Real madrid Fault For Losing To athletico 4-0

Atlético Madrid hammered Real
Madrid Saturday,
4-0, keeping their

hopes of defending their La Liga
title alive. Tiago and Saúl scored
four minutes apart early in the first
half as Real Madrid never really got
into the game, with Cristiano
Ronaldo and Gareth Bale being
largely invisible throughout the 90
minutes.
Los Colchoneros close the gap
between themselves and the league
leaders to four points, completely
changing the look of the title race
yet again. It's the biggest victory
for Atléti over their rivals since a
4-0 win at the Bernabéu in 1987.
It's also the first time in 22
games Los Blancos failed to score a
goal.
Need more examples of just how
dominating this performance was?
Real Madrid had one shot on target.
ONE!
Despite losing Koke to a hamstring
injury in the opening 10 minutes,
Atléti's early pressure was
rewarded in the 14th minute when
Tiago's blast from the top of the
penalty area skipped off Iker
Casillas' hands and over the line. It
really was a ball that Iker should've
saved, but Madrid will be
disappointed that Tiago was
allowed to make a late run into so
much space just 20 yards from the
goal.
Less than four minutes later, Saúl,
who'd replaced the injured
Koke, scored a spectacular bicycle
kick to double the home side's lead,
2-0. Guillherme Siqueira did the
heavy lifting to help create the
chance, working down to the end
line before lifting a short cross back
in front of goal. Saúl was given far
too much space and he scored a
highlight reel goal that sent the
Calderon faithful into hysterics.
Early in the second half Raúl García
picked up a yellow card -- which
wouldn't be a big deal except for
the fact he wasn't in the match. He
was on the sideline warming up.
Atléti had a run of chances midway
through the second half to put the
game away, but no one could get
their shot on target. Antoine
Griezmann tried to match Saúl with
a bicycle kick of his own, but the
shot went over the crossbar. Mario
Mandžukić had a great chance
disrupted by Dani Carvajal , and
Tiago mishit a brilliant chance in
front of Casillas.
But all the pressure was a sign that
Madrid were breaking down. In the
67th minute Arda Turan sent the
ball back across goal with a lovely
header at the far post where
Griezmann beat Raphael Varane,
one touching the ball into the empty
net to make it 3-0.
Fernando Torres helped put a cherry
on top of the day, setting up
Mandžukić in the 89th minute with
a sublime cross to the big striker
who hammered the ball past
Casillas for the fourth and final
goal.
Atlético Madrid: Moyá, Juanfran,
Miranda, Godín, Siqueira, Turan,
Gabi, Tiago, Koke (Saúl 9' (Raúl
García 71')), Mandžukić, Griezmann
(Torres 77')
Goals: Tiago (14'), Saúl (18'),
Griezmann (67'), Mandžukić (89')
Real Madrid: Casillas, Coentrão,
Nacho, Varane, Carvajal, Isco
(Illarramendi 68'), Kroos, Khedira
(Jese 45'), Ronaldo, Benzema
(Chicharito 73'), Bale
Goals: None.
3 things
1. Real Madrid's midfield is a mess.
Losing Luka Modrić was a blow, but
one that Carlo Ancelotti was able to
work around thanks to James
Rodriguez. Now with the Colombian
sidelined for two months, things are
not looking good. Sami Khedira just
isn't good enough, and if a team
can mark out Isco, it really limits
what Los Blancos can do. It doesn't
stop Madrid from being dangerous,
but if you can overwhelm their
midfield and disrupt their
possession, it can take Ronaldo and
Bale out of the match. If Madrid
hold on to win the title, it'll be
down to Ancelotti once again
figuring out how to make his
midfield work with important
pieces missing.
1a. Finally, can we all agree that
Toni Kroos is NOT a holding
midfielder?