlying question is the sides’ inability to find goals and chances without the talismanic winger Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese tactician gave starts to Esteban Granero, Kaka and Fernando Gago, leaving Mesut Oezil and Xabi Alonso on the bench.
Speaking to the media afterwards, Mourinho confessed: “I decided to change some players because we have an important game on Wednesday in Seville, but I also know I cannot make 11 changes because the team would suffer.
“We have noted the physical and emotional wear and tear of the team at the moment, with competing in a competition like the cup, in which we want to go to the final.”
Real Madrid closed the gap between themselves and leaders Barcelona back to four points courtesy of the victory but are still in need of a greater goal threat now that Gonzalo Higuain has been ruled out indefinitely.
Possible target Ruud Van Nistelrooy has been refused the opportuinity to return to his former side and with Real president only sanctioning a loan move (much to the displeasure of Mourinho) as a short-term fix to the problem, Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor has now been confirmed a Madrid player in a bid to take some of the load off Ronaldo, who has already scored 32 goals this season.
With Barcelona’s ability to score at will and the closeness of the league last season, goals may become one of the deciding factor and with Madrid behind (thanks to a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Barcelona), it is clear for all to see that with Benzema leading the line for them, they will need a few opportunities for him to score as was evident last night.
Mourinho has always been fond of a forward who is a natural finisher with a nous of being in the right place at the right time and scoring at any given moment; see Drogba, Milito and Eto’o.
So with this type of player not at his disposal whilst chasing arguably the best Barcelona side in history for supremacy at home and in Europe, it looks like Mourinho is fighting a losing battle.
