Having come so near (well, nearish) to reaching the Champions League final, there were a fair few moans, groans and tears from the Real Madrid players after their whopping semi-final epic against Borussia Dortmund. Yet one player remained relatively straight-faced - a certain goalkeeper and club captain who spent the evening sat on the bench, and would have done the same at Wembley, had Real Madrid prevailed. La Liga Loca imagines that may not have been a fun experience.
While early misses from the Real Madrid forward line ultimately cost the side what would've been an incredible victory against Dortmund, the crowd certainly didn't let the side down. The noise in the opening ten minutes and closing period was as loud as anything the blog can remember in Real MadridâÂÂs back yard.
However, the German side were worthy winners over the two legs, although this will be overlooked a little in the Madrid press thanks to one or two thunder-stealing post-match revelations from José Mourinho. This is why ITV should be applauded for cutting off the Madrid coach just before his possible âÂÂIâÂÂm off to Chelseaâ confession.
Still, Mourinho saved a few zingers for the press conference, with a âÂÂnobody likes me and I do careâ diatribe admitting that âÂÂof course, I want to be where people love me without reservation, where they love all aspects of me.âÂÂ
The soon-to-be-departing Madrid manager revealed that âÂÂin England, they love me. Especially one club.â A great day for Port Vale is around the corner perhaps, unless LLLâÂÂs tea-leaves are very much wrong this morning.
There will be plenty of time to digest MourinhoâÂÂs latest moans over the weeks to come, but for the moment, the local papers are still clutching their tissues thinking about what might have been, had Real Madrid tried a little harder at winning an injury time penalty. âÂÂI believed,â declared MarcaâÂÂs headline on Wednesday.
âÂÂGoodbye, goodbye, goodbye. Goodbye to the Champions League final,â wrote AS editor, Alfredo Relaño. âÂÂBut a great goodbye, a suffered goodbye after an assault on the castle that was the 4-1 from the first leg.â Poor Tomás Roncero is a little distraught after a third successive semi-final failure, and slams the âÂÂcowardlyâ Howard Webb for not giving Cristiano Ronaldo a late penalty, even though that was probably the brave move to make considering the stadium the referee was in at the time. The AS columnist also has some parting words for José Mourinho, writing that âÂÂin three years he never understood the greatness of this club. I feel more part of Madrid than ever.âÂÂ
Over in the Catalan capital, Sport are all with the nastiness with the headline of âÂÂGoodbye Mou! Disaster complete.â Inside, Josep Maria Casanovas opines that a similar night of drama in the Camp Nou is unlikely with Barcelona 4-0 down to Bayern Munich. âÂÂDonâÂÂt be mistaken, we are not pessimistic, we are realistic. But despite this, Barcelona should not give up anything for lost. Mundo Deportivo are only half gloating at Real MadridâÂÂs misery, with a split front cover that boasts of âÂÂBarça prideâ and chuckles at âÂÂGoodbye to The Tenth.âÂÂ
Although a 4-0 deficit has never been overturned in the Champions League, the Barça camp are doing their duty by talking a good fight. âÂÂIf thereâÂÂs one team that can comeback from 4-0, itâÂÂs Barça. If we fall short, then we have to fall short well,â said Tito Vilanova. Gerard Piqué rather tickled LLLâÂÂs tummy by saying that âÂÂitâÂÂs a day to be kids again, to believe and to stop having the common sense that characterises us.âÂÂ
If thereâÂÂs one thing Real Madrid have taught Barça, itâÂÂs that goals are fairly important in football, and teams often have a tendency to fall to pieces once one or two have been scored. Much like their rivals on Tuesday night, Barcelona have to score early to have a chance, but a couple of moments of Messi magic before half time...and PiquéâÂÂs dreams may come true.
