Are there too many clasicos? Real and Barcelona huff and puff but cannot blow down the houses erected by their two substitute goalkeepers, Lopez and Pinto. Real’s Varane scores to equalise, but is the Copa asking for two clasicos too many ? Match report by James Bogie….
Match Report by James Bogie
Match: Real Madrid v Barcelona, Spanish Cup first Semi Final, 2100 30 January 2013
Stadium: Bernabeu, Madrid
Blogger and commentweetor: James Bogie.
Type of ticket and seating of our commentator: Category Two tickets (End view)
Expected Line-ups
Real Madrid: Adan, Essien, Carvalho, Arbeloa, Varane, X. Alonso, Khedira, Modric, Ozul, Ronaldo (who?), Benzema
Barcelona: Pinto, Alba, Pique, Puyol, Alves, Xavi, Fabregas, Busquets, Pedro, Iniesta and Messi.
Italian Blue Division Pilots who bombed Barcelona in March 1938: Cassiani, Rossagnigo, Di Tullo, Corti, Montanari, Ruspoli, Zucconi
Referee: Clos Gomez
Forecast by James Brodie: 0-5 (manita)
Madrid is inundated with travel professionals this week as it is the FITUR tourism fair. I may attend that tomorrow if I get a freebie; through my connections with SpanishKicks.com I am vaguely considered to be involved in tourism. There are usually lots of La Rioja wine stands with serrano ham and a few seafood specialities from Galicia so that will be very nice. But time to focus on the big match.
You can bet that most of the crowd did not pay for their ticket they will be company invites. But there is sure to be an electric atmosphere inside a packed Bernabeu Stadium tonight as these two old Spanish classics clash. Iker is not playing, balancing things nicely (now neither team will have a goally…). I’ll be posting my usual twottle here in the build up to this Copa del Rey sizzler. First I am off to a brilliant Peruvian restaurant in Puerta del Angel for ceviche and pork.
The press is reporting today that, guess who, Man City will bid for Davie Villa. That is appalling news. #dontgodavid
Better news coming from respected tweeterlings: “el clasico en la tribuna”. This regards #exceptionalfootballingtotty. The tribuna is the posh seats at the Bernabeu. The WAG squad perched there tonight will be quite spectacular, one imagines. Not sure if Shakira Pique will be there but Messi, Ronado and Fabrigas all have Golden Boots. Even Iniesta’s girlfriend is tasty. But if Guti can pull it off (look left, then right, then left again!) I suppose anyone can.
Wolfgang has tweeted asking about restaurants in Madrid where you are likely to see football players. For those of you lame enough to want to hobnob with these moral wrecks my tips are: the casino, Hot at Plaza de Colon (the knocking shop that ensured Roberto Carlos’ loyalty at Real for so long) and the (in)famous Asador Donostierra. The latter being the admittedly top-notch Basque eaterie where the Real Madrid top brass took their Bayern Munich counterparts before last season’s UEFA cup semi. Apparently the Madridistas overcooked their steaks a bit by appearing to patronise the Munich munchers, who ended up as sauerkrauts, complaining the Real Board’s dinner patter involved talking as if they were already in the final.
Talking with your mouth full – shocking manners. It is an elegant tradition though, and even the Barça people are invited to dinner at Asador Donostierra before the Clasicos. I suspect these occasions are more about the next real estate/construction deal being carved up between ultra-rich company chairmen than brawny football chauvinism. Quite often you will see a photo of the Madrid players tucking into a large chuletón or three at this Asador, the wine apparently flowing. Good publicity I’d say.
If your brand of celebrornithology includes Mourinho, try the public Baths at La latina.
I am writing this from the terraza of a bar on Plaza Santa Ana, in central Madrid. There were a few buckshee Barcelona fans around here earlier, looking far too jovial and sober for my liking. And not Japanese enough. I have forgotten to tweet out to Arancha and the staff at #JoseAlfredo, currently the best bar in #theworld’sbestcitymadrid.
Madrid is regarded as the capital of the world by most sensible people. Even some who are not, Hemingway for instance, who actually coined the phrase. Madrid is the benchmark, the bottom line. Anything involving drink, food and the pursuit of dark -eyed women by red-eyed men, must and does begin and end here. In the capital.
Madrid is so far ahead of any other city in Spain it is laugh: even with a detestable football team followed by lilly-livered sychophants. How does that work? From breakfast to the end of lunch at 7 pm, from Lavapies to Chamberi, I salute the real Madrid. And Real Madrid is anything but the real Madrid. Maybe its antithesis ?
Just jumping into a cab now, have been getting a few beers down with some of the www.spanishkicks.com team. Chants of “Atleeeeee-tiii” ringing around Plaza Olavide. Iniesta v Real Madrid kicks off in only about one hour. There is a hell of a lot of traffic, gettng a cab is always daft in Madrid with such a good Metro system.
Some clasico goal stats. Ronaldo has scored 7 goals in the 6 clasicos he has played in, Messi has scored 17 in 23 matches, and could beat Alfredo di Stefano’s record of 18 tonight. Messi has also made another 10 goals in clasicos, apparently.
Arrived at #bernabeu at last after a snail pace taxi ride and semi fracas with madrid-supporting twat, not very nice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
i have got seated near the away supporters end at the Bernabeu. great view of an impressive stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Of course there are very few Barsa fans here, except the apparent neutrals, the “Ronaldinho clappers” | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Diego lopez will be in goal for Real Madrid, that will be a laugh…. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I’m betting Shakira and Pique’s baby on a Barsa win, the madrid team was greeted with some cheering, now on the pitch warming up | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Atmosphere hotting up here, the stadium is now about two thirds full, many stilll quaffing the low alcohol beer they serve at the bernabeu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
without telling you…I’d love a butifarra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tweeting out to The Silver Fox at Kitty O’Shea’s in Barcelona, there will be quite an atmosphere up there in Sarria… | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thanks for your messages about the likelihood of Messi surpassing Alf Di Stefano tonight as highest ever clasico scorer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Which Argy hitman will it be: little leo or Auld Alf? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maybe compatriot Di Maria will chip in tonight though, if he can oust the girlish Modric from the line up | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The real key to the match I suspect is in the hands of Iniesta however | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Only 10 mins to go before KO. Players have gone off to remove their jackets and roll up sleeves | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It’s almost time for that irritatingly loud #halamadrid song they play here. The one that is not nearly as good as #totsalcamp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Modric has just snogged Marcelo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Madrid’s defence looks well shaky: Varane, Essien, Arbeloa and Art Garfunkel (aka Carvalho) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
That is #pileofshite and should be ripped apart by the Innies and The Messis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Trust Art Carvalho has learnt his lines “Hello Darkness my old friend…. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
They’re off to a large (ish) cheer from a mainly neutral crowd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ronaldo breaks down the left and pantomime jumps over Pique #stampoutpenaltyfraud
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RT @SpanishKicks: Live on Twitter tonight 2100: Real Madrid v Barcelona, Copa del Rey Semi Final: Pre-match comments a… http://t.co/df …
RT @SpanishKicks: Live on Twitter tonight 2100: Real Madrid v Barcelona, Copa del Rey Semi Final: Pre-match comments a… http://t.co/df …