Well, Real Madrid's goal didn't do anything to spice this game up. It was a bit of a dull one before Cristiano Ronaldo's 14th minute strike, though that doesn't mean much that early on. The goal might have caused Atletico Madrid to take a few more chances, giving Real Madrid lanes to counter into, but this one hasn't opened up in the slightest.
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid:
Gabi had a decent chance on a long-range blast in the 17th minute, thanks to some poor defending by Michael Essien and Raul Albiol. They did absolutely nothing to close him down and gave him a free shot, but he hit it over the bar. Six minutes later, Diego Costa was fouled by Fabio Coentrao, setting up a free kick in a dangerous area, but it was poorly taken.
While Essien and Albiol had that one error, Madrid’s defending has been good as a whole. Atletico Madrid don’t have a lot of ideas. It might take a fluke for the underdogs to score and get back into this game.
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