Real's downfall blamed on cagey Mourinho approach
Source: Agencies |
April 27, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
HOWEVER much he might blame rotten luck or fatigue for Real Madrid's failure to get past Bayern Munich on Wednesday, it was Jose Mourinho's caution that possibly cost the Spaniards a place in next month's Champions League final.
They were eliminated at the last-four hurdle for a second straight season as they failed to hold on to a 2-0 lead on the night, curbed their attacking instincts more and more as the game wore on and were ultimately undone by the brilliance of Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in a nervy penalty shootout in Madrid.
"The match went through many different phases after our second goal. We can't attack all the time," Sergio Ramos, who blasted his penalty over the bar, told reporters.
Everything went to plan in the opening 15 minutes, with Real racing ahead in the semifinal second leg at its Santiago Bernabeu Stadium - where it had netted 22 goals in five previous Champions League outings this season - thanks to a double from Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, after Bayern pulled a goal back through Arjen Robben's penalty in the 27th minute to make it 3-3 on aggregate, Real seemed to take its foot off the gas and the Germans settled into the game and began to control possession in a manner rarely witnessed at the giant arena.
Another hero
Bastian Schweinsteiger, another hero of the night after netting the penalty that sent Bayern through, expertly marshalled the midfield and was ably supported by Luiz Gustavo and Toni Kroos.
Real's defensive midfield pair of Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira huffed and puffed but were unable to exert the control that would have allowed them to get the ball forward more often to the lethal Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria.
Bayern defenders, particularly Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng, played solidly and intelligently with the two center backs occasionally striding out to join the attack and Philipp Lahm and David Alaba roving down either flank.
Mourinho threw on playmaker Kaka for Di Maria with 15 minutes of regulation time left but his next change midway through extra time was to take off Mesut Ozil, who created Ronaldo's second and has the most assists of any Real man this term, and replace him with defensive midfielder Esteban Granero.
"We had big problems in the first 15 minutes and then we played some excellent football," Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, who led Real to a Champions League title in 1998, told reporters.
Mourinho, whose failure to reach the final will be a bitter blow after arch-rival Barcelona was knocked out by former club Chelsea on Tuesday, suggested the packed calendar had helped bring about Real's failure.
They were eliminated at the last-four hurdle for a second straight season as they failed to hold on to a 2-0 lead on the night, curbed their attacking instincts more and more as the game wore on and were ultimately undone by the brilliance of Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in a nervy penalty shootout in Madrid.
"The match went through many different phases after our second goal. We can't attack all the time," Sergio Ramos, who blasted his penalty over the bar, told reporters.
Everything went to plan in the opening 15 minutes, with Real racing ahead in the semifinal second leg at its Santiago Bernabeu Stadium - where it had netted 22 goals in five previous Champions League outings this season - thanks to a double from Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, after Bayern pulled a goal back through Arjen Robben's penalty in the 27th minute to make it 3-3 on aggregate, Real seemed to take its foot off the gas and the Germans settled into the game and began to control possession in a manner rarely witnessed at the giant arena.
Another hero
Bastian Schweinsteiger, another hero of the night after netting the penalty that sent Bayern through, expertly marshalled the midfield and was ably supported by Luiz Gustavo and Toni Kroos.
Real's defensive midfield pair of Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira huffed and puffed but were unable to exert the control that would have allowed them to get the ball forward more often to the lethal Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria.
Bayern defenders, particularly Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng, played solidly and intelligently with the two center backs occasionally striding out to join the attack and Philipp Lahm and David Alaba roving down either flank.
Mourinho threw on playmaker Kaka for Di Maria with 15 minutes of regulation time left but his next change midway through extra time was to take off Mesut Ozil, who created Ronaldo's second and has the most assists of any Real man this term, and replace him with defensive midfielder Esteban Granero.
"We had big problems in the first 15 minutes and then we played some excellent football," Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, who led Real to a Champions League title in 1998, told reporters.
Mourinho, whose failure to reach the final will be a bitter blow after arch-rival Barcelona was knocked out by former club Chelsea on Tuesday, suggested the packed calendar had helped bring about Real's failure.
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