Real Madrid Territory

Raúl and Van Nistelrooy get the long road towards the 10th off to a great start

Bernd Schuster's dream of bringing home the 10th European Cup in club history is alive and well if Real Madrid play as well as they did in their Champions League debut. The team was as orderly as it was unified, and Guti and Sneijder maintained it's strategy of playing offensive and vertical football. The Whites created many more chances than actually found the back of the net. The two all-time top scorers of the competition, Raúl and Van Nistelrooy, paved the way to victory against a fiesty Werder Bremen squad that proved more difficult than expected. Notch a 'W' in the win column in what was Madrid's 300th appearance in Europe's most prestigious tournament. Robben made his debut in front of the home crowd, who are excited as ever with the prospect of winning another Champions League. Keep in mind, Real Madrid have won three in the last nine years.

The excitement and jubilation swirling around the Bernabéu since Matchday 1 of the Spanish League carried over to Real Madrid's debut in the 2007/08 Champions League, and there's no better sight than thousands of smiling Madridistas pouring their hearts and souls into cheering for their team. The team's power transmits such a sense of tranquility that they may just make the mistake of underestimating the opponent; even more so if the opponent is German.

That's exactly what took place from the second the ball was kicked off, as the crowd assumed it was only a matter of time before the Whites struck gold. Werder seemed to play the role perfectly by losing the ball and handing over commanding possession to Madrid. In turn, the home side played in it's typical orderly fashion, and the new additions to the lineup -Marcelo, Gago, and Higuaín- had no negative effect on the funcionality of the team. It all seemed so storybook-like that the crowd wasn't that surprised when the first goal in this edition of the Champions League was scored. It was fabricated by the two all-time top scorers of the competition: a cross by Van Nistelrooy and a header to finish by Raúl.

THE BEST MOMENTS OF THE SEASON
What no one expected was the lightning fast reaction by Werder, who equalised one minute later thanks Sanogo. Led by Bundesliga MVP Diogo, the visitors took control of the match.

Just over the 30-minute mark, both the crowd and the team picked up the pieces and witnessed what were possibly Real Madrid's best moments so far this season. All that was missing was a goal, which could have fallen on at least five occasions. But it didn't matter to the fans, who were dazzled by the fast and vertical play offered by Guti and Sneijder. Real Madrid deserve even more credit for the ease at which they reached Wiese's box, especially given the fortitude of this Bremen squad that by now had shown its true colours. They even managed to give Iker another scare just before the half with a strike by Jensen.

Great football but poor results sums up the first half... and the ensuing 25 minutes. Madrid continued reaching the box on a regular basis, but with nothing to show for it. Raúl had the second of the night with a lob, but Wiese guessed correctly, and Van Nistelrooy had another two chances. The Dutchman's insistency would finally pay off. Roles were swapped, and this time it was Raúl who gave the assist to the Pichichi. The captain's brilliant pass was just another small detail of a perfect match.

RAÚL THE GREAT
The standing ovation by the Bernabéu was the least that this footballing legend deserved when he was substituted by Arjen Robben with less than ten to play; an ovation that was prolongued as the Dutchman took the field for the first time for Real Madrid.

Robben was very active in the closing minutes, during which Madrid relentlessly sought the back of Wiese's net. But the final whistle blew and the 300th European Cup appearance ended with a victory. The first three points of this year's Champions League remained in house, thus breaking the home debut losing streak of recent years. Yet another reason why to keep dreaming about the '10th'. It's the first step down a long road, but the dream is now a little closer.

MATCH SUMMARY:
2 – REAL MADRID: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Metzelder, Marcelo; Gago, Guti (Drenthe, 77’), Sneijder, Higuaín (Robinho, 68’); Raúl (Robben, 82’), and Van Nistelrooy.
1 – WERDER BREMEN: Wiese; Tosic, Naldo, Mertesacker, Pasanen; Baumann, Jensen, Franjes, Diego; Sanogo and Rosenberg (Hugo Almeida, 68’).
REFEREE: Howard Webb (England). Booked Vranjes, Diego, and Van Nistelrooy.
GOALS:
1-0: Min. 15: Raúl header.
1-1: Min. 16: Sanogo beats Casillas.
2-1: Min. : Van Nistelrooy finishes an assist by Raúl.
NOTES: Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League group stage. Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Attendance: 63,500.

Photo Gallery