Valencia CF vs Real Zaragoza Match Preview

Valencia CF vs Real Zaragoza Match Preview

Stadium: Mestalla

Date: 29.09.2012; 16:00 CET

6th matchday, La Liga

Coaches: Mauricio Pellegrino and Manolo Jiménez

Valencia CF

Valencia CF finds itself it the bottom of the table after an unexpected and devastating loss last week at the hands of RCD Mallorca. Even though Mallorca is always a tough club to crack away, Valencia CF needed that win and needed to show off its League ambitions this season. Mallorca did its job though and they mostly sat back and defended in numbers, catching Valencia out on counter attacks and being really devastating with the few attacks they had, while Valencia players had no clue how to unlock a tightly packed and organized defense.

So out of 5 matches Valencia CF has only one win and that was against the newly promoted Celta Vigo and it wasn't very convincing either. We also drew at home against the newly promoted Deportivo La Coruna and even though it was expected to loose away to Barcelona, there was a hope we can get away with at least a point.

Valencia is also having an injury crisis and has had it since the start of the season basically and with news that Ricardo Costa is also injured now and will be out for a month, we are left with only two defenders and need to rely on B team member Delgado. Even Victor Ruiz was sick as he had some virus of sorts, though he is likely to start and play through it. Good news is that Fernando Gago has returned and that will give us some stability in midfield, although how fit is he likely to be is another questions. 

Valencia CF squad:

Goalkeepers: Diego Alves, Guaita.

Defenders: Joao Pereira, Barragán, Rami, Víctor Ruiz, Carlos Delgado, Cissokho.
Midfielders: Tino Costa, Gago, Parejo, Guardado, Bernat, Feghouli.
Forwards: Viera, Jonas, Valdez, Soldado.

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-4-2
Line-up: Guaita; Barragan, Rami, Ruiz, Cissokho; Feghuoli, Tino, Gago, Viera; Jonas, Soldado.
Tactics: High defensive line, all round pressure, mixed passing, wing attacks mostly.

Real Zaragoza

Real Zaragoza is coming to this match after a big win against Osasuna at home and they really needed that win as they were 3 looses and 1 win before that, so that last win against Osasuna put them several positions up to 12th place on the table. They've had a mixed start to the season loosing their first match at home to Real Valladolid, win against Espanyol and then two looses.

Last season Real Zaragoza finished in 16th position, barely within a point avoiding relegation and were saved in the last 4 matches as they went on a four matches winning streak beating Bilbao, Levante, Racing and Getafe to avoid relegation. This season is likely to be the same, and even harder as Deportivo and Celta have shown they are quite strong coming from second division. With that said Zaragoza are likely to sit back this match and defend against Valencia and hope they can catch us on the counter attack just as Mallorca did.

They are likely to start with the same squad that beat Osasuna 3-1, maybe in a more defensive formation. Some of their more known players are Hélder Postiga who so far has scored 2 goals for them and Romaric.
Zaragoza have so far in the competition scored 6 goals and conceded 9 so not really bad and not very significant at this early in the season to be able to draw conclusions about their defensive and offensive capabilities.

Real Zaragoza squad: Roberto, Leo Franco, Movilla, Paredes, Alvaro, N. Aranda, Edu Oriol, H. Postiga, Apoño, Montanes, N. Romaric, Jose Mari, Loovens, Stefan, Sapunaru, Zuculini, Abraham, Javi Alamo and Victor Rodriguez.

Technical Details Real Zaragoza (probable setups):
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Jimenez; Sapunaru, Abraham, Alvaro, Paredes; Apono, Romaric; Paco, Zuculini, Victor; Postiga.
Tactics: Low defensive line, own third pressure, counter attacks, mostly long passing.

Result Prediction:
Valencia CF 3-2 Real Zaragoza
Both sides have so far played fairly open football and while I expect Real Zaragoza to try and play defensively I can see Valencia CF scoring early with all the notion that this is a must win, so they team is going to start strong score early and the match will open up leading to more goals with both defenses leaky.

New injury troubles Ricardo Costa injured

Ricardo Costa Valencia CF

Well ladies and gentlemen it was bound to happen, just no one expected it this soon, but as if the situations wasn't bad enough with all the current injuries, it was reported today that Ricardo Costa is injured and will be out for a whole month.

This is particularly troubling since Adil Rami is suspended in the Champions League and Pellegrino is left with basically no options at the back, except calling up B team players.

Even Victor Ruiz was suspect with some virus, but he seems to be okay now and will be ready for Zaragoza.

This is another summer transfer window mistake that came around to bite us and now we are going to pay the price. We can only hope some of the B team players step up to the challenge and do good.

Valencia CF Wallpapers

Hey guys, this would be I believe the fifth batch of Valencia CF wallpapers in total since I started the initiative and its been decent, mostly I created the wallpapers, but I've had people send me as well.

I'm going to report the initiative here again and say that if you have already cool and not seen before Valencia CF wallpapers or have the skill and want to create new ones, then please do so and send them to me at slickr12345[at]yahoo[dot][com] so I will post them on the blog.

Right now I have two new wallpapers coming from "Domagoj Gemeri" or beter known as Gem_mhz. So thank you to him.

MSC Cruises extend sponsorship with Valencia

Valencia and cruising company MSC today extended the sponsorship agreement to additional two years, after a positive year. Valencia CF president Llorente said that the economic situation will get better and used MSC cruises as an example of the good business Valencia is doing.

MSC cruises CEO Emiliano Gonzalez explained that this renewal "once again reinforce our commitment to the sport and one of the best football teams Spanish league."

He said he was glad to be extending the collaboration with Valencia CF and that this agreement strengthens their to the sport and Valencia CF.

Fernando Gago recovered fully

Fernando Gago

Fernando Gago was given two weeks rest last week, but by all accounts he has already fully recovered and there are no side effects from his head injury. He did his final in door training yesterday and he will start training with the rest of the team from today.

This means he will be available for Valencia CF next match against Real Zaragoza and he comes as a big boost to the side, especially after recent results.

David Albelda still needs more time though and is not set to return for another two weeks. Ever Banega on the other hand is progressing nicely and should be ready in about a week time to start training normally and should be available for selection in less than a month.

Unai Emery thankful to Valencia CF

Unai Emery at Spartak Moscow

Former Valencia CF coach had nothing but good things to say about Valencia CF and his time spend there. He was interviewed by Russian international television RT(Russia Today). When asked how he felt that he left Valencia CF he said: "Valencia has given me a lot, I have no words of anger to anyone. I just feel grateful".

When asked about the time spend at Valencia he said: "We worked four years to meet important goals, I leave with my head held high and no one can complain that I have not done everything possible. I left after reaching 2 semifinals".

He said he was happy in Spartak Moscow and that his dream is to win a title.

His current side are currently sixth in the Russian premier league after nine matches played with 16 points, 5 bellow the leaders CSKA Moscow. Emery's side also played against Barcelona in the Champions League and almost won against Barca in a thrilling match that finished 3-2 in favor of Barcelona.

Nou Valencia wants to terminate Valencia CF foundation

Nou Valencia is calling for the resignation of Valencia CF president Manuel Llorente and for the termination of Valencia CF foundation. Seems they have asked the justice department in Spain to look into this and they've charged the Valencia CF foundation of manipulating shares and not following the contract.

If you remember Manuel Llorente went to court for this last year and actually won in court, but there was a challenge put to the court order, though since then we haven't really heard what ultimately happened.

Valencia CF Foundation three years ago obtained a loan of 75 million euros granted by Bankia and endorsed by the Government, which were used for acquisition of shares in the capital increase involving the club and the annual subscription of interests that are around five million euros.

What you need to know is that Nou Valencia is headed by Dalport, an investment company based in Uruguay, it is actually a Spanish front for investors including Sanchis, Julian Marco, Jorge Santiago Araoz and Vicente Soriano.

Levante-EMV article on Dalport and Valencia CF shares

They wanted to take over Valencia CF in 2010, or as they called it to "save it", but Valencia CF foundation wasn't on board, neither was Bankia convinced and they couldn't take over.

Who is better? Poll Results

I've set up a poll for everyone to decide who is better between Vicente Guaita and Diego Alves and after 3 days we have the results:

Who is better? (Poll Closed)

Diego Alves 26.92%  (14 votes) 

Vicente Guaita 30.77%  (16 votes) 

Both are equal 42.31%  (22 votes) 

Total Votes: 52

In the head to head battle Vicente Guaita won with 16 votes to 14, but most people (22) voted that both are equal.

RCD Mallorca 2-0 Valencia CF - comment

So I couldn't be bothered to wake up for this match, in fact I've tried, but went back to sleep again and thank god for that, apparently I missed a train wreck.

I've watched the highlights of it, for the first goal I blame Diego Alves, though Cissokho takes some responsibility for allowing the cross, he should have been more aggressive in his marking and prevent that cross. Rami made a huge mistake, he basically missed the ball and the player, essentially allowing one extra player and making it easier for Mallorca to score. This is what I'm talking about when I claim that Rami is bad and we should sell him.
Ruiz I feel reacted properly knowing its in the penalty area and if he'd reacted more aggressively he could have made a penalty, which from this point might even have been better.

So to to provide a perfect example of how my rating would have went, Diego would get a -1, Rami would get a -1, Cissokho -0.5.

The second goal it seemed was from counter attack as Arizmendi get on a loose ball or possibly a pass, shoots and scores, while we see Joao Pereira tracking him, but not fast enough. To me this is Diego Alves fault again, he was positioned wrongly. Its very hard to score from that position, not because its hard to shoot at the goal, but because a properly positioned goalkeeper would easily catch any shot.

Diego Alves was not properly positioned, he was too inward the goal and so he didn't cover the whole goal, this is goalkeeping 101.

So for another example of my rating, Alves would have gotten another -1 there, for a combined -2, which would put him at 3 rating, because everyone starts at 5 rating. Of course if he made few good saves likely the score would go up by 0.5 per good save.

But we can't despair. As far as I'm concerned this was mostly Diego's fault and of course Rami's fault for the first goal.Individual mistakes that can be corrected and if not, well we got Guaita who needed to start. Hey Pellegrino start Guaita. You need to start Guaita, his our best keeper and always was.

Also it seems Jonathan Viera played great, our biggest threat and I'm really glad he is coming along nicely and showing off his talent, we can really use someone like him and he can still improve. Before he came to Valencia CF I haven't seen games of him, I saw some video clips, read about him and checked his statistics and he seemed like a really great signing, but when I saw him in the friendly matches in the preseason I knew instantly we have a great talent on our hand. I mean his play was really a step beyond and above the rest of our team and even though it was friendlies it had a big competitive spirit in those games.

We also must keep calm about the coach as well. Remember he is having the toughest start in recent history with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and he is doing it with no defensive midfielders because they are all injured, without our best or second best player Ever Banega who is injured, as well as few other injuries. He lost Pablo Hernandez in the summer transfer window, not his fault, Piatti was injured and no competition on the right wing, Guardado didn't have the start and effect we all expected him to have and he deserves our support right now more than ever.

I mean maybe if in 10 matches we are in the bottom 10 still, we can push the red alert button and start panicking, but right now we must be supportive and if you are religious maybe hope and pray we can improve.

I see us on the long run doing way better, especially when Gago returns, and then when Banega and Canales return. We also must remember David Albelda is still not retired and he can help out, he has the experience and while not as fast as before he can still help us out. So we shouldn't discount him, he did play most of our matches last season ahead of Topal.

I also don't agree with Valencia CF president Manuel Llorente when he said at that press conference we must sell players and then list everyone. Way to go buddy boy, make everyone hysterical, reduce moral of the team, create a mess and ensure our future is in doubt.

Someone needs to tell him to calm the heck down. Even if we have to sell players, we can do it as we did with David Villa and Silva, pretend we don't want to sell them and like we don't need to and get as much as possible for them. Also we can sell one by one, we can lets say sell Soldado for 30 million and that would create a profit of 45 million euros per season. We are having 15 million profit at the end of the season for two seasons now and we are not that desperate.

The bank Bankia should fail already, I've heard they can sell the debt to another bank, but who is going to buy it? All of Spain is bankrupt, 20% unemployment, who would want a massive debt of a team that can't guarantee to pay it for a year, not to mention will need to pay it for at least 10 years? The only one that could buy it is government, which is also about 2 trillion euros in debt, but why would they do that, it would add to their debt and prolong Valencia CF suffering.

Maybe that is the problem in Spain! Maybe they need to wipe off the debt so they can have growth and investment again? If everyone is in debt and there is no way to liquidate the debt, then how can you have people spending and investing? So they just transfer the debt for years, from one bank to another, holding everyone hostage. Banks surviving off of government and European Union help just for the sake of it, they literally have no liquidity and are surviving off borrowed or given money.

RCD Mallorca vs Valencia CF Match Preview

Mallorca vs Valencia CF Match Preview

Stadium: Iberostar Stadium

Date: 23.09.2012; 12:00 CET

5th matchday, La Liga

Coaches: Joaquín Caparrós and Mauricio Pellegrino

RCD Mallorca

RCD Mallorca is coming to this match after an away draw with Osasuna, for some the toughest place for any team to play at and certainly that is proving true this season as well, though Mallorca did manage a draw which is significant. In fact Mallorca is on a very good start to the new season and after 4 matchdays are sitting at the 3rd position on the table with 8 points, level with Sevilla.

Last season Mallorca finished at respectable 8th place, coming very close on points to actually qualifying for the Europe League though not doing enough in the end. Mallorca has not been very consistent in the last couple of seasons, as at one point they finished 5th in 2009/10 and were on the bring on qualifying for the Champions League, just 1 point difference at the end, the next 2010/11 season they finished a low 17th place and barely avoiding relegation and the last season they've bounced back up finishing 8th place.

Joaquin Caparros has been with the team for less than one year now, but he has stabilized the team since their 17th place 2 years ago and has instilled some confidence in the players, making them an effective unit that doesn't concede many goals. He is an experienced coach, has coached many sides, including top teams like Sevilla and Atletico Bilbao with witch he had good success.

Some of their most recognizable players are Dudu Aouate, former Valencia CF player Javier Arizmendi and recent talent for them Tomas Pina. In fact there were reports that Valencia CF might be interested in Tomas Pina, though I think any such talks are premature and likely just wild speculation. 

RCD Mallorca squad: Aouate, Calatayud, Joao, Anderson, Pina, Antonio López, Pereira, NSue, Tomer, Javi Márquez, Geromel,  Bigas, Pep Lluis Martí,  Alfaro, Arizmendi, Kevin, Víctor and Ximo.

Technical Details RCD Mallorca (probable setups):
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Aouate; Ximo, Pedro, Anderson, Lopez; Javi Marquez, Pina; Nsue, Victor, Pereira; Hemed
Tactics: Low defensive line, own half pressure, counter attacks, mostly long passing, doubling down defense.

Valencia CF

Valencia CF on the other hand are coming to this match after a hard fought 2-1 win against Celta Vigo at home and then an away 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Right now Valencia CF is 11th on the table with only 5 points out of 4 matches, though at least now Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are behind us and we can focus on the upcoming matches and start gaining some points and winning of course.

Valencia CF coach Mauricio Pellegrino still has troubles with injuries as I've reported on my blog Fernando Gago will be out of the field for another two weeks as the doctors decided to keep it safe with him, while David Albelda, Jeremy Mathieu, Pablo Piatti still have some time to recover as well, Mathieu being the first to return sometime next week. Ever Banega will return to normal training this next month, though we are not going to see him in a match for at least another full month. Sergio Canales is even further down the line, probably about 2 months away from a recovery.

Valencia CF has been having problems primarily in the midfield with complete and utter lack of any control of possession. In fact against Bayern Munich Valencia CF barely had any possession for most of the match and lost a lot of balls in the middle, which is unacceptable and Mauricio Pellegrino called out the players on it, saying he wasn't pleased with the performance, but wasn't desperate and said the players and the team can improve in the coming matches. Nelson Valdez and Roberto Soldado also called the play bad and said called for the team to improve and start playing good.

Valencia CF is going to face Mallorca with the players being quite tired from the midweek match in the Champions League and we will likely see some changed to freshen up the team, although the options right now are limited as there is only Sofiane Feghuoli for the right wing, only Parejo and Alberto Tino Costa for central midfield, Cissokho only at the left back. The most likely change that will occur is probably Guaita for Diego Alves. I really though Guaita is going to start for the Champions League, but the fact the he didn't means he is very likely to start against Mallorca.

Valencia CF squad:
Goalkeepers: Diego Alves, Vicente Guaita.
Defense: Joao Pereira, Barragán, Rami, Víctor Ruiz, Ricardo Costa, Cissokho.
Midfield: Dani Parejo, Portu, Tino Costa, Viera, Guardado, Bernat, Feghouli.
Forward: Jonas, Valdez, Soldado.

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-4-2
Line-up: Guaita; Pereira, Rami, Costa, Cissokho; Feghuoli, Tino, Portu Viera; Jonas, Soldado.
Tactics: Medium defensive line, own third pressure, counter attacks, mixed passing, wing attacks mostly.

Result Prediction:
RCD Mallorca 0-1 Valencia CF
RCD Mallorca have been a low scorer this season, but last season as well and so not much has changed and its not likely to change now, while Valencia CF have also been low scorers this season so I don't expect a match with many goals, although you never really know. I think its probably going to be a tight match, especially since Valencia CF is coming after the Bayern match and aren't likely to play with high tempo.
The battle is probably going to be in the middle with few chances between the sides and Valencia CF just managing to score one goal and hold on the the lead and win.

Valencia CF interested in Vicente Iborra

Vicente Ibbora Levante

Valencia CF is seriosly interested in Levante's Vicente Iborra and Valencia CF sporting director Braulio was seen in the match between Levante and Helsingborg closely monitoring the player, though few other players as well.

I actually forwarded the idea of raiding some of the best players of Levante last season and was actually pretty sure we'd get at least one player from Levante, but it didn't pan out like that. Now Valencia CF staff is thinking along those same lines and Braulio and Llorente think Valencia CF can raid one or two of Levante's better players, right now Valencia CF is most interested in Vicente Iborra.

Vicente Iborra is a defensive midfielder, though he can play and often plays as central midfielder as well. Mostly though he is used as a defensive midfielder for Levante and he's had fairly good success, though he also often plays as a central midfielder. So it really depends, its important that he can play in two possitions very well.

He is also quite young at 24 years old and can obviously improve. I haven't seen many games of him, so I can't really comment if he is really good, though I'll try and keep a closer eye on him from now on and see if he is Valencia CF material.

Gago still injured, Banega to return soon

Fernando Gago Valencia CF

Well there is some bad news about Gago. He is going to be out of the field for at least 2 more weeks as the doctors staff want to give him time to fully recoup and do some more analysis as he has been complaining on some pain. Scans and analysis so far haven't found anything wrong with Gago, but they think he should get a good rest and not risk anything. Gago is going to be doing light training though and he is going to be monitored all the time.

Jeremy Matheu is still injured as well, but his return is expected within a week and he should probably be ready for next week match in La Liga.

Ever Banega is close to returning as well and doctors says that within a month. He can start training normally and play within 10 days, but he is not going to be rushed into a competitive match for at least a full month from now. Either way this is good news as it means late next month we may even see Banega start in some match.

Sergio Canales is also coming along nicely and is going to be ready within about a month as well, though after the last time when his injury returned, he is not going to be rushed and is probably the last one from the injured bunch that will start playing, but expect him to start a match until the end of this year.

Bankia breaks contract for Nou Mestalla with Valencia CF

Nou Mestalla stadium

Well sad new today in regards withe the new stadium Valencia CF was supposed to build and reached an agreement with Bankia last year to give them the old stadium and they finish the new stadium within 2 years and Valencia CF would still owe about 170 million dollars to the bank, which is a reduction. This contract won't happen as Bankia just broke it as they are in financial trouble and are basically not solvent as a bank with very little actual capital and liquidity.

But since Valencia CF actually owe Bankia the money, if Bankia goes bankrupt Valencia's debt will be fully erased. In fact if Spanish laws are similar to various international bankruptcy laws than all debt to the debtors is wiped, while the bank assets are sold to cover for the bank debt.

Valdez and Soldado: "we played bad"

Roberto Soldado vs Bayern Munich Champions League

Roberto Soldado and Nelson Haedo Valdez gave press conferences and both said that Valencia CF played bad and that they should have done a lot better.

Soldado said: "We played quite bad, especially in the first half and we did a lot of mistakes in the middle of the park, loosing too many balls." He then concentrated on the next match vs Mallorca and said: "Ahead of us is a tough match against Mallorca and we must be focused on that right now, I'm sure we have room to improve".

Nelson Haedo Valdez goal celebration vs Bayern Munich

He then went back to the Bayern Munich match and said: "Tonight was a special match for me as I played the 100th match as a Valencia CF player. I hope I will continue to play much more games in this dress".

Valdez said: "We respected Bayern Munich too much and we allowed them too much space and possession, when we should have played our own recognizable game. We also lost the ball too many times and against German teams that is inconceivable". Someone should inform Valdez that our game is what we played last night without Ever Banega or at least Gago in the team.

He also said: "Bayern Munich was a big favorite, but we should have played better, I know we can and we have room to improve and I'm sure we can be a lot better in the next matches".

About his goal Valdez said: "I'm happy I scored tonight, but I don't think I will become a starter now, not with Soldado and Jonas in good form, but I will continue working hard and using my chances".

Bayern Munich 2-1 Valencia CF Match Report

Well it was a classic in terms of history and tradition, Bayern Munich vs Valencia CF clashing for the first time since the Champions League final in 2000/01, that match finished in a 1–1 draw at regular time, but Bayern clinched their fourth title by winning 5–4 on penalties.

Andres Guardado Valencia CF champions league

The match tonight wasn't as interesting or as prestigious as in the past several years Valencia CF hasn't really been a top contender, while Bayern Munich have won many titles and reached the Champions League final last season. The expectations was that Bayern Munich will win and I predicted a result of 2-0 for Bayern, though it ultimately finished 2-1 and Bayern had a chance to score a goal from penalty in the last minute of extra time, but Mandzukic shot was poor and Diego Alves was able to save the goal.

Anyways the match started as one would expect with Bayern Munich dominating possession and proceedings, while Valencia CF was sitting back and defending, trying to get something going on the counter attack. Even though Bayern would have huge possession and were constantly attacking, they didn't really have any real chances. There were some weak shots here and there and few tries with through balls, but Valencia's defense stood secure.

On the counter attack Valencia CF weren't any better than Bayern, as any ball that came to Feghuoli or Guardado or Jonas was a wasted ball as all of these were too slow, too clumsy and most of the time instantly lost the ball. The central midfield didn't help either with both Tino Costa and Daniel Parejo making silly mistakes and giving the ball away numerous times, not to mention their inability to control possession at all.

The first goal would happen in the 38th minute and just to ilustrate how bad some of the forward play was, it was because of Jonas who's first touch was like a small boy who started playing football for the first time. I mean it couldn't have been worse, he literally gave the ball away at least 10 meters backward going in the path of Bayern players and they didn't have too much trouble forming a quick counter attack and ultimately Schweinsteiger scoring from the created opportunity by Jonas. Diego Alves was also a bit at fault here, his positioning was very poor and it is very hard to score from such an angle, so if Alves was positioned better he could have saved that shot.

After the goal Bayern Munich got even better as some of the pressure fell of their shoulders and they would come to have few decent chances, most of which were ruined by Pizzaro. I mean he was unexpected starter and actually reacted really bad in the few situations and chances he found himself.

At the start of the second half Ribbery was out and in came Thomas Müller for Bayern, possibly an injury for Ribbery, though he was very ineffective against Joan Pereira and I wouldn't be surprised if he was subbed for his rather ineffective performance.

Anyways the second half started as the first with Bayern dominating proceedings and Valencia CF mostly content to sit back and defend, though we started seeing Bayern slow down little bit and Valencia CF started to get back some control. There were few chances for Valencia CF in this period as Feghuoli would have a very good chance, Cissokho did provide few decent crosses and there were some attacks coming from Valencia CF, but it would be for nothing as Feghuoli not to be outdone in being bad by Jonas provided Toni Kroos with a pass basically and this one scored to make it 2-0 for Bayern Munich.

Bayern would start slowing down the match from here on and this gave Valencia CF more freedom in the midfield and in attack, although neither the wings, nor the center were creating any serious chances or dangers in front of goal.

When all seemed to be over Valdez scored a goal, a great header on a great cross by Viera and this gave Valencia CF some small hope, but that will almost instantly diminish as Rami fouled Robben in the penalty area, earned his second yellow card and automatic red.

Mandzukic would step up to take the penalty, but his shot was rather poor and Diego Valdez was able to save the goal. And this is basically when the match ended and the result is rather decent, I mean away against Bayern Munich its only 2-1, but the result doesn't tell the whole story, truth is the play was really poor and we essentially couldn't really create any decent chance, apart from the one where Feghuoli found himself in front of goal, but his shot was blocked and went into corner and then the goal that Valdez scored.

Technical Details:
FC Bayern (2): Neuer, Dante, Ribery (Muller, min. 46), Javi Martínez (Luiz Gustavo, min. 68), Robben, Pizarro (Mandzukic, min. 63), Boateng, Lahm, Badstuber, Schweinsteiger y Kroos.
Valencia CF (1): Diego Alves, Cissokho, Rami, Jonas (Valdez, min. 62), Feghouli, Soldado (Barragán, min. 85), Pereira, Guardado (Viera, min. 70), Ricardo Costa, Parejo y Tino Costa.
Goals: 1-0 Min. 37 Schweinsteiger 2-0 Min. 76 Kroos 2-1 Min. 90 Valdez.

Player Ratings:
Diego 6 - Mixed evening for Diego Alves. He was rather poor on crosses, in fact he is lucky he didn't concede a goal from such situations, could and should have done better for the first goal, had no chance for the second goal and did have few rather good saves, especially the penalty, even though the shot was poor, at least he guessed the side.
Pereira 6.5 - He had a very good match by my standards, didn't allow Ribbery to beat him and did well enough in attack the few times he went forward, more dangerous than Feghuoli.
Rami 4.5 - He had quite a good evening, in fact he made few interceptions and can't be blamed for any of the goals, but the red card and penalty he caused were bad and bring his score down.
R. Costa 7 - Very solid and secure, he defended great, stole several balls and made few tackles to stop Bayern attacks, not at fault for the goals as he was let down by basically the midfield and attack even.
Cissokho 6.5 - Very good game by Cissokho, solid at the back, barely allowed any space for Robben and Kroos and did help out immensely forward, providing few crosses, but lost his concentration towards the end and gave away few balls that could have resulted in goals.
Tino Costa 4 - Very poor game by Tino, lost the ball countless times and often in dangerous positions, his overall passing wasn't very accurate and while he did cover good at the back and run a lot, he failed to control possession and only had a small brake late in the second half when Bayern were 2-0 in the lead and started defending.
Parejo 4 - As Tino he too gave the ball too many times to even count, he couldn't string two passes together and his passing consisted of passing to Tino and back to the defense. Almost gave away a penalty as well, though at least he was decent in defense, but that is hardly an excuse.
Feghuoli 3.5 - Apart from one chance he had and failed to score from a rather good position he was useless and even enabled Bayern to score for a second time as he basically gave away the ball to Kroos who scored.
Jonas 4 - Invisible for the whole time, his only contribution was to Bayern for the first goal. Essentially he and Feghuoli defeated Valencia CF.
Guardado 5 - Invisible in attack, rushed one pass to R. Costa who was offside, when he could have shot or pass to someone else, but did really well in defense, he helped out Cissokho, but unfortunately that was his major contribution, helping out in defense.
Soldado 5.5 - Isolated for most of the match, lacked any service, though he was helping out in defense, won some challenges and fouls to give Valencia CF some position and was fairly dangerous for the lack of service.
Subs:
Valdez 6.5 - Ran like hell after coming on, didn't stop running and was trying to get involved in everything and it payed off as he scored a goal with a header on an assist by Viera.
Viera 6 - Didn't have much time and didn't get much ball time, but class with every move and showed his class by providing a great assist for Valdez.
Barragan N/A - not enough time

Bayern Munich vs Valencia CF Match Preview

Bayern Munich vs Valencia CF Match Preview

Stadium: Allianz Arena

Date: 19.09.2012; 20:45 CET

1st matchday, Champions League

Coaches: Jupp Heynckes and Mauricio Pellegrino

FC Bayern Munich

What can be said or written about FC Bayern Munich that isn't already known? Bayern Munich is the most successful football club in the history of German football, they have won more trophy's domestically and internationally than any other German club and are one of the most successful clubs in Europe and the world as well. Bayern Munich have won 22 national titles and 15 cups, 5 DFL supercups of the newer competitions and 4 champion league titles, the most recent one interestingly in 2001 when they actually beat Valencia CF on penalties and went on to lift the champions league trophy. Bayern Munich played in the final of the Champions League two years before actually, but lost in the final minutes of the match to Manchester United after basically leading the whole match 1-0. Interestingly enough Valencia CF played two consecutive times in the final, first against Real Madrid and then against Bayern Munich and lost both times.

More recently Bayern Munich played in the final of the Champions League last season where they were beaten by Chelsea on penalties no less. Of course now they have lost two times in the final of the Champions League to English teams, no less in the Allianz Arena which hosted the Champions League final last season.

Bayern Munich also finished second in the Bundesliga as well as the DFB Pokal final, both times loosing to Borusia Dortmund. 

Bayern Munich are actually the favorites to win the Champions League this year as well, along with the likes of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. The path is going to be difficult though and even though on paper they have an even stronger team that last season, the competition is even fiercer than last year and there are some dark horses that may surprise like Juventus and Manchester City and even Borusia Dortmund, although the last two are in the group of death so tough luck for them. Bayern Munich are in an easier group with us of course, French Lille and Belarus Bate Borisov.

In the German Bundesliga Bayern Munich are currently first with three wins out of three games and are on a good path, at least a very promising start to win the domestic league. Their record is 12 goals scored and only two conceded, though the competition so far hasn't been tough and they are yet to play with some of the  top clubs where we'll see how they do. Either way they are favorites for the domestic title as well and certainly after two years abstinence are likely to bring it home as rarely have they not won the title for more than two years.

Mario Mandzukic and Thomas Muller have been in great form so far, both scoring 3 goals each, while Bayern brought Javi Martinez this summer transfer window from Athletic Bilbao for a staggering 40 million euros, basically matching his release clause and being able to snatch him from Bilbao, but the player did took a serious pay cut in order to facilitate the transfer. Lets just say Bayern Munich are breeming with top talent right now and have such squad depth, they truly are top club in Europe right now with few names who often sit on the bench as Xherdan Shaqiri the new arrival, Luiz Gustavo, Toni Croos and so on... Of course lets not forget the ones that are regulars like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Müller, Philip Lahm, Franck Ribbery and Ajren Robben.

Bayern Munich squad: to be announced...

Technical Details FC Bayern Munich (probable setups):
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Neuer; Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Dante; Schweinsteiger, Luis Gustavo; Shaqiri, Muller, Ribbery; Mandzukic.
Tactics: High defensive line, own half pressure, keep possession, mostly short circular passing, spreading the ball to the wings, cut inside the penalty area from the wings.

Valencia CF

Valencia CF on the other hand isn't as decorated as Bayern Munich and certainly isn't the most successful club in Spain, but it is the third most successful club in Spain and while Valencia CF has never won the Champions League it came really close twice, the last time actually against none other than Bayern Munich when they lost on penalties. Valencia CF also reached the final the previous season, but lost to Real Madrid 3-0 actually. I'd say from 1999 to 2003 was the most successful period in Valencia CF history with one of the best squads of the century. Certainly players from those years have been officially reckognized by Uefa in their team of the year, and some even for team of the century. You can search it on my blog and found the article on it, I covered it.

Unfortunately since 2001 we haven't really even been close to reaching the Champions League finals again, in fact it went pretty bad for Valencia CF after 2003 with sporting wise not going great and financially going even worse. Ultimately after few administration changes, after few key sells of top players we are back in the game and for the past 3 consecutive years have been qualifying for the Champions League automatically by finishing 3rd in the Spanish league. Just playing the in the groups stages has brought Valencia CF great financial benefits and two years ago for the first time in god knows how long Valencia CF actually had a profit of 16 million euros and has been in the positive ever since. But just playing in the group stages isn't cutting it anymore, heck even round of 16 isn't going to cut it anymore and Valencia CF must look into going further in the Champions League, not just for financial reasons, but for prestigious reasons and fans reasons. There hasn't been any major trophy for so long and even a semi-decent cup win in 2007 isn't going to cut it.

Right now there are absolutely no stars in the team, one could argue Soldado being a star, but I doubt it and so its more about the collective than anything else. Unai Emery is of course gone and went on to coach Spartak Moscow who did qualify for the Champions League and it would be pretty ridiculous if Emery managed to go further with Spartak Moscow than he went with Valencia CF or even what Valencia CF will do this year. Anyways we have a new coach in Mauricio Pellegrino who was part of the squad that played in both Champions League finals, so he has huge experience as a player in this competition having played twice in the final. I also believe he is part of the dream team of the decade if I'm not mistaken.

Our current players though don't have such experience, in fact most of them will play in this competition for the first time in their careers, as most are young and come from lower clubs. Some have played, but barely and some of most experienced are Soldado, jonas, Tino, Rami, Mathieu and Cissokho.

Valencia CF squad:
Goalkeepers: Diego Alves, Vicent Guaita, Felipe Ramos.
Defenders: Joao Pereira, Barragán, Rami, Víctor Ruiz, Ricardo Costa, Carlos Delgado, Cissokho.
Midfielders: Dani Parejo, Portu, Tino Costa, Viera, Guardado, Bernat, Feghouli.
Forwards: Jonas, Valdez, Soldado.

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-3-3
Line-up: Guaita; Pereira, Rami, Ruiz, Cissokho; Tino, Parejo, Portu; Guardado, Soldado, Feghuoli.
Tactics: Low defensive line, own third pressure, counter attacks, mostly long wide passing, wing attacks mostly.

Match Prediction:
FC Bayern Munich 2-0 Valencia CF
Bayern Munich is going to win this easily, they play at home, they are in the best form possible, they have huge depth and talent and Valencia CF on the other hand is with several key injuries, including Gago and Albelda who can play as a defensive midfielders, so right now we have no defensive midfielder and a duo of Tino and Parejo that can't control possession even against Celta Vigo. I don't see any way how we can manage a draw, Bayern have very quick wingers and some strong and physical players to get in the penalty area and cause havoc.

Valencia squad to travel to Bayern Munich

Mauricio Pellegrino released the list of 20 players that will travel to Munich and face Bayern Munich in the Champions League this Wednesday. Absent from the list are Mathieu, Piatti, Banega, Albelda, Canales and Gago, who I hoped will be ready, since out midfield is really bad with Parejo.

Pelegrino called up three B team players to fill up the gaps, though its unlikely anyone of them will get a chance.

Valencia CF squad:
Goalkeepers: Diego Alves, Vicent Guaita, Felipe Ramos.
Defenders: Joao Pereira, Barragán, Rami, Víctor Ruiz, Ricardo Costa, Carlos Delgado, Cissokho.
Midfielders: Dani Parejo, Portu, Tino Costa, Viera, Guardado, Bernat, Feghouli.
Forwards: Jonas, Valdez, Soldado.

I've set up a Champions League Fantasy Football league. Click the link to join, http://en.uclfantasy.uefa.com/UEFA/15804/userentry.do?privateCodefromMinileague=584265-431055&privateC=true

Valencia CF 2-1 Celta Vigo Match Report

Valencia CF recorded its first win in the Spanish league against Celta Vigo with a result of 2-1. It was supposed to be a regular and secure victory, but Valencia CF barely escaped with the win.

Valencia CF coach Mauricio Pellegrino had some troubles in choosing the squad for this match as few players were injured, few were returning from their national teams where they played and there was a lack of a defensive midfielder. Knowing what happened last time when Parejo and Tino Costa played it was a risk to pair them both again, but the only alternative being Portu from the B team, Mauricio Pellegrino decided to field Parejo and Tino Costa at the midfield. He also gave Joao Pereira and Andres Guardado rests, while he retained Soldado and Jonas in attack and the pair of Rami and Ruiz at the back, with Jonathan Viera starting on the right wing.

The midfield operated much as anyone expected with big frailties, many mistakes in the passing and some chaotic last ditch tackles to subdue the Celta Vigo attacks. You only have to look at the ball possession to know the full story, as Valencia CF the last time I saw the ball possession statistics Valencia CF were with 48% ball possession, to 52% ball possession of Celta Vigo. Knowing that Celta Vigo is likely to fight to avoid relegation this season, we really made them look like a top team in that regard.

The flanks though were much more dangerous this time around and Viera almost immediately showed his talents by providing a great assist to Feghuoli who scored the first goal. I've said it many times, but I'll say it again Viera is pure raw talent with great vision and instincts. Feghuoli also showed good composure in front of goal and unlike in some of the previous matches was dead accurate this time around.

Celta Vigo would return the favor soon though as what would have otherwise been a non event, Diego Alves decided to basically gift them a goal to make the match more interesting. I mean he was out of position, missed the ball completely and the goal was empty for Krohn-Dehli to score. Cissokho was also partially to blame as he was slow to close down, but this shouldn't have been a goal if Diego Alves reacted in the right way.

Anyways most of the battle from then on would be in the attacking third of both teams with Celta Vigo actually having the initiative since Valencia CF couldn't control the middle and allowed to be pressured deep in its own half. Luckilly the defense was quite solid and dealt with the attack quite well.

On the other side Jonas was quite inactive with having made barely any play and for the most part being anonymous. Soldado was the more active and was involved in the play often, having several runs, few shots on and off goal and providing few crosses and passes himself.

On the wings Feghuoli was more active than in previous match and Barragan gave him huge support, going forward on every occasion. Viera on the other side was also very dangerous with few piercing passes and some shots as well. Cissokho also doubled down on the left side nicely, providing few decent crosses and beating his marker numerous times. Cissokho would also score the winning goal for Valencia CF in the second half with a powerful header after a free kick by Tino Costa.

Jonas became more visible in the second half, linking up with Soldado and Viera few times, having even one decent chance on goal, but this wasn't his game and was rightfully replaced early by Valdez. Unfortunately Valdez didn't improve over Jonas and while he ran more than Jonas, he had some suspect moments on the ball.

Overall Celta Vigo did attack more and had more ball possession, but they didn't threaten Alves too seriously and apart from few quite dangerous shots that went off goal, Alves actually had very little to do.

Ultimately it was unconvincing play by Valencia CF with only parts of the team working at a given time and the team feeling like its in the early building stages, when it shouldn't feel like that because most of the players have been here for over a year. There were some positives in defense, but then again some negatives as well, some positives in attack, but also some negatives. For example Soldado was quite engaged and had several runs on goal, but he actually missed two decent chances and could have done better, in fact he should have scored at least once. Jonas was absent this time and barely touched the ball.

Technical Details:

Valencia CF (2): Alves; Barragán, Rami, V. Ruiz, Cissokho; Feghouli, Tino Costa, Parejo, Viera (Joao Pereira, min. 77);  Jonas (Valdez, min. 66) y Soldado (Ricardo Costa, min. 93).
RC Celta Vigo (1): Javi Varas; Hugo Mallo, Cabral, Túñez, R. Lago; Álex López, Borja Oubiña; Augusto (Bermejo, min. 71), Natxo Insa (Quique de Lucas, min. 61),  Krohn-Dehli; Iago Aspas (Park, min. 71).
Goals: 1-0, 4min Feghouli; 1-1, 15min Krohn-Dehli; 2-1, 49min Cissokho.

Player Ratings:
Diego 4.5 - At fault for the goal, apart from that didn't have much to do, but was reacted nice on few shots.
Barragan 6 - Bombarded forward at every possibility, albeit leaving his flank empty few times, though didn't have trouble dealing with Celta attackers.
Rami 6.5 - Assured performance at the center of defense, actually used his strength to throw few players out of play and generally stable performance.
Ruiz 6 - Assured performance as well, maybe half a point weaker than Rami, but did well and covered nicely few times for Cissokho.
Cissokho 7 - For the most part positive performance, could have reacted better closing down for the goal and was suspect once or twice more, but did have some great interventions as well.
Tino Costa 6 - Provided the assist for the Cissokho goal, some decent ball passing and closed down fast in the middle, but the lack of ball possession hurt him.
Parejo 4.5 - Did somewhat decent in a defensive fashion, but he also gave away the ball few too many times and did provide space for the Celta midfield to put pressure on goal.
Feghuoli 6.5 - Improved over the past matches, scored a goal and was more dangerous, but still lacks that penetrative ability.
Jonas 5.5 - Invisible for most of the match, improved a little in the second half and tried few passes and shots, but they were ineffective and substituted early for Valdez.
Viera 7 - I liked his performance, he provided the assist for the first goal, it was amazing pass to find Feghuoli alone on goal. He was consistently active and dangerous, going numerous times in the penalty area, having few shots and provided some good piercing passes. Went on occasions out of play and obviously needs more playing time if he is to improve and become even better.
Soldado 6.5 - Very dangerous, very active, had several runs on goal, few shoots and was involved in the build-up play and wing play often. Too bad he couldn't score a goal.
Subs:
Valdez 5.5 - Not an improvement over Jonas and lost few balls trying to dribble or pass, quite clumsy on the ball, though he ran more and even covered defensively.
Joao Pereira N/A - not enough time
Ricardo Costa N/A - not enough time

Valencia CF vs Celta Vigo Match Preview

Valencia CF vs Celta Vigo

Stadium: Mestalla

Date: 15.09.2012; 18:00 CET

4th matchday, La Liga

Coaches: Mauricio Pellegrino and Paco Herrera

Valencia CF

Valencia CF is coming to this match after a loss to Barcelona and with only 2 points from three played matches. Just as a reminder Valencia CF went to a great start to the season with a draw against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, but then stumbled at the Mestalla against Deportivo, against who we dropped a 2 goals lead in the first half and only managed a draw, before loosing, albeit some would say unfairly to Barcelona, with one very suspect decision by the linesman disallowing a clear goal as offside.

Anyways we can't dwell on a refereeing decision and live in the past so we must look towards out next match which is against Celta Vigo and Valencia must look to win, its that simple. We are now over the two biggest obstacles in the league in Real Madrid and Barcelona and at their stadiums nonetheless, but tomorrow is a must win situation before things get messy, at the least.

Celta Vigo is going to be a tough opponent that's for sure and with Valencia experiencing trouble with injuries its probably going to spell another partnership between Tino Costa and Daniel Parejo in the middle of the park. We all know what happened last time when the pair played together, so this is a major concern for tomorrows game. David Albelda got injured earlier and will be out for about a month, so our only pure defensive midfielder in injured and out for a month and the second player that could play as a defensive midfielder decently Gago, well he got injured as well in his last match for Argentina, after an opposing player fell on his head. Also injured are Jeremy Mathieu and Pablo Piatti.

Mauricio Pellegrino called up Portu and Gaya from the B team, Portu is a defensive midfielder, while Gaya is a left back or a left wing. Its difficult predicting what the coach is going to do, since he is so new and I know I would have trouble choosing the midfield duo after the disastrous result last time, but I mean is a B team player better than Parejo? I really feel for Pellegrino, he is already under pressure and the Spanish Valencia fans aren't known for being patient. I mean he didn't get a pure defensive midfielder in the summer transfer window, he only has 3 defenders and Pablo Hernandez left in the last days of the transfer window. As if that wasn't enough the main back-up for the right wing Piatti got injured and will be out for at least a month.

Whatever the case may be though everyone will be expecting a win tomorrow and nothing less. I expect a win, you expect a win and realistically so, as Valencia CF has quality and our attack has been very potent between Jonas and Soldado, Valdez seems very energetic when he's on the terrain. The problem though is both the wings haven't fired up yet, Feghuoli is a shadow from last season and Guarado hasn't shown even a glimpse from his Deportivo form, so they need to step up their game immensely at this point. 

The midfield without Albelda and Gago is a problem as well, and as I've said its going to be a problem for Pellegrino to choose. Celta Vigo isn't known for their midfield prowess or close, but neither were Deportivo and they looked like a top team playing against us in that second half.

Valencia CF squad:

Goalkeepers: Diego Alves, Guaita.
Defenders: Barragán, Rami, Víctor Ruiz, Ricardo Costa, Cissokho, Pereira.
Midfielders: Dani Parejo, Tino Costa, Gayá, Portu, Bernat, Guardado, Feghouli, Viera.
Forwards: Valdez, Jonas i Soldado.

Celta Vigo

Celta Vigo on the other hand come after a home win against Osasuna. This was an important win for Celta Vigo as it had two defeats previously at the hands of Malaga and Real Sociedad and win the last match win they are now 13th on the table. Celta Vigo is likely to fight to avoid relegation this season and as such they are going to be looking at getting a point from the match against Valencia CF.

Celta Vigo are coming from the second division after they've finished second last season behind Deportivo La Coruna. They are coming to the first division after a long pause, basically since 2006/7 when they were knocked down to the second division.

One of their better known players is Hugo Mallo who's been linked with Valencia CF on several occasions, especially last season, but this season as well. Other than that, there is Javi Varas the goalkeeper who is on loan at Celta from Sevilla.

Celta Vigo squad: to be announced...

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Diego; Pereira, Rami, Ruiz, Cissokho; Parejo, Tino Costa; Feghuoli, Jonas, Guardado; Soldado.
Tactics: High defensive line, own half pressure, counterattacking, mostly short wide passing, deep laying central midfield.

Results Prediction:
Valencia CF 2-0 Celta Vigo
There are no more excuses left and Valencia CF must win against Celta Vigo. Mauricio Pellegrino is already under pressure and anything but win will surely start the alarm bells for many. He also knows what to expect from the players by now and knows them well enough to be able to make smarter decision so I'm expecting a regular win tomorrow that shouldn't have any surprises.

Interview with Corey from realmadridfootballblog

Hey everyone, I've interviewed Corey from www.realmadridfootballblog.com and he is a Real Madrid supporter for about 12 years. He is also the creator of the website above and along with few other people write primarily reports and editorials about Real Madrid.

• How long have you been a supporter of Real Madrid and what prompted you to become one?
I have been a supporter for twelve years now, and what prompted me to be a supporter is a combination of the first ever live soccer game I saw on television between Real Madrid and Valencia in the Champions League final, and the first soccer game I got for the Playstation, FIFA 2002 where I chose Real Madrid to play as because I saw that game. As an impressionable 12 year old I was quite taken with the white uniforms, star players and huge stadium. As I got a little older I started my research on the club and after reading as much as I could it further cemented that I was a Madridista. I started blogging about Real Madrid five years, which is a whole other story.

• Are you a fan of any other clubs?
I enjoy teams that play the brand of football I subscribe too. Borussia Dortmund and Lyon have always had a soft spot in my heart as they were both strong and attractive clubs right around the time I became a supporter of Real Madrid. Luckily Dortmund has returned to that tradition, while Lyon is in a transitional phase. It is interesting because Lyon in the 2000s looked like Dortmund in the 1990s, so with the resurgence of Dortmund due to sound financial management and a focus on the youth team, Lyon may surprise people again in a few years.

• How long have you been writing about Real Madrid?
Five years, first at the Offside (now defunct) before it was bought up by a sports blog conglomerate. I launch Real Madrid Football Blog a year and a half ago and I think it has been a great success and a whole lot of fun

• Last season Real Madrid won the Spanish League after a noteworthy pause, what was your reaction and what do you think were the key reasons for it?
My first reaction was one of joy, as it had been a frustrating drought, especially when the title goes to Barcelona. My second reaction, as most Madridista’s probably had, was to think of La Decima. Finally, I settled on the fact that Mourinho’s tenure has been stable, has produced titles, and is slowly but surely giving chances to academy players, while making necessary but not totally extravagant signings. Overall I am satisfied, but once we get more youth team players in the squad and reach La Decima I will be overjoyed.

• Real Madrid had a rather bad start to the season, with only 1 point out of 2 matches, though after the Super Cup win they seem to have bounced up. Was this just a rare temporary hiccup or are there more deep underlying problems?
I watched both games, and the Valencia game was close and a point given the difficult rival and the newness of the season seemed fine. The Getafe lose was tough to stomach, but they always ride us close at their stadium, and the team looked a little short on ideas. Mourinho’s substitutions did not help, but it happens. We did not start last season well either but we recovered. I would rather hammer out the kinks now than when the Champions League group stage begins and we have two tough games per week.

• How does this season’s Real Madrid team compare to last season’s and what are the key differences?
The key difference is Modric, but the Ronaldo drama may prove otherwise. Loosing Granero was a bit of a blow, and if Modric is used further forward there is still the issue of giving rest to Xabi Alonso. The defence looks settled, as does the rest of the team, but Mourinho seems to think the creativity of Ozil can often be subdued in certain types of games so he has another type of player to help with the heavy load. I think the team is stronger, but I would have liked to have kept Carvajal as backup to Arbeloa, who is an obvious weak spot, and hopefully Morata, Nacho and Alex will see some time.

• Kaka and more recently Cristiano Ronaldo seem to have some problems with the club, what would you say the reasons for this are and what are the solutions?
I think in Kaka’s case, his body never recovered from his knee injuries in the same way Ronaldo Fenomeno never fully recovered his physical prowess after his multiple knee injuries. Ronaldo Fenomeno was able to still be productive for a few more seasons, but in Kaka’s instance, he came in to a difficult situation where he was not the main player the team was built around, nor was he a guaranteed starter. To me he has failed to psychologically get passed this, and his performances have wavered between tolerable and awful. It is not easy when your coach is not 100% behind you and the fans get on you, but his flirting with moves away has not helped. I never saw the need for both Kaka and Cristiano, so if we were to offload Kaka it would not bother me.

Cristiano’s situation is odd, but I do think he will get the pay increase he wants and surely warrants. Not sure what the wait is, but there is some deception from the agent at hand I am sure, and the complicated nature of his contract may be hard to sort out, much like how Kaka’s move to Milan was not feasible due to tax concerns. It is obvious Cristiano is the most important member of the team, so give him what he wants.

• Real Madrid has two great strikers in Benzema and Higuain, who would you say should be the starter?
Higuain, as he has proven time and again he can get the job done, but there are situations where Benzema’s movement off the ball and link up with others is more useful. His finishing is still not what it should be, but the nice thing is that there is truly room for both.

• Do you think RM sold/released too many players this transfer season and lack depth now and what are the alternatives to Ronaldo, Ozil, Xabi and Arbeloa?
I was hoping they would hold on to Granero, and moving Lass to Anzhi and bringing in Essien seems like a downgrade to me. Carvalho is technically out of the picture as well, while as I said earlier, Carvajal could have been a real asset. Arbeloa’s alternative looks to be Nacho, while Ozil will share time with Modric, and hopefully Modric fills in for Xabi as well. Ronaldo does not really need an alternative, but using Benzema or Di Maria there is adequate coverage. More will be expected from Callejon if that situation arises. Not sure where Essien fits in given Khedira is a much better player at this point in their respective careers, and Kaka is an outsider as well.

• Who would you say is Real Madrid’s most influential player and the weakest player?
Our weakest player is probably Arbeloa, but he is a hell of a competitor and really boosts team morale being as vocal as he is. Pepe’s penchant for full blooded challenges makes him a weakness as well, while I do think Xabi’s powers are declining and that is of concern. The most influential player has to be Cristiano, but Xabi makes the team tick so he should be considered influential and Saint Iker is a living legend at this point.

• Who is going to be Real Madrid’s key player this season?
Tough to say given the early season issues with Ronaldo. I would like to see more starts and goals out of both Higuain and Di Maria, while Sergio Ramos continues to be a rock at the back.

• What would you say are the strengths and weaknesses of your team this season?
Strength wise the attack is just as sharp and the addition of Modric adds another dimension. A weakness would be the lack of variation in central midfielder amongst the players, and the right back situation is tricky, while Albiol does not instill confidence as a backup anymore.

• Any young players to watch out for that could be on a “break-out year”?
Morata is practically a first team player at this point so he could have a break out year, while Nacho is fourth choice center back at this point. If the situation arises, several Castilla players could get call ups to fill out the squad, but I think Jese has star power along with Morata. I would hope Raul De Tomas and Jose Rodriguez get some time training with the first team as they both look like tidy players.

• Can Real Madrid win this season’s Champions League, what would be the biggest obstacles in doing so and what about the Spanish cup?
I think that give the group we have drawn, it will be very difficult. But if Real can survive the group, they should be mentally prepared to go all the way. The beauty of the Champions League is that you face the best teams of Europe on the way to becoming champion. That has not always been the case, but this year that is how Real Madrid will start its campaign. The Spanish Cup I think will once again become a low priority, and I would like to see some Castilla players get time in these games once again. But it is a trophy up for grabs and will not be taken to lightly!

• How good do you think Valencia will do this season? Is it feasible to think that Valencia could win the Spanish championship or at least challenge Barcelona and Real Madrid?
It depends how you view ‘challenging’ Real and Barcelona. I have plenty of doubts about Pellegrino, who has very little experience, but Valencia has a good squad and played both Barca and Real close early in the season. Valencia usually has trouble keeping pace through the winter months, and with a Champions League campaign to also consider, I fear the same will happen again. The squad is deep as usual, but often the depth is not trusted.

• What do you think are Valencia’s strengths and weaknesses?
Depth is certainly one, and they have quality in all of their lines. Victor Ruiz has improved since joining from Napoli and I expect a national team spot for him soon. Rami is physically strong but also error prone, while the midfield and forward lines are of high quality. There are several players to name, but Soldado, Feghouli and Jonas certainly stand out, while Banega returning will be a big boost. I do not rate Fernando Gago at all, but he may be an upgrade over the aging Albelda, and Guardado will cover his flank well.

In terms of a weakness I would say the full backs, particularly Mathieu and Cissokho on the left are prone to errors and questionable attitude, probably why Guardado was required as he will shield them well. However Joao Perreria looks to be a very solid player on the right, a huge upgrade over Miguel and Bruno from seasons past.

• Who do you think will win the Champions League and Europa League this season?
The Champions League to me will be between Real Madrid and Juventus. I think Barcelona will come up a little short given Tito Villanova’s lack of experience here, although in the league Barcelona will be stronger than last year. Juventus looks incredibly strong this season even without their head coach being able to sit on the bench, while a dark horse could be Bayern Munich as they always do well in this competition.

The Europa League is impossible to predict and I cannot with certainty say who would win it, but I would say there are some teams with great pedigree like Lyon, Inter Milan, Sporting and PSV that have done well in the competition before. Besides that group, Anzhi, Napoli, and last year’s finalists Atletico and Athletic will be in the mix as well, and although I do not rate them, Liverpool are a big side for this competition. With so many teams in the mix you would be wise to wait until the first knockout round to pick a winner, its just to unpredictable.

I'd like to thank Corey again for taking the time to answer my questions, I really apreciate it and once again you can find Corey's articles about Real Madrid at www.realmadridfootballblog.com

Champions League fantasy football

I've set up a league for Fantasy Football. Click the link to join, or enter the code: 584265-431055 http://en.uclfantasy.uefa.com/UEFA/15804/userentry.do?privateCodefromMinileague=584265-431055&privateC=true

Also David Albelda got injured two days ago in a training session and he's been ruled out now for at least 3 weeks, probably a month.

Fernando Gago who got injured in the match against Peru though he is fine as his injuries have been ruled minor and there doesn't seem to be any lasting issue. He will probably miss the match against Celta though, as he was kept in hospitals for 12 hours and then had two more analysis in different hospitals.

I think there is time for him to return and feature for Valencia CF, but the doctors want him to see a neurologist, so he will likely miss the match. Hopefully we'll have him for the Champions League match, as right now apart from Gago, who isn't even a DM, but at least has some defensive skills, we have no real DM. Pellegrinho may try and play Victor Ruiz there as he has shows he has some good passing skills and he can tackle great, though we'll see what the coach decides.

Valencia CF players on national duty

Last night all of the World Cup qualifiers were played and Valencia CF had several players called to their national teams.

Portugal won against Azerbaijan and Joao Pereira stared and played the full 90 minutes in the game. Judging from the ratings he had a poor game once again, just like in the previous game against Luxemburg. I didn't see any of the games, but if that is the case, he needs to improve his game. Ricardo Costa didn't feature.

Diego Alves started once again on goal for Brazil against China and had a good game, albeit with not much work, but he kept a clean sheet twice. Jonas came in as a sun for Neymar and had a fairly decent game, though he clearly lacks understanding with his team mates.

As I reported yesterday Roberto Soldado started for Spain and played for the whole match, scoring the one and only goal for Spain in the 86th minute. He wasn't very noticeable before that, but was always surrounded by defenders and Georgia defended with 10 men.

Adil Rami didn't start for France and as I've told you in the last report about this, he has likely lost his place or at least in the process of doing so. Some not so stellar performance for France in the European Cup, some outright bad performances for Spain and he has found himself warming the bench. He needs to improve his game immensely or he may also be on the way out of Valencia CF as well.

Fernando Gago played about 50 minutes for Argentina and had a good match, but he seemed to be injured when an opposing player fell on his head and he was rushed to the hospital, but it seems the injury is not severe and after a day or two of rest he should be fine.

Andres Guardado started the both matches for Mexico, both of which Mexico won. He also provided an assist in the first match. Wasn't as proficient in the second match.