Real Madrid extended their winning streak of the new season to 3 on Saturday when they defeated La Liga new boys Almeria 3-1. The flattering score line though does not show that Real were put to task by an enthusiastic Almeria side. With Internationals happening over the previous weekend and 18 of Real's 25 first team players having played for their respective countries this was the best chance for any team to win at the Bernabeu. Honestly if it was any other team who could keep up the pressure for 90 mins they would have won against a seemingly heavy footed Madrid.
Schuster rested Van Nistelrooy as the Dutchman played against Bulgaria in his comeback with the Holland national team. Javier Saviola made his first start in front of his new home crowd. Also Drenthe was replaced by Heinze at LB and the dutch prodigy just found a place on the bench. The rest of the midfield was the same as the previous game against Villareal with Schuster banking on Guti and Sneijder for the creative sparks.
It was a packed Bernabeu with over 75,200 fans in to see the new Real Madrid and the attractive football. Well it was not attractive to begin with and it seemed for the most part of the first half an hour that Almeria were not a walk in the park team. It was Real Captain who made the Almeria keeper spill from a long shot where he squeezed between two defenders in trademark style to force a left foot shot on 37 minutes. The "Rabbit" was the first on scene to score from the rebound. It definitely is a dream start for Saviola who has to get the nod of the tough Madrid fans having joined from arch rivals Barcelona.
The second half saw pretty much of the same, and Real struggled to put the final ball in and Schuster was seemingly getting nervous. Schuster was forced to take off an injured Heinze and replace him with Royston Drenthe at LB which is not his natural position. He also took out Robinho and replaced him with another Argentine ever ready for a chance to play-Higuain. I have been impressed with this guy and at his age if was at any other team he would have been a super star.
It required something against the run of play to put the game away for Madrid and who else to look at but the new #23 Wesley Sneijder. The free kick awarded to Madrid was in a dream free kick position for a right footer and Sneijder obliged with a beauty. It was a couple of steps and minimal back lift, the ball cleared the wall, swerved and dipped to get to the left top corner precisely. It was one for the coaching manual and reminded greatly of the ones Ronaldinho usually delivers. 2-0 Real Madrid.
Almeria was in no mood to give up. Kalu Uche scored a brilliant solo goal after he easily bluffed and wrong footed Cannavaro. It was game on. Schuster took out Sneijder and brought in Gago to a standing Bernabeu, partly to give the Dutchman a well deserved rest and also to bolster up the midfield to prevent Almeria from running at his defence. Almeria pushed and kept a high defensive line, but it was the never tired legs of Saviola that forced a quick clearance from Almeria keeper, the return ball in would have found Saviola in an offside position by miles, but the person reacting was Higuain who was well onside who made a cool finish, by lobbing the ball over the advancing keeper. 3-1 Real Madrid and it stayed the same on the night.
Schuster would be happy with this result, because he had a bunch of tired players and Real have an important week ahead as they make their Champions League bow of the season at the Bernabeu against German side Werder Bremen. Schuster will have to pick from Marcelo or Torres for the LB position as Heinze is doubtful and it needs to be seen if Schuster will be tempted to use Drenthe in that position as it is a home game. Spending all that money has given Schuster an embarrassment of riches. He rested Van Nistelrooy, the top scorer of last term and the two who got to start, Saviola and Higuain both scored. I don't want to be Schuster, but i would be surprised if either Saviola or Higuain get a nod ahead of Van Nistelrooy in any important matches. Robben is confirmed to be getting his first playing minutes in a Real jersey tomorrow, but with Sneijder doing so well in the left of midfield, it might actually be a substitute appearance. If Schuster actually decides to play both of them, Sneijder will have to move more central which he has shown he can play and Guti might end up getting axed......
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