Real defeat opens up title race
LA LIGA Madrid side suffers 12 loss at Valencia, squanders chance to increase lead on Barcelona
MADRID: Zinedine Zidane’s fears that Real Madrid’s lack of intensity at the start of games would eventually cost his team have proved well founded.
On Wednesday night, away against a Valencia side that has endured its worst season in many years, Real showed a defensive frailty that allowed their opponents to score twice in the opening nine minutes on their way to a 2-1 upset of the La Liga leaders.
“We lost this match in the opening ten minutes, ten bad minutes where we let two goals in,” Real manager Zidane told Spanish TV.
“I’m not worried, I’m angry more than anything, because we only have ourselves to blame.”
Valencia’s Italian striker Simeone Zaza had broken down in tears after scoring his first goal since May at the weekend, but showed his confidence is suddenly sky high with a brilliant volleyed finish to open the scoring on five minutes.
Fabian Orellana then finished off a flowing counter-attack on nine, but Cristiano Ronaldo halved Madrid’s arrears with a towering header from Marcelo’s cross a minute before half-time.
“That was our fault, “Real vicecaptain Marcelo told the club website.
“We started very poorly and there can be no excuses for it. We did all we could to at least have got a draw, but we conceded two daft goals and we must learn from our mistakes.”
Just when it seemed Real might establish a stranglehold on the leadership, they find themselves still only one point ahead of defending champions Barcelona and now with just one game in hand.
“We still remain top but we have to change things, we can’t be starting games like that,” Marcelo said.
Worrying for coach Zidane is that his side, which had set a Spanish record 40-game unbeaten run in all competitions before falling 2-1 at Sevilla on January 15, has now lost twice in six league games. Their last five CluB AppeArAnCes CristiAno RonAldo hAs now mAde in his CAreer away games have produced just one win in La Liga.
It was a missed chance to pile more pressure on a Barca team that has been on the ropes in the last week following a 4-0 humiliation at Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League.
“It hurts because it was a key opportunity to have extended our advantage at the top,” Real captain Sergio Ramos told the club website.
“But we’ve got to move on and think about our next game.
“La Liga season is a very long one.” suCCess, ReAl MAdrid hAve hAd little joy in LA LigA. They lAst won the leAgue in 2011-12 seAson while Jose Mourinho wAs in ChArge And hAve ever sinCe plAyed seCond fiddle to BArCelonA.
seAsons, ReAl hAve won the leAgue only onCe while BArCA hAve six triumphs.
the tABle with A one-point leAd over seCondplACed BArCA And hAve A gAme in hAnd.
teAm lACked mAny things AgAinst VAlenCiA And lost the gAme in the first 10 minutes itself.
wAs guilty for Both of VAlenCiA’s goAls BeCAuse of lACk of ConCentrAtion And A poor touCh thAt gAve the BAll AwAy. wAs the lAst time ReAl MAdrid ConCeded two goAls in the opening 10 minutes of A LA LigA mAtCh. SevillA hAd BeAten them 4-1 on NovemBer 10, 2003 on thAt oCCAsion.
LeAgue, ReAl hAve A 1-3 AdvAntAge over NApoli while BArCelonA fACe An uphill tAsk overturning A 0-4 defiCit to PSG. ReAl CAn Afford to foCus on their LA LigA Commitments in the Coming weeks while the CAtAlAns Are forCed to toil in Europe.
An Added distrACtion with the SpAnish
Cup finAl AgAinst AlAves they will plAy At the end of the seAson.
in generAl hAd A tough time ContAining the opposition And Almost ConCeded A third soon After the first two.
Also Be
ConCerned thAt his teAm hAve only won one AwAy mAtCh in their lAst five. They fACe Another AwAy tAsk AgAinst VillArreAl this weekend. ZAzA 4 OrellAnA 9 RonAldo 44 22 16 4 2 37 52 23 15 6 2 44 51
23 15 4 4 18 49 23 13 6 4 24 45 23 13 2 84 41