LA LIGA & REAL MADRID

[fingolfin]

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.. they got a 5 - 1 win over Ecija in the Kings Cup. Beckham and Ronaldo are back in the scoring sheet. And read these results, it's shocking:

n other Thursday action, second division Alaves knocked out Celta Vigo with a 1-0 second-leg win.

Third division Rayo shocked holders Espanyol 2-1 on aggregate Wednesday and second division sides Valladolid and Malaga also advanced after beating top flight opposition in the shape of Gimnastic and Real Sociedad.

[fingolfin]

.. the almighty Ferenc Puskas just passed away. All madridistas are mourning for his passing. He's one of the reasons why i fell in love with Real.

[raul julia]

MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid's Brazilian midfielder Emerson has said he is mystified after being jeered by his club's fans.
Emerson, 30, who arrived at the start of the season from Juventus, was speaking in an interview published in El Pais Saturday.
He and fellow defensive midfielder Mahamadou Diarra - another pre-season recruit by Italian coach Fabio Capello - have both suffered at the hands of boo-boys this season.
"Here they have no respect. This has never happened to me before," said Emerson. "Maybe it's because I have just arrived and the fans don't know me."
Real notoriously impatient fans have not warmed to Capello's defensive style of play and the two defensive midfield anchors seem to be taking the brunt of their disatisfaction.
But Emerson said Capello has told him to stay just in front of the back four and not to venture forward.
He is in good company, though, as his international team-mate and three-time world player of the year Ronaldo was also jeered by fans last season.

[raul julia]

MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid reignited their title hopes with a come from behind 2-1 victory at home to Atletic Bilbao.
With Barcelona, whose coach Frank Rijkaard rested Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho, held 1-1 at Levante, Real had the chance to close the gap at the top to a single point.
That looked to be beyond them for more than an hour as Bilbao took the lead through Luis Prieto on 35 minutes and held on gamely in front of an onslaught in the second period.
But as soon as the once derided Ronaldo levelled maters on 65 minutes, Real took control and there was only going to be one winner.
Ronaldo's Brazil team-mate Roberto Carlos smashed home a long range winner with just eight minutes left.
The victory owed a lot to a double half-time substitution by coach Fabio Capello.
He took off defensive midfielder Emerson and the ineffective Jose Antonio Reyes and brought on former England captain David Beckham and three-time world player of the year Ronaldo.
And it was that pair that combined to level matters after Ruud van Nistelrooy had a goal ruled out for offside.
Madrid moved onto 29 points from 13 games, with Barcelona on 30 and Sevilla in third on 28.

[ReconGunny]

di you know that the greatest player for the barcelona team is half filipino half spanish? hell yea!!!! 374 goals in 375 games now thats one hell of a strike rate.....!!! P.A.

[laagan]

ReconGunny, who is it?

[fingolfin]

.. here he is... CLICK HERE

[raul julia]

Ronaldo scores again and is great, not fat

MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid's Brazilian veteran striker Ronaldo hit back at his critics after scoring twice in Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Dynamo Kiev.
The 30-year-old had come in for criticism following a series of injuries and poor form - he had only scored twice before Wednesday and his girth has been a constant source of fascination for the media.
"When you score you are great and when you don't score you are fat," said the former Inter Milan and Barcelona star who was world champion with Brazil four years ago.
A cool wind has blown through Real this season after Italian coach Fabio Capello took charge at a club, which has not won a trophy since 2003, for the second time.
Capello has not allowed reputations to affect his choice of line-up and both Ronaldo and former England star David Beckham have spent time on the bench, the latter most of the season to date.
Implying that both of them ought to play, Ronaldo said that he and Beckham had a "perfect" understanding. The Brazilian added: "I want to continue to be important for this team."
The Brazilian told reporters he still intended to hit his season's target of 30 goals while admitting he did not always see eye to eye with Capello, with whom he said he is sometimes "in disagreement".
Ronaldo denied a story in French newspaper Le Monde which linked Real, Barcelona and two other top Spanish clubs Valencia and Betis to doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who is at the centre of a blood doping affair involving mainly cyclists.
"We're available for any doping tests, including the random tests that are carried out by the federation, UEFA or whoever," said Ronaldo.

[fingolfin]

.. bad day for Real. They lost to Sevilla and Barca won. That means they're four behind Barca and two behind Sevilla. They missed out their chance . damn. The injuries to major players is taking it's toll. Anyway, the season is long.

[raul julia]

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will face each other in the second round of the 2006/07 Champions League. The German side are a classic rival of the Whites' in the competition and will once again prove to be a tough rival on Real Madrid's way to winning their tenth European Cup. The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium will receive Bayern Munich either on 20 or 21 February 2007, while the return game will be held in Munich on 6 or 7 March.

2006/07 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 DRAW:
Porto (POR)-Chelsea (ENG)
Celtic (SCO)-AC Milan (ITA).
PSV Eindhoven (HOL)-Arsenal (ENG).
Lille (FRA)-Manchester United (ENG).
AS Roma (ITA)-Olympique Lyonnais (FRA).
Barcelona (SPA)-Liverpool (ENG).
REAL MADRID (SPA)-Bayern Múnich (GER).
Valencia (SPA)-Internazionale Milano (ITA).