Real Madrid News

The Spain international admits he was at fault for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side’s goal at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, but insists it should not have been a corner to begin with

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has conceded he must take the blame for Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck’s goal saying the margin for error at Champions League level is “tiny”.

The visitors took the lead at the Santiago Bernabeu when Welbeck got the better of Ramos from a corner, and directed his header past Diego Lopez.

But while the 26-year-old admitted it was his costly mistake which led to the goal, Ramos said the corner should have never been awarded to begin with.

“He got the better of me but it was not a corner in the first place, that is certain,” Ramos told reporters. “The margin for error in the Champions League is tiny.”

Nonetheless, the Spain international was buoyed by the performance of Los Blancos on Wednesday and insists that although they never got the result they wanted, there is cause for optimism heading into the second leg.

He added: “We would have liked to be going to Old Trafford with a different result but we have to be optimistic and appreciate the great game Real Madrid played today even in spite of the fact that we missed a lot of chances,” the defender told Uefa.com.

“On some days, clear opportunities just don’t translate into goals but every player put in a huge effort. 

“We will have to travel to Manchester and show the same mentality as we did today while believing that we can win. We have to take into account that we are facing a great rival; we need to show the utmost of respect to them. The main thing is that we convince ourselves we can win.”

The second leg is scheduled to take place at Old Trafford on March 5.

The ex-Manchester United goalkeeper praised the current No.1’s “miracle saves”, before warning that counter-attacking will suit the Spanish giants in the second leg

Former Manchester United keeper Mark Bosnich believes David De Gea “proved everyone wrong” with his man-of-the-match display against Real Madrid.

The former Atletico Madrid shot-stopper returned to his hometown and made a number of key saves in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu as United earned an important 1-1 draw.

The 22-year-old has received criticism for a lack of consistency since his €21 million move in 2011, but Bosnich says the “outstanding talent” on show on Wednesday night is De Gea’s real identity.

“That’s just a matter of practise and timing,” he told talkSPORT. “What he’s actually got and what you are working with is something very special.

“You saw that last night, they were miracle saves that he was making. They are the saves that win you a game or get you through a tie like this. He proved everyone wrong against Real Madrid. He is an outstanding young talent.

“He’s come to England at a young age and has had to adapt to the culture of high balls during games. It’s taken him a little bit of time to get used to it but he showed his true colours last night.”

Bosnich, who represented United 26 times during two spells, also praised Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance after the attacker netting Madrid’s equaliser with a fantastic header after Danny Welbeck opened the scoring.

“When you watch it in slow motion, how high he got up, it was phenomenal,” he continued. “It was a phenomenal leap and he’s a phenomenal player.

“Lots of people don’t like him because of the way he struts his stuff but no-one can deny what a fantastic player he is.

“He showed his class last night and he’s going to be they will have to watch very carefully at Old Trafford, coming back to where he made his name he’ll be wanting to put on a really good show.”

The 41-year-old then suggested that, despite United securing an away goal, Jose Mourinho’s men may be better suited on the counter-attack which will make Sir Alex Ferguson’s tactical approach tough for the return leg.

“If both sets of strikers have their boots on [the second leg] has the potential to be a high-scoring encounter,” he added.

“The Manchester United faithful will be wanting them to go forward but if you watch Real Madrid, the matches they struggle in are when they have to make the play.

“They rely on counter-attacking, if you look at Jose Mourinho’s teams at Inter Milan and even Chelsea they did like to play that so they can open up space in behind the defence and then counter.

“So it’s very difficult for Sir Alex Ferguson tactically. Does he go in for the kill and risk getting hit on the break, or does he just sit and say ‘you guys have to score’. That’s going to be very interesting.”

The influential midfielder feels that the press and Real Madrid are trying to make the Argentina international look like a bad person

Barcelona midfielder Xavi has defended Lionel Messi in the wake of the incident involving Aitor Karanka and Alvaro Arbeloa in the 1-1 Copa del Rey draw against Real Madrid, saying the Blancos want to portray the Argentine as “the bad guy”.

The prolific attacker allegedly called Karanka ‘a puppet’ for head coach Jose Mourinho, while Jose Callejon claimed that he went head-to-head with Arbeloa after the encounter.

“I don’t understand all the uproar about this. Why can’t we just talk about football? What are they trying to say, that Messi is a bad person? They are trying to depict him as the bad guy,” Xavi told Sport.

“These kinds of incidents have been happening in football for ages and will continue to take place. I do not know whether it actually happened. It does not interest me and I have not asked Leo about it.”

The return of the Copa del Rey tie between Barcelona and Madrid takes place at Camp Nou on February 27.

The 49-year-old former Blancos striker says the Champions League tie is finely balance, and added that Cristiano Ronaldo’s headed equaliser was “very beautiful”

Emilio Butragueno has said the Champions League last-16 tie between Real Madrid and Manchester United which finished 1-1 on Wednesday is finely balanced, but admitted he was frustrated at los Blancos‘ failure to record a victory.

The 49-year-old believes his former side could have led at half-time, following a dominant opening 45 minutes from Jose Mourinho’s team.

“The first half was ours and we conceded from a set-piece. We had to leave with an advantage on the scoreboard. The team did a great physical effort in the first half,” he told Real Madrid’s official website.

The former Madrid and Spain star also praised the performance of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, adding: “They defended well.

“Manchester United are a good team; they have a competitive spirit and great players.”

Butragueno also praised Cristiano Ronaldo’s stunning header, saying: “It was a great goal and a great example of how to get up. It was a very good – and accurate, something of great beauty.

“I know that there will be a great reception (when he returns to Old Trafford).”

The second leg takes place on Tuesday, March 5.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men earned a 1-1 draw at Real Madrid on Wednesday in a thrilling encounter to set up a tantalising second leg on March 5 in the Champions League last 16 tie

By Greg Stobart in Madrid

As the Real Madrid supporters filed out of the Santiago Bernabeu after an enthralling night of football, it was left for the 4,000 Manchester United fans housed high up in the north end to have the final say.

‘We’re going to Wembley!’ they roared as they set their sights on a place in the Champions League final in London after earning a 1-1 draw from the first leg of their last 16 tie against Cristiano Ronaldo and Co here.

This was billed as the tie of the round, not least by the two managers as Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson waxed lyrical about the history, fanbase and footballing traditions of the clubs, with United three-time European champions and Real Madrid targeting an historic tenth continental triumph.

The palpable sense of expectation was evident from the moment you set foot in the Spanish capital on Wednesday as thousands of United fans took over the city’s many squares and bars, knowing this was a game not to be missed.

And it delivered. While the match finished 1-1, the sides could easily have shared eight goals between them as both teams displayed their attacking incision while at the same time looking vulnerable at the back.

Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for United against the run of play as he headed home from a corner before Ronaldo – who else? – equalised with a wonderful leap and header of his own 10 minutes later.

As one attack pulsed after another, it was a miracle that there were not more goals in the Bernabeu, which was a cauldron of noise as the Spanish giants ramped up the atmosphere by giving each fan a flag.

Fabio Coentrao hit the post for the hosts while David De Gea came of age in the United goal by making a series of stunning saves to deny Madrid and defy his critics.

But United always looked a threat at the other end, Welbeck glancing a volley just wide and Robin van Persie coming agonisingly close three times after the break – first hitting the crossbar, then seeing a scuffed effort cleared off the line by Xabi Alonso before, late on, Diego Lopez produced a fine stop from the Dutchman’s drilled shot.

The message coming from virtually everyone after the game was: it is 50-50, the tie is still firmly in the balance.

It is certainly perfectly set up for the second leg at Old Trafford on March 5 which, if anything, promises to be an even more spectacular occasion.

If anything, United will go into the return as slight favourites having scored a crucial away goal here and with home advantage on their side as they target a place in the quarter-finals.

Real Madrid will have to score in Manchester and, of course, they have the firepower to do it as Ronaldo heads back to Old Trafford in the form of his life having already scored 37 goals this season.

It will be a clash befitting of any stage, just as it was here in a breathtaking game of speed, movement, panache and in the case of the United defenders sheer bloody-mindedness.

It is only half-time as Real Madrid and Manchester United chase a place in the last eight and, ultimately, European glory at Wembley in May, but it was a stunning spectacle and March 5 at Old Trafford could be even better.

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