Real came out energized scoring 3 goals in the first half. All time leading Champions League goalscorer Raul neted 2 (the second one barely combing an Helguera header) and Ruud struck the third one home after a superb Beckham free kick. Lucio got one back heading the ball into the net on a free kick.

Beckham was sensational in the first half, dominating the midfield and moving the ball extremely well and the rest of the team moved well. In the second half, Real reverted to their old selves and elected to sit on their 3-1 lead and defend. It wasn’t a great choice and after a few good chances and a couple great saves by Casillas, the second goal for Bayern came from Van Bommel from the front of the area in the closing minutes of the match.

Allowing 2 away goals is not a good thing. On the return leg Real must tie or win to go through. If Real scores 2 goals then Bayern would have to score 4 to go through, and if Bayern scores it 3 would be a tie in goals, causing overtime or penalties. A 1-0 or 2-1 in favor of Bayern would send Bayern through.

The Spanish press, especially Marca, is determined to get rid of Capello, aside from the constant shower of critism that has no end and is quite tiring to read, it runs rumors of his resignation, his wanting to resign for a payout to free him from his contract, the club being sick of him, etc. etc, none of which there is any proof. They continually run articles talking about Michel becoming the coach of Real Madrid and run polls of who should be the manager.

Aside from all that, they insert supposed ‘facts’ about Capello into their writing in an attempt to convince their audience of what a terrible job he’s doing. Well, hello, we’ve been through 6 coaches in 3 seasons and none of the rest did any better. Most of them received the same crticism, at the time they were coaching, and it was just as tiring to read then as it is now. Real is tied with Valencia on points and 4 behind Sevilla and Barcelona, so everyone is pretty much at the same level. Does the press spend night and day criticising Frank Rijkaard and the other coaches?

 We all know that buying great players doesn’t make a great team, much of it comes down to chemistry, and Real just hasn’t found the right combination yet. Marca says Capello has run 2 different projects in the same season and doesn’t have a clear idea of what to do with the team. I would say that’s accurate. If one thing doesn’t work, you try something else, you keep trying things until you find the solution. It would be silly not to.

So Marca, give me a break, please. Stop criticising all the time, try supporting for a change. Try letting Capello and Real Madrid be, to do their work, and please don’t continue to run rumors to destabalize a team on the same day of an important Champions League, it’s a bit sickening. You may be able to brainwash some but others, like myself, will just become fed up and read other newspapers.

In the past 2 league matches Real defeated Real Sociedad 2-1 through a David Beckham free kick and a Van Nistelrooy finishing header and drew to Betis in a 0-0 scoreless draw. The club is still suffering from a lack of goal scoring ability and is definitely missing Ronaldo, who scored 2 this weekend with Milan. Fortunately for Real, the other top teams are all struggling and they are still only 4 points from the top of the table.

Tonight is the night, the big night. A screwup tonight could provide for a long end to another failed season. On the other hand, a victory could provide some relief and hope for the remainder of the season. The oppenent, Bayern Munich is also struggling domestically and lies in fourth place in the Bundesliga. This first leg match is being played tonight (Tuesday, the 20th) at the Bernabeu.

Fabio Capello has caved under the pressure of David Beckham’s teammates. After Raul, Guti, Helguera and Salgado all called for his return to the team and pointed out his exemplery behavior and dedication despite being ousted from the team.

Beckham was a happy man in training this afternoon after being called up for tomorrow’s match in San Sebastian. According to a Marca Poll, 88% of fans support Beckham’s return to the team.

Jonathan Woodgate has not signed with Middlesbrough although it was announced on both club’s Web sites. He said he has not decided and will not do so until the end of the year.

News came through today via the official Real Madrid Website that Jonathan Woodgate was sold to Middlesbrough where he has been currently playing on loan from Madrid.

Yes, Real, in need of  a central defender as Canavarro is terribly out of form have sold one of the best defenders is England who was just called up for international duty.

Real brought Woodgate to Madrid injured, spent two years treating him and paying his salary and now that he is healthy and playing brilliantly, they sell him. Does that make any sense?

This comes after they sold Ronaldo (for a measily 7.5 million when they could have gotten double at the beginning of the season) in the middle of a serious goal drought (3 goals in 8 games). Can someone explain that to me?

Beckham who is earning as much or more than anyone is sitting in a glass cage watching the matches from the stands and Antonio Cassano, who may be more deserving of his isolation, is in the same situation. Cassano, regardless of his occasional behavior problems, is still an exceptional player and could help the team while he’s still here. Do we enjoy wasting money?

Gago and Hungain are good young players but why shell out millions when you’ve got the same class players in the youth team (Just look at Miguel Torres).

If anything is to be missed of the Florentino era, the saavy financial decisions would have to be it.

Real suffered a 1-0 loss to relegation threatened Levante tonight in the Bernabeu. Levante got a goal from a penalty committed  by Diarra but the referee failed to signal a clear penalty on the other end of the field against Ruud. Real dominated the entire match and missed several great scoring opportunities. Robinho came on in the second half only to be injured shortly thereafter. The press hammered Capello after the match, as usual, and the fans are winning up a storm.

Barcelona and Sevilla both drew in there matches leaving Real still only 5 points from the head, now in 4th place behind Valencia.

Calderón is no longer the provisional president of Real Madrid. Judge Milagros Aparicio banned the postal mail vote, which therefore will not be counted. Calderón can breathe easy and the club can finally settle down and experience some stability.