Sunday 4th January 2009
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu
Kick-off: 16:00
Score: 1 – 0
Arjen Robben was Real Madrid’s hero as the reigning Primera Liga champions started 2009 on a winning note with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Villarreal at the Bernabeu.
Robben’s first-half wonder strike proved the only goal of the game as Madrid moved back into the Champions League spots and ensured the gap to leaders Barcelona – victors over Real Mallorca last night – remained at 12 points.
Madrid, for whom new signings Lassana Diarra and Klaas Jan Huntelaar were handed their debuts, did not have it easy though and they were indebted to some fine saves by Iker Casillas for keeping Villarreal at bay after the break.
In the end it was a moment of magic from Robben in the 33rd minute that separated the two sides, who were the top two in La Liga last season but started this match level on 29 points and well adrift of pacesetters Barca.
There appeared little danger when Robben picked the ball up near the right touchline, but the Villarreal defence paid the penalty for not keeping him off his favoured left foot as the Dutchman raced infield before curling a brilliant 25-yard shot into the far top corner.
Madrid just about deserved that lead, especially as they had been unlucky not to go ahead in the 12th minute when Robben’s deflected shot hit the Villarreal crossbar with Diego Lopez, the former Madrid goalkeeper, stranded.
However, the hosts almost surrendered their advantage 30 seconds after going ahead as Giuseppe Rossi put Robert Pires in on goal, and it needed a fine parry from Casillas to deny the veteran Frenchman.
That was as close as the Yellow Submarine would come in the opening period, and Madrid could have taken a stranglehold on the match just before the break when Huntelaar was presented with the kind of chance he must have dreamt about on his debut.
The recent arrival from Ajax had been a peripheral figure for much of the half but he should have made it 2-0 in the 40th minute.
A Sergio Ramos chip found the Dutchman inside the area, but after chesting the ball down and having all the time in the world to pick his spot, Huntelaar was denied by a brilliant stop by Lopez.
Huntelaar’s involvement in the match would not last much longer either, as coach Ramos decided to replace the striker 10 minutes into the second half just as Villarreal were threatening to get on top.
Joseba Llorente, a half-time replacement for Nihat Kahveci, had already brought a world-class save out of Casillas, while the Spain international custodian repeated the feat in the 70th minute to tip over a header from the unmarked Rossi.
At the other end Wesley Sneijder was having a running battle with Lopez, with the Villarreal goalkeeper denying the Dutchman on three separate occasions.
Madrid were struggling to kill the game off though, and whilst there was just one goal in the game the Bernabeu faithful could not relax.
But the visitors, despite having some half-chances late on, were unable to find a way past Casillas as Madrid recorded only their fourth clean sheet in the league this season en route to an morale-boosting victory.
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