Real Madrid Vs Arsenal
UEFA Champions League Knockout Stage 1st Leg
Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Kick-off: 7.45pm (UK time)
Real Madrid Vs Arsenal. How every Arsenal fan had relished this fixture ever since we were drawn against Real Madrid after we finished as leaders in the group stages? In fact we have been eyeing this fixture from quiet a couple of years now. Sooner or later it had to come. It had to come true in our last season at Highbury.
The respective records of both of us in Europe have been in sharp contrast. The Galacticos have such a proud history and impressive record in the Champions League that is second to none. They have been crowned champions of Europe so many times that can’t even remember. Least to say that they have even won it 5 times consecutively in a row. In fact they were crowned the European champions as recently as 2002. We on the other hand have never been able to find our way past the quarter-final stages in this tournament. Even the year when we were at our peak and played at our very best and won the league without losing a single match, the closest we came were to the quarter final stages.
The respective league records of both of us for the last 2 years have been in sharp contrast too, albeit this time, we having an upper hand. Real have been empty handed for quiet a few years now in the Spanish league. They have gone trophy less for years now in Spain. Barcelona has overhauled them as the leaders in La Liga. We on the other hand went unbeaten and were crowned the Champions of the English premier league in 2003-2004, finished second in the league and won the FA Cup last year. Have never finished outside the top two places under Wenger. Illustrious! Way back in 03-04, when we were playing flawless, charming, fluid and beautiful football match after match and eventually went unbeaten how we would have loved to have this fixture then at any point of time.
But.
Come February 2006 and we find that things have drastically changed for us. Plagued throughout the season with injuries one after the other to key players, a series of dismal performances on the road, an apparently non-committal Henry, under performing seniors, midfielders deputising as right-backs and left-backs, the problems! We were going thru a tough transition period. With the exception of a few matches, our performance in domestic competitions throughout this season - especially away - being so poor that we stood knocked out of the FA Cup, the Carling Cup and facing a fierce struggle to qualify for the final Champions League spot. Our domestic season had almost fallen apart with only a qualification for next years Champions League tournament remaining our only possible achievement. Can you imagine, we Gunners fighting in the English league for a fourth and final Champions League qualification spot? That too against the likes of Liverpool & Spurs. I can’t! U can’t too! I know, but that’s the truth. We were.
When the draw was made we were waiting for this game. Not only the Arsenal fans but many believed that it was a good tie for Arsenal as at that time we looked really capable and solid and they fragile and out of form. But since then our position in the league table like our form has only been plummeting and deteriorating. They on the other hand have gathered some good form and position in the Spanish league. When we were drawn against Real we were waiting for this game. Ah! And now! For many Arsenal fans this match couldn’t have been more ill-timed than now.
A lot of effort would have to go if we were to win this match. The manager knew that how this match was very important for the rest of the season. A win would do wonders but a defeat could have far more dire consequences than just being eliminated out of the competition. Much depended upon how Wenger was going to approach this game.
Considering the knock-out nature of this stage in the competition we had to have a cautious plan. If Real win at home even by one goal we would be left facing a mammoth task at Highbury. Firstly, We would have had to score at least twice to overcome the deficit and secondly defend very well so that Real can’t score a goal at Highbury. And for the second thing to not to happen our defenders will be left with a daunting task to finish because then Real will know that we would have to come out to score twice and that shall give them space and more chances which they usually don’t tend to waste. Also for each goal scored by Real at Highbury we would have to score two to neutralise the effect of away goals on the aggregate score if at all the aggregate score is equal. All in all any sort of win for Real at home would leave all of our players and the club in a position where we would have lot to lose if defeated and much to toil to win at home. Hence, a plan to try to somehow creep past this game undefeated and try our best to grind a win at Highbury didn’t actually sounded like a bad idea. And of course a win would do wonders for us.
Much depended upon Wenger's choice of the formation he was going to use in the game. 4-4-2 Or 4-5-1? In their midfield comprising of Gravesen, Baptista, Guti, Robinho & Beckham they had a lot of stability and energy. To counter theirs, we ought to have an aggressive midfield thru which they cant squeeze past. While we don’t like 4-5-1 but in deploying 4-4-2 with Pires, Fabregas, Gilberto & Ljungberg we were no doubt weak. Also, in that, we would be left to struggle a lot as compared to having five in midfield. Hence 5 in midfield though not the preferred option but a cautious alternative.
Against a background of this thread bare state of our squad, a disappointing domestic season and with players that have - barring a few exceptions - invariably turned up with inconsistent and under achieving performances, the game with the galacticos of Madrid loomed over the horizon.
We arrived in Madrid without several key players (Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy, Van Persie, Bergkamp, Kerrea Gilbert, Lauren, Cygan and Sol), all lost to injuries. Hardly any help for us. Luckily enough Toure and Eboye were back from their African Nations duties to help us reduce our defensive frailties. Eboye started at right-back, Senderos came in at the centre alongside Toure but still Flamini (a right-midfielder) was to play at left-back in the absence of Cole. Also, Reyes was able to recover from his injury just in time for this fixture. In him and Fabregas we had two Spaniards that were on show that night. While Adebayor was cup-tied, Abou Diaby was named in the squad. Even Theo Walcott was named in the squad. The other players were Lehmann, Gilberto, Hleb, Ljungberg and Henry. Those on the bench were Pires, Abou Diaby, Song, Manuel Almunia, Theo Walcott, Johan Djourou and Lupoli.
The pre-match hype didn’t help us at all.
A large part of the coverage was devoted to the Chelsea Vs Barca fixture which was scheduled one day after our match. But there was a lot of pre-match hype surrounding our match as well albeit all the hype was about how Real were going to defeat us and how we don’t stand a chance against them.
Long before the match kicked-off We had already been doomed as the underdogs. The odds were heavily against us. And we have no one to blame. Given our current state of affairs & form, no one will give us a chance away from home against even a half decent European side leave aside Real Madrid. And they of course, apart from playing at home, apart from their illustrious champions league triumphs and history had those two footballing genius - Zidane & Ronaldo, who only need that one moment of the entire game to turn the game upside down in their favour and to defeat any team in Europe - leave aside the strength in the array of other players at their disposal. And not to forget that no English team ever had defeated Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Real’s Jonathan Woodgate saying "Real would destroy Arsenal". Hardly any help for us.
The odds were entirely against us. But fight we had to. And fight we would. And that’s what Wenger had in mind. Hence his input was important to the game. The players badly needed that extra boost of confidence. And Wenger was there to give it to them. Before match-day he again reiterated his belief in our players, in their ability and strength and insisted that he was sure that we can do well tonight. He asked the defenders & midfield to play together as a defensive unit. And most importantly when asked about Henry the manager said that he was sure that Henry would score tonight. That was so nice. Nice for the entire team. Henry doesn’t need that but at times it’s just important for the players to know the managers trust in them.
Also it was time for us fans to get behind our players and support them as always. And support we did. However bad their recent form may have been but they belong to our club. We love them and want them to perform at their best and achieve the best. Whatever maybe our past and whatever maybe their past, but ask any Arsenal fan and they will all agree that with no injuries to tend to, key players being fit and Arsenal continuing to play its so fluid and charming game we were certainly a match for any opponent on any given day.
So, finally the night arrived, the night for us Gunners with a huge task to attend to, a beast to tame, odds to defy and history to create and all this with little of form but lots of hope and conviction and a belief that Henry will deliver the goods for us tonight.
The matched kicked off and we had a chance as early as 80 seconds. A ball from Henry to Reyes on the left side saw Reyes take a weak left-footed shot which keeper Iker Casillas was able to put aside with his left hand. We could have had the lead. But the game moved on. 8 minutes gone and another chance arrived. This time Henry fed a pass in the box to Ljungberg who managed to beat Casillas but in the attempt pushed the ball wide. Before he could take another shoot Roberto Carlos came in with a tackle and the chance was gone. We could have been leading by 2 goals by now.
In the eighth minute Jonathan Woodgate had to come off due to injury. In the tenth minute another chance arrived. This time Reyes fed in a juicy cross from the left and Henry rose above his marker and when he should have scored he planted it wide of the box. Another golden opportunity wasted. By the way we had 3 of them by now but the score still nil all. We were playing with much needed confidence. We seem to had settled very quickly. The home side had hardly put an effort until now. At this time we were playing like as if we were the home team. We just needed to get into a lead to say for our efforts.
Then a chance came for the home team in the 26th minute. Beckham directed a header wide of the post when Zidane had crossed from the left. Another decent chance arrived. Ronaldo fed Beckham on the edge of the area but Lehmann rushed out to block Beckham’s shot just in time. The home side had warmed up by now. A long range shoot by Robinho was gathered by Lehmann and then he took care of a fierce 30-yard free-kick from Roberto Carlos. When two minutes as injury time were added to the play Ljungberg had a run only to be stopped by Casillas. Half-time. We certainly emerged as the more dominant team from the first half. Having had created three chances by now, We were just anxiously waiting for that moment to arrive.
Only a couple of minutes into the restart and the moment arrived. Nothing looked wrong when Fabregas passed the ball to Henry in the centre circle. But Henry had something else in mind. He started his run and immediately held off Ronaldo, went a little to his left and moved past Alvaro Mejia, then raced past Guti and into the area and muscled past one more defender in Sergio Ramos before taking an angled shot. Casillas stretched but the ball was past him and into the far corner of the net. Henry had delivered. Real 0 - 1 Arsenal. Yes we were 1-0 ahead in the 47th minute by way of a spectacular goal by Henry which left Real stunned and the 3500 travelling Arsenal fans ecstatic. Simply amazing! This was Henry's 34th goal in the Champions League and he celebrated it by running towards the Arsenal fans with his arms wide open. What a moment!
The game moved on with chances falling to both sides but neither being able to convert. Henry blazed a shot wide at the far and apart from Raul heading over the post the home side failed to seriously threaten us. They were just not sharp enough in the final third for what they are known to be. All this while our defenders had put on a determined effort and quiet successful at that.
In the 76th minute, Wenger bought Pires in for Hleb now and 4 minutes later Abou Diaby came in for Reyes. Soon Song came on to substitute for Fabregas. Diaby had a neat chance but was denied by Casillas. Pires had one of his effort saved late on when he managed to shoot an angled-shoot from the right into the hands of Casillas. A last real threat came from the home side when Beckham sent in a free kick from the right to be met by Raul who flicked his header towards the far post where there was none to send the ball into the net. That was the last real opportunity that the home side could come up with in the dying moments of the game and it was only a matter of time now when Arsenal would have created history.
The final score Real Madrid 0 - 1 Arsenal.
Arsenal had defeated the Galactico’s of Madrid with a resounding and historic victory.
It was a nice gesture afterwards when our captain Henry and the English captain embraced and exchanged jerseys with each other. The way they wished each other seem to suggest that they had lot of respect for each other.
Though it may have looked so but it wasn’t an easy victory at all. Our defenders defended well throughout and the midfield ran the show while our lone striker up front, Henry, strucked that crucial goal which has given us this lead to carry into the second leg at Highbury. Throughout the match we played collectively as a team and there was not one player who didn’t played exceptionally well. On the day when it mattered most our players rose to the occasion and simply out-performed Real and never allowed them to actually to get into the thick of the game. We certainly deserved every bit of this victory.
Our performance was brave, bold and simply amazing. In honesty it was a long time before we saw such a performance from our team but in the end we put up a determined effort and were duly rewarded. The only complaint if ever one can draw from this game is the lack of goals with which we could have actually won this game. Not less than 3 and that would certainly have left Real in tatters and an intimidating task to finish at Highbury. Now with only one away goal the job certainly remains unfinished for us.
What a match? What a victory? It was a historic victory for our club and a heroic effort from the Gunners. With this victory of ours we had pulled off a spectacular performance and an amazing display of team work. The odds were entirely against us and we were doomed to have another awful European night. But, Wenger & his Gunners had something else in mind. They allowed things to proceed as they proceeded and had firmly decided that they shall do the speaking on the pitch. And that they did! Also, for the record, Arsenal became the first English Club to defeat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu! WOW!! The joy! The delight!
The most important factor that helped us to win today was our player’s performances. Apart from that I think a couple of things went in our favour. As a large chunk of the hype was mounted towards the Barca and Chelsea match that was to be played a day after our match, much of the attention was diverted from us onto their match. Another factor that may have helped us was there wasn’t any previous match history between the two of us. We had never played a competitive match with Real until now. In the absence of such an history we were able to concentrate on our performance and result as there was nothing to demoralise or chose from the past. Instead of dwelling on the history we were able to concentrate on creating one.
There was one man who was extremely important to the build-up to this game and it could be no one else than our manager. In his pre-match talks Wenger appeared calm and confident. he talked about his views on defending this match, his belief and Henry.
As in any other fixture defence is always a key department to pay attention to. More so ever in this game because Real are one of the most offensive European side. Wenger too was aware of our defensive frailties and not one to ignore it. Hence, he suggested in pre-match talks that not only our defenders but the midfield along with the defence would have to play together as a 'defensive unit'. So the task of defending was not only left to the defenders. This strategy paid off and certainly helped a lot to keep Real at bay. He included Theo in the squad and was not afraid to play him if needed. He remarked that he didn’t included Theo to please him but to play him if needed. And very importantly he was convinced that Henry would score today.
Yes, Wenger was determined not to lose this match before kick-off. And I think personally, that he did a very wonderful job at that. Though we arrived at the Bernabeu at the back of a one nil defeat away to Liverpool and were heavy underdogs but Wenger very neatly managed to keep that pre-match hype and pessimism to get to our players. Instead, from the time he arrived in Madrid he successfully managed to generate a very optimist & positive feeling in the camp. Maybe the player’s weren’t fully confident to beat Real but they were not fearing them either. Which was very important. He instilled a positive belief in them. He really made the players believe that we could actually win the match.
And you know! That’s what we did!
And what else could be said about lethal Henry. Just like others he was outstanding and brilliant. He led the team from the front. His stunning goal gave us a resounding victory which would last long in our memories. Also his breath-taking goal at the Bernabeu should finally shut the mouths of all his critics, who even after his last seasons crisp goal against Bayern Munich at Highbury, had remain unconvinced that Henry doesn’t performs in crucial games. Do they need more to be convinced? No worries! Its just half-time and lethal Henry has a lot more arsenal than they think which he will unleash at Highbury.
Until then its one nil to the Arsenal!
