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9th of April 2008

Primera Liga - Game 32: Cartagonova v Real Madrid

“… Cartagonova moved a step closer to securing a second consecutive league championship when they triumphed 3-2 over Real Madrid in an entertaining game at the Estádio Municipál de Cartagena this evening. Slack Real Madrid defending and superb finishing from Cartagonova’s master marksman, Alex Notman, helped the defending champion to race to 2-0 by 33 minutes as the Scottish international scored twice in the space of eight minutes. The first goal was created by the industry of George Clegg, who picked up the ball when Notman was tackled, held it long enough for Notman to recover, then fed him with a perfect ball that Notman crashed past a despairing Iker Casillas. Eight minutes later, Michel and Garrido combined to set up Notman, and he did the rest expertly, cushioning his header perfectly to evade the dive of Casillas.

“Real Madrid, stunned, looked to hit back just before the break, but Sabino, back on his old ground, could only hit the bar on the stroke of half-time, and Cartagonova looked the far happier team entering the break. But Real Madrid aren’t about to give up the fight for this title quite so easily, and when Ronaldinho picked off Vidal’s poor clearance on 63 minutes, Pablo Aimar gave his side a sniff of getting back into the game with an excellent 25 yard finish past the stricken Spanish international keeper. Four minutes later, it was Notman’s turn to hit the bar when played through by Redondo. Real Madrid took confidence from Aimar’s goal, and they almost had their equaliser on 72 minutes when substitute, Rubén Navarro had a superb shot saved wonderfully by Vidal. Five minutes later, though, and Real Madrid were level thanks to Olivera, who was set up magnificently by Aimar. But Cartagonova had the last laugh when substitute Juan Hernández scored the eighth goal of his season to seal victory and put a nine point gap between Cartagonova and the rest of the chasing pack…”

Well, it certainly was an entertaining game, and if it wasn’t for Hernández we may not have had the reward that our play in the first half said that we deserved. But all credit to Real Madrid, who fought out the game well. Aimar was a midfield playmaker of the highest calibre during the game, and if his teammates could have played like him, then we would really have been in trouble. The game was certainly one of those clichéd ‘six pointers’, because if we had lost it, we would only have had a three point gap, but since we won it, we enjoy a nine point buffer over Real Madrid and Barcelona with six games left in the season.

Cartagonova (4-3-1-2): Vidal (c); Lacruz, Gershon, Lasa, César; Michel (Hernández 67), Tanem, Garrido; Clegg; Redondo, Notman.

Real Madrid (4-5-1): Casillas; Roberto Carlos, Rubio, Bornes (Helguera 60), Grillito; Ronaldinho (c), Davids, Aimar, Baronio, Colusso (Rubén Navarro 68); Sabino (Olivera 68).

Final score: Cartagonova 3:2 Real Madrid
MoM - Pablo Aimar