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Players' assessments of the match predictably centered around the subpar officiating. Jesé, Marcelo and Sergio Ramos all weighed in on the neglected penalty call against Cristiano Ronaldo. Marcelo and Ramos went so far as to say Adriano's handball was another clear penalty, which I disagree with. Interspersed in these comments are the comfort in having played Ramos in the center of midfield, despite how peculiar a decision it was.
Nicholas Rigg sums up the Clásico well from Madrid's perspective: in the end it was a match of 'what-ifs?' rather than a classic juggernaut showdown. Both teams are far from their respective maximums, but a few decisions going a different way --whether they be managerial, officiating or gravitational on Benzema's blast-- could have resulted in a fairer result.
A picture is worth a thousand words. By that math, here are 10,000 words that recap the emotions of last night's bout courtesy of BBC Sport.
Several players took to the training fields today for an optional training session. This includes Xabi Alonso, who continues his recovery from a metatarsal injury.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Xabi Alonso, Diego López, Tomás Mejías, Arbeloa, Nacho, Isco, Casemiro, Morata y Jesé se ejercitaron de forma voluntaria hoy. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23RealMadrid&src=hash">#RealMadrid</a></p>— Rhiannon Jones (@rhiannoncwjones) <a href="https://twitter.com/rhiannoncwjones/statuses/394446607426801665">October 27, 2013</a></blockquote>
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