Managing Madrid - FC Basel vs Real Madrid, Champions League: All the updatesDominating European football since March 6th 1902https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50831/mm-fav.png2014-11-27T14:31:17+01:00http://www.managingmadrid.com/rss/stream/70563162014-11-27T14:31:17+01:002014-11-27T14:31:17+01:003 things we learned from Real's win against Basel
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid's</a> display against FC Basel wasn't as brilliant as some expected, and yet Carlo Ancelotti's team earned a 0-1 win that clinches the first spot in the Champions League group. From the goalkeepers to the team's attitude going through the midfield, here are three things we learned from Real's 0-1 win.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">3 things we learned</h4>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><span>Keylor Navas</span> is ready</b> - <span>Iker Casillas</span> is Real Madrid's starting goalkeeper. We all know that, and so does Carlo Ancelotti. Still, Keylor Navas' fantastic save in the 68th minute proved that the Costa Rican is ready to fill Casillas' shoes if needed. Things happen in football, and it's good to have a reserve goalkeeper able to make those kinds of saves.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span><b>Fullbacks are vital in Ancelotti's offensive system</b> - Real Madrid won the game, but it wasn't very convincing, mainly because of some defensive struggles. Those aren't related to the fullbacks, but the way Real Madrid attack, Carvajal and Marcelo are very difficult to replace. Coentrao is still a bit sluggish after coming back from injury while Arbeloa isn't the player he once was -- he was never brilliant when attacking either --. That's why an injury to either Carvajal or Marcelo could be devastating for <i>Los Blancos</i>. Ancelotti needs to rotate his two starting fullbacks the way he did against Basel, but he should be careful as well, because his team will certainly miss those two players.</span></li>
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<b>This midfield still needs more time to gel -</b> The Isco-Kroos midfield duo put on a great performance against Eibar, but FC Basel were a tougher challenge for them. That's why they still need some more time to gel, even though the first signs were encouraging. Luckily enough, they do have time to gel as Real Madrid will be facing manageable opposition for a month.</li>
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https://www.managingmadrid.com/2014/11/27/7298917/basel-real-madrid-champions-league-reportLucas Navarrete2014-11-26T23:37:47+01:002014-11-26T23:37:47+01:00Basel - RM: Player ratings
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<p>An average game by most of our players, in which Benzema's virtuosity tipped the balance.</p> <ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Navas: <b>7</b>. He did not have much work to do in the first half, but he was able to block all four of Basel's shots on goal. One of his saves was just <a target="_blank" href="https://vine.co/v/O1VmDU3gzzB">brilliant</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Arbeloa: <b>4</b>. Disappointing performance by Álvaro, who was totally unable to help his teammates to attack. He did not make any serious mistake, but it was quite clear that we missed Carvajal tonight.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Varane: <b>6</b>. An average game by Varane, serious and clean as usual, but beaten by Embolo's physique a couple of times.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Ramos: <b>6</b>. A similar performance to that of Varane's. He got the yellow card he was looking for, to rest against Ludogorets and start the knockout rounds with a clean sheet.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Coentrao: <b>7</b>. It was good to see Fàbio back on the field. His defensive display was correct, and he was quite an offensive asset in the second half after Real Madrid switched to the 4-4-2 system.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Kroos: <b>8</b>. Once again, a fantastic game by the German surgeon. He dictated the tempo of the game with milimetric precision.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Isco: <b>6</b>. He keeps adapting to Modric's role and, so far, we should be happy with his performance. Today he suffered more than last Saturday, but he proved that he is willing to sacrifice himself to defend and he will still be able to shine with the ball.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">James: <b>7</b>. Good game by James, incisive when in the left wing, but also appearing in central positions as if he were a #10 in a 4-2-3-1. He threw a great cross to Ronaldo that could have resulted in the 0-2, but the truth is that he should have better given the ball to Benzema instead.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Bale: <b>7</b>. He keeps improving his condition after his injury. Although he did not shine in the first half, he took part in <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid's</a> two clearest chances after the break.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Benzema: <b>8</b>. His performance throughout the game was average, but he deserves to be named the Man of the Match just by the brilliant slalom that enabled him to assist Ronaldo in the only goal tonight.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Ronaldo: <b>7</b>. Not the brilliant performance we should expect by Ronaldo but, once again, he was there to score and bring the points to home.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Illarramendi: <b>7</b>. His entrance was crucial for Real Madrid to build the 4-4-2 and regain the control of the ball and the game.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Marcelo and Nacho were not on the field enough time to deserve a mark.</li>
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https://www.managingmadrid.com/2014/11/26/7297207/fc-basel-real-madrid-champions-league-2014-2015-player-ratingsDaniel Girela2014-11-26T23:11:27+01:002014-11-26T23:11:27+01:00Basel - RM (0-1): Los Blancos secure the 1st place
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<figcaption>Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Ancelotti's men managed to beat FC Basel and secure the first place in the group stage when there is still a game remaining.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Although <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid</a> were already qualified for the Champions League Round of 16, there were things at stake tonight in Basel. Securing the first place in the group stage, for which a draw would have sufficed, was mandatory, but achieving the fifteenth consecutive victory to equalize the longest winning streak in the club's history was also a target tonight. Ronaldo's goal after a brilliant slalom by Benzema was enough to fulfill both tasks.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;"><b>The lineups</b></h4>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>FC Basel: </b>Vaclik; Degen (Hamoudi, 76'), Schär, Suchy, Safari; Elneny, Frei (Díaz, 83'), Zuffi (Kakitani, 87'); González, Embolo, Gashi.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Real Madrid: </b>Navas; Arbeloa, Varane, Ramos, Coentrao; Kroos, Isco (Nacho, 93'), James (Marcelo, 89'); Bale, Benzema (Illarramendi, 71'), Ronaldo.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">The first half</h4>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The early minutes were quite hard for Real Madrid. Just like last Saturday in Eibar, our rivals tried to implement a very intense pressure in order to complicate our possession, and our midfielders had a hard time beating it. Kroos, as usual, dictated the tempo, but the aid of Isco and James was not enough to break lines and build a consistent attack. The incorporations of Ramos into the midfield to create superiorities were frequent, since the fullbacks (Coentrao and Arbeloa) were not really helping there.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">By the fifteenth minute, however, the game changed, apparently because Basel's players started to run out of breath. A header by Bale after a corner kick was our first chance, which was followed by a shot by Ronaldo that Vaclik deflected with great difficulties. Our strikers were found offside a couple of times before Benzema pulled a rabbit out of the hat with a brilliant slalom through the left wing which led him to assist Ronaldo for the only goal in the night.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Although they were down in the scoreboard, our rivals did not lose their defensive concentration and kept making it hard for us to reach their box. They were even able to build a couple of possessions in our side of the field that led to a shot that Navas easily blocked and a chance that, in a clear offside position, González missed. Just before the break, Ramos was booked and, as a result, he will not be able to play against Ludogorets in two weeks, but he will move on to the next round with no yellow cards in his backpack.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">The second half</h4>
<p style="text-align: justify;">After the break, it seemed quite clear that Ancelotti's plan was to <i>freeze </i>the game with long possessions to avoid risks, but Basel increased their pressing once again and our midfielders were unable to keep the control. Unlike last Saturday, it seemed that the Kroos-Isco-James trio was a bit overwhelmed by the high rhythm dictated by our rivals, and Navas had to prove that he is still the great goalkeeper that astonished everyone in the World Cup, with a couple of very important saves, the second of which was just amazing.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The entrance of Illarramendi, who took Benzema's spot, and the switch to a 4-4-2 served our men to regain control of the game. Coentrao started to appear in offensive positions and our players managed to create two new goal chances that could have easily resulted in the second goal: a shot by Bale that hit the crossbar, and another by Ronaldo that went to the post. The five minutes of extra time served Basel to try and break our defence for the last time, but the 0-1 was maintained until the end.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This result enabled Real Madrid to keep their perfect score in the present edition of the Champions League, securing the first place in the group stage, and to equalize the longest winning streak in the club history, with the fifteenth consecutive victory. Hopefully, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/la-liga/teams/malaga">Málaga</a> will be our next victim on Saturday, and Ancelotti's men will have beaten a new record.</p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2014/11/26/7296817/fc-basel-real-madrid-ucl-2014-2015-recapDaniel Girela2014-11-26T11:48:40+01:002014-11-26T11:48:40+01:00Real's projected XI
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<p style="text-align: justify;">With Sami Khedira out with a bruised hip, <span>Carlo Ancelotti</span> might use this game to give <span>Asier Illarramendi</span> some meaningful minutes, although the Italian coach could also keep him on the bench in order for the Isco-Kroos midfield duo to gel. Pepe missed Ancelotti's squad list as well, which means that Raphaël Varane will start the match alongside Sergio Ramos. Upfront, Real's coach confirmed that there will be no rotations. So, let's <i>BBC</i>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><b><a href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Real Madrid's</a> Projected XI</b>: Casillas, Arbeloa, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Kroos, Isco, James, Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Real Madrid are looking to clinch the first spot in the Champions League group with a win, but Saturday's match in <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/la-liga/teams/malaga" class="sbn-auto-link">Málaga</a> should also be taken seriously. Remember that FC <a href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Barcelona</a> only managed to get a 0-0 draw there.</p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2014/11/26/7291477/basel-real-madrid-champions-league-lineupsLucas Navarrete2014-11-26T07:58:14+01:002014-11-26T07:58:14+01:00MM Podcast: Eibar, Isco-Disco and Questions
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<p>Gabe Lezra, Lucas Navarrete and Josh Zeitlin are back, relived to be watching Real Madrid after a strenuous international break.</p> <p><iframe src="http://www.ivoox.com/player_ej_3782506_2_1.html?data=lJyllJqUeo6ZmKialpWJd6KmkZKSmaiRdo6ZmKiakpKJe6ShkZKSmaiRkcLiwszW0MyPkcLY087RjbXTqMTV1NmYlt2UfYanopCyy8fFtoampJC21cjTcaXd1MjcjcbSqIa3k4qukrbZcYarpJK6w9PFq8riyJC6w8nWrcWhhpywj5k%3D&" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" height="120" width="100%"></iframe></p>
<p>The guys recap Madrid's convincing 4-0 win over upstart Eibar, discussing Isco's role in midfield, Madrid's current stellar form (it carried over!) and breaking down whether this is the ideal lineup--even against big European sides. Then the guys take questions, answering as many as possible, though focusing on formation analysis. Finally, they wrap up with--admittedly short--previews of los blancos' upcoming matches against Basel (in the Champions League) and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/la-liga/teams/malaga">Málaga</a> in the Liga BBVA.</p>
<p>Happy Thanksgiving, MM'ers!</p>
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https://www.managingmadrid.com/2014/11/26/7291001/managing-real-madrid-podcast-isco-ronaldoGabe Lezra2014-11-25T23:59:02+01:002014-11-25T23:59:02+01:00FC Basel-RM: TV Info and preview
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<figcaption>Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Real Madrid travel to Basel trying to clinch the first spot in their Champions League group, although that could be achieved on the last match of the Champions League Group Stage, when<i> Los Blancos</i> will host Ludogorets in what should be an easy game.</p>
<p>Still, it would be a good idea to wrap everything up in order to make some rotations against Ludogorets, and that's why <span>Carlo Ancelotti</span> will start his best players this Wednesday. The Italian coach announced during his press conference that all Bale, Benzema and <span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span> will be on Real's starting lineup. James and Isco should also feature, but it would make sense to rest <span>Toni Kroos</span> and give the recently recovered <span>Asier Illarramendi</span> some meaningful minutes against a decent competition. After all, FC Basel will try to win this game. The Swiss are 3 points ahead of Liverpool in the Champions League table, so if they manage to score even a single point against Ancelotti's men they would be quite set to advance to the next round.</p>
<p>With Pepe and Khedira out of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid's</a> list, Raphäel Varane will start the match alongside Sergio Ramos. If Ancelotti makes more rotations, Nacho or Arbeloa could give Carvajal some rest, and the same could happen with Coentrao and Marcelo. Coentrao needs to get match fit as soon as possible considering how injury prone Marcelo is, and this match could be perfect.</p>
<p>It's true that FC Basel earned a good and deserved 1-0 win against Liverpool, but the Swiss side should not cause Real Madrid serious trouble. Ancelotti's pupils have recently hit their stride, and this match will surely be taken seriously by the coaching staff. That's a trend we've seen all season long, even against the weakest opponents. Expect Real Madrid to fight hard for the win, no matter who makes the starting lineup.</p>
<h4>Match Information</h4>
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<p><b>TV Information</b>: FOX Sports (United States), Sky Sports 3 (United Kingdom), Canal + Liga de Campeones 2 (Spain), <a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/match/1308001/basel-vs-real-madrid/" target="_blank">Others</a>.</p>
<p><b>Projected lineup</b>: Casillas, Arbeloa, Varane, Ramos, Coentrao, Kroos, Isco, James, Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema.</p>
<p><b>Prediction</b>: FC Basel 0-2 Real Madrid (Ronaldo, Benzema)</p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2014/11/25/7287339/fc-basel-vs-real-madrid-champions-league-tvLucas Navarrete2014-11-25T19:10:38+01:002014-11-25T19:10:38+01:00CA: "Our attacking players will be the same."
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<figcaption>Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Carlo Ancelotti and Raphael Varane spoke to the international media ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with FC Basel. </p> <p>In anticipation of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid's</a> group stage match against FC Basel tomorrow, <span>Carlo Ancelotti</span> and Raphael Varane answered reporters' questions.</p>
<p>Varane spoke to the media first, claiming tomorrow's match will be difficult because FC Basel finds itself in a must-win situation and will play for everything. According to the French defender, Real Madrid is motivated even though the club has already qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Finally, Varane acknowledged that he has a strong aerial game and consistently tries to take advantage of it both offensively and defensively.</p>
<p>Carlo Ancelotti then took to the mic, claiming his starting eleven won't look too different from the one that took the field against Eibar, but he's considering changing the fullbacks, citing fatigue as the reason. Without a healthy Luka Modric and <span>Sami Khedira</span>, Ancelotti sidestepped a question about Illaramendi and said Illara may see some minutes, but he's not sure how many and that what really matters is that Asier is no longer injured.</p>
<p>Ancelotti disclosed Khedira took a knock to the hip that prevented him from training over the last few days; therefore, the boss decided to leave him in Madrid to work on his recovery at Valdebebas. When asked about Chicharito, Carletto said the player maintains a positive demeanor despite not seeing many minutes, and that his lack of minutes is purely due to the fact that his preferred squad has been playing at a very high level. Carlo commended Isco on his work rate, sacrifice, and teamwork, and said he's playing very well at the moment.</p>
<p>The manager said his side's motivation comes from the fact that when things are going well, all the players want that feeling to continue and will therefore run hard, sacrifice, and play for the team in order to keep the streak going.</p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2014/11/25/7281987/real-madrid-fc-basel-champions-league-press-conferencePedro Cesca2014-11-25T10:51:11+01:002014-11-25T10:51:11+01:00Real's 20 men to face Basel
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<figcaption>Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Illarramendi back on the squad list</p> <p><span>Asier Illarramendi</span> is back on <a href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Real Madrid's</a> squad list while <span>Sami Khedira</span> has been left out. We do not know any more details about Khedira's absence, but he appeared to be ready to start Saturday's Liga BBVA match against Eibar. On the other hand, Pepe is out of the list as well.</p>
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<p><b>Goalkeepers</b>: Casillas, <span>Keylor Navas</span> and Pacheco.<br><b>Defenders</b>: Varane, Ramos, Coentrão, Marcelo, Carvajal, Arbeloa and Nacho.<br><b>Midfielders</b>: Kroos, James, Bale, Isco, Illarra, Medrán and Lucas Torró.<br><b>Strikers</b>: <span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span>, Benzema and Chicharito.</p>
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<p>Academy players Álvaro Medrán and Lucas Torró complete the squad list, although one of them will be ruled out Wednesday before the match.</p>
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https://www.managingmadrid.com/2014/11/25/7279843/real-madrid-squad-list-fc-baselLucas Navarrete