Written by Viorel Mesca
Well, it seems that the game of the season has finally arrived for Spurs.
So far, Spurs have written ‘The fairy tale of San Siro”, losing beautifully 4-3 to the European defending champions Inter, starring the Talented Mr. Bale, and winning against Berlusconi’s AC, 1-0 thanks to a sublime Aaron Lennon moment.
Harry’s lads topped the Group A, ahead of Inter, Twente and Bremen, scoring a whopping 18 goals in only 6 matches.
Having qualified for the Round of 16, it seemed that they would not impress against the likes of Pato, Ibrahimovic and Robinho. They did. The fantastic Milan striking force failed to score a single goal against the Mighty Spurs during the 180-minute clash.
A tremendous feat in the hearts of any Spurs-fan, don’t you agree? More than that, in just 5 away games, they scored 11 goals.
Now, they plan to invade Spain and conquer the Bernabeu stadium. As improbable as it may seem, Spurs could get the better of Real Madrid.
Sure, Los Blancos are marshaled by the great general, Jose Mourinho. Sure, Cristiano could play and become a pain in the back of Harry’s defenders. Sure, there will be around 80.000 madridistas to cheer for the under-pressure general Jose.
There is little doubt that Real Madrid are the favorites, but Jose’s men have some weakness that could be exploited:
A) Pressure. It’s like Perez said: “We are the club with the most pressure in the world. It is a fact that we have inherited. Everything that happens around us has a huge impact.”
Losing 1-0 to Sporting de Gijon during the weekend, Los Blancos’ allowed Barcelona to practically win the La Liga. Barcelona are now 8 points clear in the top of the La Liga and despite traveling to Madrid this month, they will not give away the title to their fiercest rivals. This is not all: Mourinho’s astonishing 150-game run on home soil (in the league) has finally ended, in one of the most unexpected result of the season in Europe. “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future” one could say.
With La Liga gone, Real must qualify for the semi-finals. Or they will be crucified. Even if they beat Barcelona in the 2 fixtures this April, the fans have not forgotten the manita at Camp Nou.
Therefore, Mourinho must face and win against Barcelona in the semi-finals.
B) List of Absentees.
Real Madrid is reported to miss Cristiano, Marcelo, Benzema and Kaka. A huge blow for the Portuguese general.
Still, Cristiano declared himself fit for the game. Will he play?
C) Dictatorship
At Real Madrid there is no democracy! It’s only pure dictatorship, as the team is run solely by Mourinho. He alone takes all the decisions and does not share power.
But the general cannot enter the field and regroup his men when it matters, as he desperately needs a captain to do that. But where is Real Madrid’s captain? Take a guess! On the field of San Siro charging against Internazionale. You know of whom I speak: Raul. The legend. With Raul on the field / on the bench, Real Madrid would have looked a lot different. Remember those times when Real were trailing behind. Who inspired them to victory? Who inspired the likes of Ronaldo (O Fenomeno), Zidane, Figo or Becks?
Mourinho tried to regroup his men around him. At times, he even tried regrouping them around San Iker or Cristiano, but both the players failed to fill Raul’s shoes.
Yet, Real Madrid is Real Madrid and Mourinho is still a fantastic general.
Jose relies on his star man, Mesut Ozil to divide and conquer Spurs’ defence, as the German has been Real Madrid’s best player this season (in my opinion). At his best, Mesut is unstoppable and Redknapp must find a way to close the playmaker down.
I would mention that Real Madrid have a flawless home record in the Champions League this season. They have won all four games so far, scoring 11 times in the process and are yet to concede a goal at the Bernabeu.
Also, Adebayor has his own record against Spurs: in 9 games (playing for Arsenal), he scored 8 goals.
As I previously said: Real Madrid is Real Madrid. A very tough nut to crack
On the other hand, the veteran Redknapp knows that his lads have nothing to lose and that the pressure is off.
Redknapp’s most important battle comes in the finale of the Premier League season, where his lads are currently lying in the 5th place in the Premier League, 5 points behind 4th place Chelsea. Why? Because Spurs need a miracle to qualify for the final of the Uefa Champions League and then win it. It’s virtually utopian to get the better of Inter, Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona and perhaps United, all that in just one Champions League season. They have a better chance for the 4th in Premier League, than 1st in Europe. In the last games of the Premier League, Harry’s lads must face Arsenal (at home), Chelsea, City and Liverpool (away).
Should Spurs lose to Real, no one will blame them. It has been a ride so far (in the Champions League) .
Redknapp relies heavily on the ego of Rafael Van Der “Hero”, as the Dutchman is eager to prove Los Blancos wrong. In the summer, he was seen as surplus to requirements by the Portuguese general and shipped to London, in the backyard of Spurs. Where he surpassed all expectations, becoming a fan-favorite.
Keep on eye on the Dutchman!
The manager also relies on the enthusiastic Mr. Bale, as the Welshman thrives to shine on the big stage at the Bernabeu.
The stage is set; the armies are ready for the Bernabeu battle. Who will be victorious?
