REAL MADRID AND Atletico Madrid slipped 10 points behind Barcelona at the top of La Liga as a Madrid derby short on chances finished 0-0 at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday.
Earlier, Barca also weren’t at their best but Luis Suarez’s double ended a five-game goal drought for the Uruguayan and Paulinho’s late strike helped see off a determined Leganes 3-0.
Angel Correa missed the best chance of the game after just three minutes as both Atletico and Real were left to rue a familiar lack of cutting edge in front of goal this season.
After a bright start from Atletico, Real’s first chance came on the counter-attack but Juanfran outpaced Cristiano Ronaldo when the Portuguese was put clean through by Luka Modric much to the home crowd’s delight.
The visitors slowly started to take control of possession as the first period wore on, but lacked a creative spark.
Jan Oblak turned Toni Kroos’s effort behind at the near post after a neat one-two with Ronaldo, before Sergio Ramos was left bloodied and eventually replaced at half-time as he was caught by Lucas Hernandez as he stooped to head into the side-netting.
Ronaldo’s profligacy has been blamed for Real’s slump in form this season and the Portuguese was once again wayward when handed the chance to win the game 15 minutes from time.
Modric picked out the World Player of the Year unmarked inside the Atletico box, but Ronaldo’s tame effort dribbled wide.
Both sides had chances to win it in a frantic finale as Raphael Varane headed Kevin Gameiro’s lobbed effort off the line.
At the other end, Ronaldo took just too long to wind up his effort as Hernandez galloped back into position to make a brave block and ensure Atletico a share of the spoils.
- Barca flattered -
Barca boss Ernesto Valverde admitted a 3-0 win flattered his side across Madrid at Butarque as goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen again shone.
“The important thing was to win,” Suarez told BeIN Sports Spain.
“We always try to play our best in every game but sometimes it is not possible.”
Leganes’ good work in the opening half hour was undone by a goalkeeping error when Ivan Cuellar limply palmed Paco Alcacer’s driven cross into the path of the grateful Suarez to smash home his first goal for a month.
“I wasn’t anxious. The important thing was to feel good again and help the team,” added Suarez.
Barca’s joy was tempered moments later when Gerard Pique was booked for bringing down Nordin Amrabat meaning he will be suspended for next weekend’s top of the table clash at Valencia.
The busy Ambrabat was the creator for Leganes’ best chance before the break when he released Alexander Szymanowski inside the area, but the Argentine’s curling effort was turned to safety by the in-form Ter Stegen.
The German goalkeeper was called into action again early in the second period when Leganes substitute Claudio Beauvue was too quick for the Barca defence only to fire straight at Ter Stegen.
In contrast, just as in the first half, Barca were ruthlessly efficient in front of goal to double their lead on the hour mark.
Lionel Messi’s dinked pass released Alcacer and after Cuellar parried his first effort, Suarez drilled home the rebound for his second of the afternoon.
Barca rode their luck to hold out for a 12th clean sheet in their last 17 games as Ter Stegen saved one-on-one from Amrabat and Beauvue blasted well over when unmarked 10 yards out.
“Perhaps 0-3 is a bit excessive. They played well enough for the gap between the teams to not be so great,” said Barca boss Valverde.
However, Barca rubbed salt into Leganes’ wounds when Paulinho rolled into an empty net when a loose ball broke off Messi in stoppage time.
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Some bad decisions at crucial times cost us dearly. But, what kind of asshat boos their own team? Stay at home next time you bunch of morons.
Shane, I could be wrong but I thought they were booing the late tackle on Cooney(I think). He put in a grubber kick and was hit late.
Only caught the last ten mins they were booing because carty got body checked after he tried his grubber.?? Unless I missed something in the first 70 that they were booing at ?
They were booing the opposition kicker and all, that’s no way to behave. It was embarrassing listening to the Connaught crowd
Awfully disappointed for Connacht. Thought they could build on their win last week, but much like us, are pretty inconsistent when it comes to getting it up for the non-derby games. Peaks and troughs…
Terrible result. Gutted.
Connachts form returns!
Why not? We could do with a roof though! Connacht don’t do fair weather supporters
No need for a 20k stadium now ?
Why not? We could do with a roof anyway…Connacht don’t do fair weather supporters
Im sure if ye gave connacht 20k seats from thomand ye would still have trouble filling it . Munster fans only do the big European Cup games and there will be no more of them this season.
Munster have been the top attendance drom7 of the first 12 pro-12 games look up the pro-12 official site!
Sale in a few weeks there Harvey .
You can’t go by the official figures as they include st holders. Munster on the past perhaps but over the past 3 or 4 years their attendance figures for non European cup games and Leinster games have been poor.
The largest attendance of the season was at the Aviva stadium which was a home game for Leinster.
Sorry Lad, Munster don’t have the highest attendance :-(
Ok noggy that maybe so but I’m sure it’s the same criteria for every team in the pro12 with that in mind Munster are still the top attendance in 7/12 games do far. And btw why does dome dick feel the need to have a cut at Munster on a totally Connacht article. Sad pr1ks
I never mentioned anything about Leinster. You tried to state a fact and I simply corrected you on it.
No noggy what I said is that Munster have the top attendances in7/12 pro-12 games. Google pro12 attendances and check the attendance each week. I also said that not you but some d1ck had too try too cut Munster on a totally Connacht article. Place is full of jealous a55holes. This is no forum for anything but Connacht till that muppet too his swipe.
@ Harvey
Philip, you are an embarrassment to the real Munster fans.
Who are you.
Ah now Philip. The dogs in the street know the official attendances are pure fiction.
Shane,Go easy on philip he,s a walter mitty type character who claimed to have played for munster to add a bit of weight to his pathetic posts on these articles.probably another bandwagon jumper who has to prove his undying love for the red army by slating the other three provinces.
That is all.
Christopher tobin started it
Connacht were betrayed by a lack of patience in the end. After the clock had struck eighty minutes, there was only one viable option for Connacht and that was to hold onto the ball at all costs, no matter how little metres they were making with ball in hand; they had to hold onto it and just wait for the opening. For an inexplicable reason they grubber-kicked it, away, with the inevitable consequence that Edinburgh regathered it and sealed the match.
Irish sides have to remember the powerful lesson from that painful extra-time defeat to the All Blacks in November 2013: the All Blacks held onto the ball, without deviation, for however long it took to get over the Irish tryline. They never, even for a moment, considered kicking the ball. They knew their job, they knew that it would be attritional and involve only inches at a time, but also that it was simple and achievable. Irish sides, historically, have had a habit of running out of patience, losing their concentration and deviating from the path. After putting in some effort, we change tactic and opt for the Hail Mary pass (in rugby terms, kicking the ball away in hope rather than expectation). Our characteristic lack of patience has to be tackled once and for all.
Totally agree
This is where experience is needed.
Let’s not forget carty is barely out of his teens.
Dreadful performance tonight but in all fairness at least this year we can chalk it down to a bad day at the office, last year it was par for the course.
Agree but Alan Solomons said the before the match that the game would be won in the half backs and Marmion then found it difficult with Clyne. When Cooney and Carty came on the go forward improved. Lam later said that Marmion was carrying a knock. Can never understand why coaches all send subs on around the 60 minute mark?
Can everyone stop talking about munster? Its like Munster are the Muslims of the rugby world. Ye were not playing tonight boyos! We are Not FIng Interested in talking about ye.
Henshaw is some player,he has to stay at Connacht so they can keep improving!
Attendance for tonight ?
Both main stand and clan stand sold out. Not quite sure how that tots up in numbers, but probably slightly over 5000. In that weather.
Dont Shane, you will hurt Philip’s feelings!
He will cry himself to sleep in his Leinster PJs
Too many penalties at scrum time killed us. Caught pneumonia I think, terrible conditions but they were the same for both teams. No excuses, we didn’t front up.
Well played lads regardless.
Philip Ryan is a troll. I have no time for trolls.
Yeah…but never against those elements. The sensible option was to get the ball off the park and bank a very valuable point . Would have been subside if there was a turnover and didn’t get the bonus point.