Arjen Robben will be sidelined for up to three weeks thus missing the clash at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and El Clasico the week after. The Dutchman lasted just 18 minutes of Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Getafe after tearing a muscle in his right calf following his second-half introduction from the bench.
A statement on the official website said:
Tests run by the club’s medical staff have determined Arjen Robben is suffering from a tear on his right calf. He is expected to miss two to three weeks.
Sneijder too will miss up to 4 weeks thus joining Robben on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Pepe faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after the referee reported him for kicking and punching two Getafe players. Referee Carlos Delgado Ferreiro said in his report:
The home player (Pepe) kicked the fouled player (Javier Casquero) and punched an opponent (Juan Albin) in the face. The said player then directed the following phrase at the fourth official as he was leaving the pitch: ‘You are all sons of whores’.
Delgado added that Pepe also broke the rules by coming back on to the pitch to celebrate Gonzalo Higuain’s winner with his teammates.
It seems that Pepe can indeed expect and increased suspension given the content of the referee’s report and the club may also take a dim view of the defender’s unsavoury actions. Iker Casillas, who saved Casquero’s penalty, said:
You cannot do what Pepe did while wearing the Real Madrid shirt.
The saint has spoken. Pepe must be punished!
As far as I am concerned I really don’t know what to do to him. Punishment is mandatory but how severe is questionable. I am not even able to think about it. I am so full of Madridismo and in awe of what Higuain did (yet another time) that I am overlooking whatever he did. No doubt that it wasn’t the right thing to do.
So that makes it Pepe, Sneijder and Robben out for the Clasico. Last time we played them we had 13 fit players and sported the likes of Salgado and Palanca on our lineup. I hope it is much better this time around.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
April 22, 2009 | Categories: News | Tags: Albin Leites, Arjen Robben, Carlos Delgado Ferreiro, Getafe CF, Iker Casillas, Javier Casquero, Képler Pepe | Leave A Comment »
Pedja Mijatovic was very satisfied with the team’s victory over Getafe. Juande Ramos was very happy with his team’s epic victory against Getafe at the Bernabeu. Shocked and sorry for what he did, Pepe asked to be forgiven for the action that got him sent off. Gonzalo Higuain scored two goals against Getafe and Fernando Gago was the team’s leader in midfield. Both men were proud of the team’s victory.
Mijatovic:
I like this sort of game, but I would like to win earlier on because I’m afraid we will have a heart attack sooner or later. The result is what’s important. Winning was all that mattered today and it isn’t easy to play with such pressure. Our boys are hanging on.
This game reminded me of those from three season’s ago, but what’s important is that we are just three points behind Barcelona, at least for the night. We’ll have to see what they do. We are still alive.
There will be many absences on the team against Sevilla and that’s a real shame. Robben, Sneijder and Heinze are injured, and Higuain and Pepe are suspended. The squad knows just how important our next game is and every player will do his best to keep this up until the end of the campaign.
Gonzalo Higuain has been having a great season all year. He scores goals and participates in every attack. He also serves assists. He’s bloomed this season and I hope he keeps it up until it ends. He is a very young quality player, and I’m sure he’ll pull it off.
The pressure is Barcelona’s now. Sevilla are an uncomfortable opponent that is fighting to stay in the Champions league qualifying positions. Anything can happen. We hope to defeat Sevilla and stay in the fight for the title.
Juande Ramos:
Real Madrid is an institution used to this type of comeback, and this team always fights to the end. Several unexpected things happened, but the team had faith and managed to turn the score around. We will fight with all our strength while there is still a mathematical chance to win the title.
I don’t want to comment on Casquero’s penalty, but I believe taking it like that was disrespectful given how things were turning out. I nevertheless decline to comment.
I think we were forced to make an epic comeback by our weak performance in the first half. Higuain told me we should have been given a penalty when the score was 1-1. I think none of the things that followed would have happened if we had been given that penalty.
I’m sure Pepe feels sorry for what he did. I think he was thinking about the chance we had just lost and failed to control his temper. I apologise for my men’s actions when there is such tension and the title is at stake.
Robben made the squad list because he was fit to play, but having played so many consecutive games was deemed to possibly be bad for him. We had decided to save his strength, but he had to come on. Javi Garcia came on because Gago positioned himself as a defender in order to create ball movement from the back.
We are going to appeal Higuain’s yellow card because he clearly should have been awarded a penalty. On the other hand, I think Pepe lost his temper but didn’t intend to hurt anyone.
Throughout a season you sometimes win thanks to luck. I think we were lucky Getafe missed their penalty and we scored a third goal.
The entire team works on scoring a goal. It is impossible for a striker to score without the work of those behind him, but we are nevertheless delighted with the great progress Higuain is making.
Pepe:
I feel terrible; never in my career had this happened to me. I can only ask for the fans’ forgiveness because my actions weren’t good.
Many people know I’m not like this, but I was very tense. I ask all the players, their families, referees and all football fans to forgive me. I now have to wait and see what happens.
The play started in a penalty Higuain should have been awarded. Getafe began a counterattack. I touched a player and forced a penalty. Everybody saw what followed. I can only say I’m sorry.
It was a terrible thing to do, but I was very tense. I’m human and must fail sometimes. The important thing is that I know what I did is wrong and that’s why I ask everyone to forgive me.
Nothing like this has ever happened to me. I am a happy person who enjoys life. I always try to see the bright side of things. I don’t know what happened. I was so much into the championship that I did something completely alien to me.
The only thing I’m certain of is that I’ve played many games for Real Madrid. All people have to do to realise I’m not really like this is look back at them. I know I must be punished. It is paramount to set an example, but my CV shows I never do stuff like this.
Higuain:
This is the beauty of football: we were losing in the 40th minute and managed to score after they missed a shot. The beauty of football is that things change all the time. Our spirits would be very different if we had lost. We must enjoy ourselves and congratulate the whole team. The league is far from over.
I shot and scored. That’s the beauty of this sport. The important thing is that the strike gave us chances to win the title. I shot confidentlly with my left foot and I was lucky it went in. I’m happy about it, but there are 24 players on this team and we all work equally hard. We won thanks to everyone’s efforts.
This game could be compared to those of two season’s back. We are three points behind the leaders and we’ll have to see what they do tomorrow. We must be calm and rest to prepare for our next game, which will be tough.
I can only thank the fans. This victory is for them and for those who always support us.
We could have lost the league tonight, but we luckily won the game and we’re still in the fight for the title. We are happy, but there are many games left in the season.
Gago:
These games are beautiful when they end in a victory because the adrenaline they generate is incredible. We started losing and we knew a draw wasn’t good enough. We eventually took three very important points by leaving style aside; these games must be won.
Higuain scored an amazing goal. He is having a great run and he is a brilliant player.
I like this sort of game because it can’t really be analysed. We won, that’s it. We didn’t play well in the first half. Our game was imprecise, but we eventually won. Arjen’s injury hurt us, but we pulled rank.
What Pepe did happened during a heated moment in the clash. No one should react that way, but we must move forward and think about the tough games that will follow.
I’m not worried and I’m also anxious to play in Seville. Barcelona are playing very well and their cushion over us is considerable, but our job is to win every game. We have the advanntage because we still have to face them at home. Every match is a final from now on.
April 22, 2009 | Categories: Post-match Comments, Spanish Primera División | Tags: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Fernando Gago, Getafe CF, Gonzalo Higuaín, Juande Ramos, Képler Pepe, Pedja Mijatovic | Leave A Comment »
Real Madrid snatched three points in a heart-stopping game. Getafe scored the opening goal and Higuain netted the equaliser just before half-time. Albin scored for the visitors close to the end, but Guti drew the score again from a masterly free-kick. The winner came from Higuain’s feet two minutes into overtime.
Both sides had several chances on goal at the start of the fixture. Getafe, far from simply focusing on defending, had the first when Soldado sent the ball over the crossbar on the 3-minute mark. A few minutes later, Granero crossed the ball into the box and Soldado defeated Casillas with a header (9′).
Marcelo reacted and tried his luck with a long shot in the 11th minute; Van der Vaart failed to find someone to finish off many of his free-kicks; Raul came close to scoring when Marcelo gave him the ball following a great run down the left wing (16’)… Meanwhile, Getafe tried to distance themselves on the scoreboard and Soldado nearly scored in a one-on-one with Casillas, but his shot was off target.
Just when it seemed the Blues were sure to go into half-time with a favourable score, Gonzalo Higuain stepped up, took advantage of a mistake made by the opponent’s defence and scored. This counterattack began when Gago clerared the ball, sending it to Raul, who controlled it with his chest and passed it to Higuain.
Robben came on for Van der Vaart in the second half, but had to be replaced by Drenthe 15 minutes later because of an injury. Getafe brought Belenguer on for Mario. Nothing changed much at the start of the last 45 minutes, but Real Madrid had slightly more chances. Ramos and Huntelaar nearly scored on the 50-minute mark, while Getafe focused on playing touch football. Keeper Stojkovic defeated Huntelaar in a one-on-one (71′) in just one of many ventures in attack the Whites had in just a few minutes. He was also forced to defeat Higuain, and Belenguer covered his back when Ramos seemed to have vanquished him (79′). Real Madrid kept trying, but Getafe got the upper hand when Albin scored from a counterattack on the 84-minute mark. This could have been a hard blow for the Madridistas, but Guti pulled rank and scored from an impressive free-kick, levelling the score once again.
Moments later, Casquero was tackled inside the box and awarded a penalty, but his strange shot -in the manner of Palenka- was saved by Casillas. The crowd went wild and, during the frenzy, Higuain scored an amazing goal far from the box with his left foot. In the end, Real Madrid earned an amazing victory and are very much alive in the fight for the title.
Lineups:
Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Cannavaro (Javi Garcia 59′), Marcelo, Gago, Guti, Van der Vaart (Robben 45′ (Drenthe 62′)), Higuaín, Huntelaar, Raúl
Getafe: Stojkovic, Cortés, Cata Díaz, Rafa, Mario (Belenguer 45′), Licht, Casquero, Polanski, Granero, Gavilán, Manu (Albin 57′), Soldado (Uche 78′);
Goals:
0-1, 9 min. – Soldado;
1-1, 45 min. – Higuain;
1-2, 83 min. – Albin;
2-2, 85 min. – Guti;
3-2, 92 min. – Higuain;
Referee: Delgado Ferreiro.
Booked: Gago, Van der Vaart, Pepe, Granero, Drenthe, Rafa, Higuain, Stojkovic, Cata Diaz, Marcelo.
Sent off: Pepe.
Notes: Matchday 32 of La Liga.
Played at: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Attendance: Full house.
April 22, 2009 | Categories: Match Reports, Spanish Primera División | Tags: Albin Leites, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Getafe CF, Gonzalo Higuaín, José María Gutiérrez 'Guti', Roberto Soldado | Leave A Comment »
Just another Madridista
Post-match comments
Pedja Mijatovic was very satisfied with the team’s victory over Getafe. Juande Ramos was very happy with his team’s epic victory against Getafe at the Bernabeu. Shocked and sorry for what he did, Pepe asked to be forgiven for the action that got him sent off. Gonzalo Higuain scored two goals against Getafe and Fernando Gago was the team’s leader in midfield. Both men were proud of the team’s victory.
Mijatovic:
Juande Ramos:
Pepe:
Higuain:
Gago:
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April 22, 2009 | Categories: Post-match Comments, Spanish Primera División | Tags: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Fernando Gago, Getafe CF, Gonzalo Higuaín, Juande Ramos, Képler Pepe, Pedja Mijatovic | Leave A Comment »