Spanish Football's Real Madrid beat visiting Levante 5-1 in a week 30 La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Madrid opened the game without Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, or Angel di Maria, but an increasingly in form Kaka--setting goal scoring opportunities left and right, and scoring on a penalty kick (39th)--and Gonzalo Higuain (36th), with potentially the goal of the season, overcame the 31 minute lead Levante enjoyed for only 5 minutes. The second half saw all three mentioned non-starters come in, and by game's end Ronaldo had hit the back of the net and Ozil had scored twice to round out the final score.
Take-aways from this one included the fact that Real is playing on all cylinders if with a suspect defense. Sergio Ramos and Pepe work well together but Marcelo is mostly an offensive weapon and Alvaro Arbeloa an enigma. To tighten up the back line coach Jose Mourinho would be better served with Favio Coentrao or Ramos at wing, opposite Marcelo, and Ricardo Carvalho in the middle. This line up would provide at least three true defenders at back while also having someone who can cross the ball from the right wing.
On offense, Real showcased two distinct formations, each of which scored. Still, as evidenced by this game's rhythms and results, Ronaldo, Ozil, Kaka, and Higuain, playing together, would provide the creative and scoring punches the team could use to win the Champions League this year.
In other La Liga games, top of the table Barcelona FC, will be playing without the injured Lionel Messi, as Mallorca come visiting. Real Sociedad beat visiting Malaga 4-2, leapfrogging their rivals and taking fourth place on the table. Atletico Madrid, in third place behind Real, plays at Getafe tomorrow, with a chance, if they win, to keep but a point behind Real on the table.
Next week, in Champions League play, Borussia Drortmund and Malaga, who tied 0-0 at Malaga, play in Germany. Real, who won the first leg at home 3-0, play Galatasaray in Turkey on April 9th. Bayern Munich will play hosts to Juventus, who they beat 2-0, in Italy, and Barcelona, who tied 2-2 in Paris, play hosts to PSG, both games on April 10th. The prior game should be a formality with Bayern moving on and latter game has the Catalans in the driver's seat as a 1-1 or 1-0 score line would see them through. But, the answer to the big question--will Messi play?--still dominates the dialog. My feeling is that with or without him the hosts pull out the needed result to move on.
If my predictions hold, Barca, Real, Malaga, and Bayern should be contesting the semifinals of the Champions League.
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