Thursday, 3 February 2011

Spanish Cup: Semifinals (2nd Leg)

REAL MADRID 2 - SEVILLA 0

Mourinho arrived at Real Madrid seven months ago to put the team back where it belongs. Tonight, he led his men to victory and placed the team in the Copa del Rey final, where it will face eternal foe Barcelona.

Adebayor and Ozil togheter in the pitch after the second goal against Sevilla
Adebayor and Özil celebrate second goal 

Real Madrid has come to a Cup final seven years later, but the title is still looking away. By rival waiting in the final by the distrust generated by team, so hungry for titles like football. Latest Mourinho team appearances have raised doubts, as well as the game now also has not been the air, that imposing physique that helped him topple rivals not so long ago. Team is depleted and to manage in this situation will require all the talent to be able to offer his coach and the players. The 2-0 did not reflect the true distance that existed between the Real Madrid and Sevilla which did not deserve much punishment at the Bernabeu. But because the goals do not deserve, become, it might say that Madrid won to be in the final. Özil and Adebayor Invited this time.

Real Madrid also has something good; does not need to play well to win or to qualify, as in this case. It was expected Sevilla would take risks to come back from the 1-0 score from the first leg, but they didn't. Manzano's men waited for Real Madrid in defence, hoping to surprise them with counterattacks. At the Bernabeu Sevilla was better, a team that left the tournament with astrange feeling, the impression it could have done more and the doubt about Negredo's goal (min.11) disallowed for an offside more than questionable. Beat Casillas after an excellent pass from Zokora.

Mourinho's boys looked to score from the very start and had a clear chance through Benzema on the 4-minute mark, but the Frenchman's shot (following a Di Maria attempt that hit one of the posts) was off target. Cristiano Ronaldo desperately tried to net a strike, but Javi Varas cleared his shot in the 33rd minute.

The second half was consumed in the usual calm nervous at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid dominated the bout and Sevilla was controlling the match, which continued pouring in fault Navas and Cáceres the only two pieces out of place in the table. That was until the last 20 minutes when Manzano took his team to step forward and gave the space that had refused to Madrid. The visiting goalkeeper had to use his feet to clear a shot from Di Maria on the 68-minute mark. Several minutes later, Khedira served a sensational pass to Ozil, who controlled the ball, entered the box, dribbled past Varas and gently placed the ball inside the goal (81').

Adebayor sealed the match with a fantastic strike on his Bernabeu debut. The Togolese player took the pitch in the final minutes of the game and scored, the 5000 goal of Madrid at home, in injury time by finishinjg off a great cross from Lass. Real Madrid and all Madridismo now prepare to face Barcelona in the 20 April final.

Summary

Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Attendance: 63,000
Goals: 1-0, m.81: Özil. 2-0, m.92: Adebayor.