Real Madrid didn't seem to put all their effort during the game. This first games in Copa del Rey are always dangerous because the lower division's teams are always playing with a lot of intensity and usually in a stadium with a very energetic crowd and bad turf.
Mourinho decided to give many starters some rest and play with a 4-2-3-1 formation formed by Adán, Altintop, Varane, Albiol, Marcelo, Sahin, Khedira, Callejón, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Higuaín. While Alonso, Di María, Özil, Benzema and so on were allowed to rest, Callejón was Madrid's highlighted player.
The former Espanyol and Real Madrid Castilla player showed how wrong Pedro León was by not accepting his secondary role in Real Madrid. Every time Callejón has the chance to play he is delivering goals and intensity in his defensive efforts. While he might not be ready to start in big games -especially when Di María and Özil are in shape-, it is always good for a coach to have this kind of players in his roster.
It was the 29th minute when Callejón pushed the ball into the net after a good headed pass. The Spanish winger had a good chance to score some minutes earlier but decided to pass the ball to Cristiano, who couldn't make it to it. This was Callejón's way to recover from that missed chance and gain some confidence again.
Madridistas were expecting a big game from Nuri Sahin, but it was Khedira the midfielder that completed a very good game overall. He stopped many Ponferradina's transitions and even delivered a good assist to Cristiano Ronaldo in the second half which was disallowed wrongly by the referee, who thought the Portuguese was offside.
The first half ended with that result and with the feeling that Real Madrid was trying to sleep the game to prevent injuries and exhaustion.
In the 69th minute Raul Albiol was sent off with two yellow cards. The Spanish Center back ended what had been a terrible game for him. The young Varane is confirming himself as the bench defender every team has to have -specially since Carvalho is still out-. The French player is fast, focused and knows who he needs to give the ball to in every play. Mourinho said yesterday that he is going to be a starter Center back for this team for very long, and the coach is not wrong.
Ramos, Granero and Jesé were the players who joined the game for Kaká, Sahin and Cristiano Ronaldo. Before getting subbed, the Portuguese franchise player scored the second goal of the game sending scoring ghosts away. He needs to be ready for this Saturday so Mourinho acted wisely by sending him to the bench and giving Jesé some minutes.
The Castilla player reminds a lot to Cristiano Ronaldo in every gesture and action he does with the ball. At age 18, he has a big room to improve, and he can certainly be an important player for Madrid in the future.
The game concluded with a very enthusiastic crowd cheering for Ponferradina to score, but Real's defense could prevent them to do and they will receive them in the Bernabeu next Tuesday before going into vacation mode.
But first, Mourinho and his guys will have the difficult mission of getting the three points in Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán against Sevilla in what will be one of Real'smost difficult games thus far.
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