Real Madrid won 3-1 versus Real Zaragoza with goals from Kaka, Ronaldo and Ozil after we had gone down to a Lafita goal early on.

Starting XI: Casillas ; Altintop, Carvalho, Pepe, Marcelo; Granero, Alonso; Ozil, Kaka, Cristiano, Benzema

Bench: Adan, Higuain, Arbeloa, Lass, Varane, Callejon and Coentrao.

10 Conclusions from the game:

1. The curious case of Nuri Sahin continues. Sahin having been named in the squad for the game wasn't in the starting XI or on the bench. It is difficult for me to figure out why a €10million signing is not playing as many games as he should. Is there an injury worry behind it? If there were one, he wouldn't have been part of the squad to begin with. Even if he is a signing for the future, omitting him completely is not doing his confidence any good.
2. Interesting back line in the absence of Ramos. Albiol not included in the XI or the bench. Looks like Albiol will be offloaded in the summer. Backline of Altintop, Carvalho, Pepe and Marcelo performed well but for Marcelo who looked more of a liability in defence. He was caught out when Zaragoza scored and looked solid in attack than in defence.
3. Mourinho again went with Ozil and Kaka in attack with the usual pairing of Ronaldo + Higuain/Benzema. The pairing of Kaka and Ozil worked beautifully. Both players were practically everywhere, creating chances and having a crack at the goal. And this is clear from the fact that both were on the scoresheet and had an assist each.
4.  Xabi Alonso wasn't his usual self today. Despite having pass completion rate of 96% he was slow on the ball on many occasions. There weren't any brilliant long balls played splitting the defence or long balls to cover the entire width of the pitch. There were hints of injury as he went directly into the tunnel when substituted by Lass.
5. Granero had another stellar game in midfield. He was fantastic in defence and in attack. He was able to do his job without any difficulty owing mainly due to the movement around him by Kaka and Ozil thereby allowing him to stay in the middle and rotate the ball around. Not the best thing to say but injury to Sami Khedira has been a blessing for Granero and for many of us who wanted to see more of the Canteranos in action.
6. Man of the match? It would be difficult to pick the man of the match between Granero and Ozil. Both were incredible throughout the 90 minutes and played pivotal role for the team. But, if I had to pick one I would pick Mesut Ozil. His passing, skills, deft touches and controls were simply mesmerizing.
7. Our injury list may rise with both Marcelo and Alonso looking like they picked up something to keep them out for a few weeks. While Alonso's situation is still uncertain, Marcelo is definitely injured but the extent of his injury hasn't been revealed yet. Thanks to the depth of our squad am not really concerned but the defensive midfield situation may need some covering with Khedira out already.
8.  Marcelo was seen limping near the end of the game. He came back in and stood in midfield to pass the ball around without making any movement. Commendable to see his sportsmanship to stay on the pitch to help his team even though we were 3-1 ahead and in a comfortable situation.
9. While the comebacks are a lot of fun and keep the excitement going, it shouldn't be a regular feature! In the last four games we've gone down first only to rally back and win. It's fun but let's not overdo it please!
10. Not related to the game but after the game there were reports suggesting Jose Mourinho would leave in the summer irrespective of the outcome of the league and/or UEFA Champions League. One side of me thinks it's just another rumour and he will stay but another side of me thinks its going to happen. The source of the story (in this case Duncan Castles) is a credible journalist working for a credible newspaper (The Times) thereby making it hard not to believe.

What did you guys make of the game? Who was your man of the match?

Villarreal hosted FC Barcelona right after we played and the game ended in a 0-0 draw. This helped extend our lead to 7 points with 18 games to go. Great to extend the lead but a long way to go before we can celebrate!

10 Conclusions: Real Madrid 3-1 Real Zaragoza is a post from The Real Madrid Fan!

Ronaldo v Granada

On Saturday we won 5-1 against Granada at the Bernabeu. Benzema scored two goals, Ramos and Higuain bagged the third and the fourth. The fifth was scored by Cristiano Ronaldo and possibly the most talked about goal of the game. After scoring, Cristiano didn't celebrate or even smile. This reaction was strange given we were up 5-1 and in a dominant position. His reaction received plenty of criticism from media outlets across the globe. Even in our Merengue Bites podcast, others thought his reaction needed to be better. I, on the other hand, think his reaction is a positive sign for Madridistas.

Clearly he was frustrated as he wasn't able to score from previous opportunities that he had. He had been on target on numerous instances only he failed to hit the back of the net on all of those chances. His desperate attempts to score a goal and non celebration signified how he wishes to do his best and achieve the best. And, if he does achieve his personal glories, it only helps the team at the end of the day. Having said that, his personal glories isn't what am after but team glory is what matters to me.

Ronaldo is on the receiving end of blame when things aren't going well. Especially when it comes to the Clasico where he was blamed for not carrying the team forward when it mattered. So in this situation he was trying to do his best and that's by scoring goals. When he did get the goal, he didn't celebrate mainly because he wasn't happy with his performance.

What do you guys think?

Why sulky Ronaldo is a good thing for Madridistas is a post from The Real Madrid Fan!

In the 9th minute, Di Maria slotted in a pass for Benzema whose left footed shot was saved by Sevilla's keeper - Javi Varas. Ronaldo's rebound shot was saved comfortably by the keeper in the end.

The pressure continued and we made most of the opportunity, as two minutes later, Di Maria slipped in a pass between two Sevilla defenders for Ronaldo to score from outside his right foot. 0-1 up in the 11th minute.

A minute later, Iker Casillas showed why he's the saviour, the saint! With Navas finding space inside the box, he passed the ball into an unmarked Manu who had the easiest of tasks of putting the ball into the back of the net. But, Casillas sprung out from the other side of the post to help maintain our lead and keep the ball out.

Casillas showed further proof of his amazing abilities as he pushed wide a long-range shot from Trochowski on for a corner.

To prove how woeful we were in defence, Alvaro Negredo controlled an aerial ball on to his left foot, turned around and then had the time and room to shoot it on the far post. Luckily for us, Manu, who failed to score, was in an offside position.

Di Maria helped extend the lead as he provided another assist. This time it was the surprise starting XI entrant, Callejon on the end of it. He beat the offside trap and got the deftest of touches to make it 0-2 in the 37th minute.

Ronaldo put us in a comfortable position as we took a 3-0 lead. The Portuguese striker scored a belter in the 41st minute with Varas standing no chance to save that.

To make matters difficult for us, Pepe saw red with a minute to go into half time. He had been booked earlier on and received a second yellow for a hand in the face of Alvaro Negredo while battling for the ball. A definite booking in my opinion. To make up for the defensive imbalance, Callejon was sacrificed and Raul Albiol was brought on.

At half time, the score read 0-3 to Real Madrid but we were down to 10 men which made things slightly easier for Seville for the second half.

The second half picked off as the first ended. Sevilla continued to pile on the pressure while the man disadvantage proved to be a difficulty for us.

However, Di Maria made it 0-4 after a neat exchange of passes between Cristiano and Benzema on the half way line put the Argentine through on goal. He made no mistake in putting it past the keeper.

Two minutes later, Jesus Navas put some belief into Sevilla fans of a possible comeback. His shot went through Ramos' legs and past Iker in the far corner. Nothing Casillas could do to stop that. 1-4 in the 68th minute.

Six minutes later, Manu saw a straight red card for a late tackle on Arbeloa near the half way line. Seemed harsh due to the proximity of him being far away from goal but given the nature of La Liga referees who have been card happy off late, it came as no surprise. Both teams down to ten men.

Ronaldo got his hatrick with four minutes to go. After being clear on goal, Ronaldo played a heavy touch which landed in the path of Benzema. The Frenchman dribbled into the area and was brought down. As he went down, he clutched his knee rather than the ankle which was taken down. Ronaldo stepped up to take the penalty and put it in the back of the net. Varas went the right way but the speed in the ball carried it past him. It became 1-5 in the 86th minute.

The mauling was complete three minutes later. Cristiano passed the ball into an oncoming Alonso who put the ball into the box for Altintop in the centre of the box. The Turk neatly tucked it in to get his first goal as a Real Madrid player. 1-6 in the 89th minute.

Sevilla pulled another goal into stoppage time. Former Real Madrid youth player, Negredo went past Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas to make it 2-6 in the 92nd minute.

With that, we go into the end of the year as league leaders by 3 points. We do have Ponferradina next week in Copa del Rey but as far as La Liga is concerned, it's see you next year! Hala Madrid!

Sevilla hit for a six! Real Madrid win 6-2 (AGAIN!) is a post from The Real Madrid Fan!

UEFA Champions League Draw [Image via AFP/Getty Images

After winning 6 games out of 6 in the group stages, Real Madrid will face CSKA Moscow in the round of 16.

The first leg would take place away from home on 21 February. The return leg would be at the Bernabeu on 14 March.

Real Madrid as the group winners could have faced any of the group runners-up in: Napoli (Italy), CSKA Moscow (Russia), FC Basel (Switzerland), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Marseille (France), Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia) and AC Milan (Italy).

The next stage of the draw (if we do progress to the next round) would take place on 16 March, 2012.

Real Madrid to face CSKA Moscow in the round of 16 is a post from The Real Madrid Fan!

Having heard (read?) from two Barcelona fans, it's time to look at the Real Madrid camp. How are the whites shaping up before the Clasico? Having been on a 15 game winning streak, will this be the end or will we march on?

Just like the Barcelona camps' story, I spoke to two Madridistas for their thoughts on the game tomorrow. Jose (Galapago555 on Twitter) and Alvaro (Nemetuit on Twitter), two Madridistas based in Spain, very kindly answered my questions.

Tanuj: How do you think Real Madrid have been doing so far this season?

Alvaro: Real Madrid is doing very well this season. Last season was very good too, but this one has evolutionated and become stronger - in and out of the stadium. This team looks like a champion.

Jose: We are doing much better than last season, but there’s still a huge room for improvement. Sometimes the team looks absent from the pitch, somehow “disconnected”.

Tanuj: Not going to beat around the bush so what do you think will be the starting XI in your opinion? In the presser, Karanka has already said 4-3-3 will be used, is it the right formation?

Alvaro: Karanka said we will use 4-3-3 but it's a thricky 4-3-3. This formation seems very offensive but I think the 3 mildfielders will be Xabi, Lass and Khedira. The rest of the team: Iker, Arbeloa Ramos Pepe Marcelo, Di María CR... and Benzema. I like this formation because Ozil is not playing well and Kaká has been out for a month, so he can not play a match like this from the begining.

Jose: Iker / Lass-Ramos-Pepe-Marcelo / Sami-Xabi-Özil / DiMa-Pipa-CR7

Tanuj: What are the positives and weaknesses of Real Madrid going into the Clasico?

Alvaro: Positives: attitude; "hunger of glory"; great moment of CR, Benzema, Marcelo, Ramos, Di María and Higuaín; the Bernabéu; different possibilities to play (they can dominate the ball or play fastbreak); very strong (physically and mentally)

Negative: This team has not played a lot of great matches and some players could get nervous and make mistakes or be booked or ejected; Arbeloa is not 100%; Ozil

Jose: Positives: We have been playing together for 18 months; we’re stronger than last season.

Negatives: I feel a worrying atmosphere of optimism. We’re in good shape, but our rivals are strong. The strongest club side currently.

Tanuj: Real Madrid are on 15 game unbeaten run, do you think Barcelona can stop us?

Alvaro: Of course. Barça is a great team and they know how to play these kind of matches. They have won or tied last clashes at Bernabéu and Messi, Xavi, Iniesta (and Alexis) play at Barça.

Jose: Hopefully they won't.

Tanuj: Real have been praised for their quick counter attack, how do you think Barcelona can cover that?

Alvaro: Playing as they use to do: with a lot of ball possesion and by pressing Xabi.

Jose: As they usually do: to keep the possession of the ball until unimaginable levels. If we can get close to 45% possession, probably that will mean we’re prevailing.

Tanuj: How is the feeling like ahead of the Clasico in Madrid's media?

Alvaro: There is a sensation of "this time yes", people and media think Real is going to win but you know that media are not friends of Mou, so there are critics about "trivote", the suplency of Benzema or Higuaín ... But everybody thinks that Real is favourite tomorrow.

Jose: "Mixed emotions”? MARCA an AS are on that mood of enthusiasm and optimism… El País, on the other hand, keep on their crusade against the club and Mourinho.

Tanuj: Amongst the new signings, who do you think can make the biggest impact for Real Madrid in the Clasico?

Alvaro: Altintop and Sahin are not going to play and Callejón will play only if Di María get injured so I think Coentrao. But I think he won't be the man of the match ;)

Jose: I think that the biggest impact will come from Xabi and Pipa, maybe CR7 and DiMa as well, so no “new signers” among those…

Tanuj: In the end, what is your score prediction?

Alvaro: I don't make score predictions, sorry, but I think we'll win.

Jose: I hope I’m right when I predict a 3-2 or 3-1 for Real Madrid, with a very passionate but fairly played match.

El Clasico lookahead: Real Madrid Camp is a post from The Real Madrid Fan!

Barcelona players celebrate (Image: Reuters)

With El Clasicoa little over 24 hours to go from now, the tension and excitement is building like each time. Both sets of fans want their side to triumph and think they will too. It doesn't matter if Real Madrid are on a 15 game unbeaten run or if Barcelona haven't been at their best away from home. When it comes to Clasico, things change altogether as a sense of parity is reached.

In this preview, I intend to give a perspective from the other side of the camp - Barcelona's camp. This will help us, Madridistas, in understanding what to expect tomorrow and have a look at our competition. Jai Prasanth (yesjaypee on Twitter) and Prashanth Shriram (Prasinho_Cule on Twitter) are two Barcelona fans based in India who answered the questions I posed to them. Why two fans? Because it is fun to read what two fans of the same team think.

Tanuj: For the Madridistas who haven't been following Barcelona's recent games, could you please share how they've done in the league so far?

Prashanth: At home we've been nothing short of brilliant, but our away form is what has hurt us big time this season so far. We've had our fair share of bad luck and injuries, but I'd be lying if I said we deserved to come off with a better result in most of those games. Some of the performances have been very mediocre.

Jai: Barcelona have had a rather strange start to the league given that they have been rampant at home scoring 39 goals and letting in none in all the games played at the Camp Nou. While this is surely an exciting thing, the same, however, could not be said of the away form with a few draws and the loss at Madrid B, erm, I mean Getafe. While fatigue could be stated as one of the reasons, Barça have had to do with injuries as well. Iniesta was injured and was unavailable in the loss at Getafe and Alexis Sanchez, the new recruit had to be sidelined before he could taste some first team football after his big money move from Udinese. Afellay had to suffer a long-term injury as well which has kept him out for almost 6 months now.

Tanuj: Not going to beat around the bush so what do you think will be the starting XI in your opinion? What formation would be employed?

Prashanth: Well, Clasicos have always thrown up surprises from Pep's side. I think Pep is seriously thinking about a 3-4-3 which kind of leaves it all down to the players to have a near perfect game. I'd probably go for a regular 4-3-3 in the 1st half and change it depending on the outcome at halftime. So the only question is the front three. Villa Leo Alexis would be my choice. Maybe we might even see Cesc as a false 9 with Messi on the right and Alexis on the left.

Jai: This is an interesting question to answer. Pep is known for trying out crazy things, like Leo as false 9, which proved to be a master stroke, Dani Alves as Right Winger, and the much recent, 3 man defence. It's hard enough to predict the starting XI, and it's more so to predict the formation. One thing is, the usual 4-3-3 can be converted into a 3-4-3 without any substitutions by moving Alves up the pitch.

I'd predict Pep to play it safe with the formation by going with the standard 4-3-3.

And the lineup would be,

Valdes
Alves Pique Mascherano Abidal
Busquets
Xavi Iniesta
Cuenca Messi Sanchez

My guess is Pep would like to play the surprise card by starting with Cuenca, who's been a revelation this season after being at Barca B and then moving to Sabadell (a local third tier club) and then back to Barca. And, Sanchez has been in fine form of late and I would like if he gets the nod ahead of Villa who's had tough times in front of the goal.

And, if it's a 3-4-3, Cesc could start alongside the mid 3 with Pique sacrificed. However, Madrid are quite simply the best team in counters and I wouldn't want a defence that genuinely lacks pace.

Tanuj: What are the positives and weaknesses of Barcelona going into the Clasico?

Prashanth: Positives : We've got an almost fully fit squad, so it leaves the manager with lots of options. We've also got 2 players in Alexis and Cuenca (probably won't feature this time) who can give us other options and width as well.

Weakness : Villa and Pedro's forms are most definitely a worry. Also the defense hasn't really been top-notch with the injuries. Mascherano has been performing really well this season but we really need Puyol in top form for this game.

Jai:

Positives :

• Have had very good last few games, specially the one against Levante.
• Everyone's fit. (Except Ibi Afellay of course who's been nursing a longtime injury)
• Have had enough rest and time to prepare given the rather easy run they had in the Champions League.
• Also, the so-called Messi-dependency has lessened to an extent with Alexis getting on the scoring boots.

Weaknesses :

• Lack of pace at the back which can be very dangerous against a team like Madrid.
• The obvious knowledge of the 3 point lead (which could be extended to 6, given that Madrid have a game in hand)
• Lack of height - This could mean a lot in a game where tackles will be flying in on ground play. Aerial balls will be played by Madrid and Pique and Busquets are the only guys who are genuinely tall to win the aerial battle.
• Absence of Tito Vilanova - Not a weakness in a literal sense, this does handicap Pep a bit.

Tanuj: Real Madrid are on 15 game unbeaten run, do you think Barcelona can stop them?

Prashanth: Hard to say really. On form and collectively if you see Madrid have had a near perfect season. Ronaldo is slowly becoming more of a team player and both front 2 have been goal machines. But stats and other things are all immaterial when it comes to the Clasico. I do believe Barca can beat Madrid, but it would have to be a near perfect game like the one against Manchester United last year. If we get an early goal, we have big chance.

Jai: It's true that Real Madrid have been on a brilliant run of form, and look like they have finally gelled together as a team.(Well, we did see glimpses of that in the SuperCopa itself) But, if there's any team that can stop them, it's Barcelona. And, given the track record of Barcelona in the past few Clasicos, I do believe Barcelona can stop them. As obvious as it may sound, it is no easy job though.

Tanuj: Real have been praised for their quick counter attack, how do you think Barcelona can cover that?

Prashanth: Its nothing new really for Barcelona. Madrid have always had a lightning quick counter attack and Barca will always maintain a high line. So, can't see any real change to Barca's approach to the game. Probably less of Alves in attack like the SuperCopa.

Jai: It's almost a given that Madrid are the best team in counter attack and I am sure Pep would be having some plans to cover that. First and foremost, 4-3-3 is essential if Madrid are to be stopped. As this Barcelona side have shown time and again, the way to stop your opponents scoring is by keeping the ball possession. I think Alves would be asked to have a close eye on CRon as invariably the Madrid counters involve him. And, surely, all the Barcelona players work hard, running around, trying to win the ball back from the opponents. This has to be done properly in this game as well.

Tanuj: How is the feeling like ahead of the Clasico in Barcelona's media?

Prashanth: Frankly its been very quiet compared to other Clasicos during the Guardiola reign. everyone has pretty much conceded that Madrid are the favourites this time. Having said that, there doesn't seem to be too much noise from the Madrid corner as well. The recent Clasicos have really left a bitter taste in the mouths of both teams. So everyone is keeping a low profile as it seems.

Jai: It's well-known that neither of the media, be it EMD and Sport who are Pro Barça or AS and Marca who are Pro Madrid have been reliable or neutral. EMD have, however, surprisingly called for a Pure football in the game, which all of us hope. Sport have come up with a headline saying "They're (Madrid) afraid of him(Pep)". I am sure that is respect and not fear. Xavi will be playing his 600th game. Both the papers have specials regarding this great achievement. Let's hope the ugly face of the media doesn't pop up once the game is over.

Tanuj: Amongst the new signings, who do you think can make the biggest impact for Barcelona in the Clasico?

Prashanth: All the recent Clasicos Madrid have been able to contain everyone except the little magician. Its almost as if Messi saves his best for Madrid. I do believe Alexis is a bit of a wildcard in this one. Its been too long since Barca had a winger like him. I feel he should start on the right than left so that he can have a go at Marcelo. As much as Marcelo has improved in the last few years, there are still some doubts about him at the back.

Jai: As much as I'd like Cesc to play and make an impact on the game, I don't think he'll start and may get a chance in the second half depending on the situation. And, Alexis, being on form, is most likely to start and could very well make an impact on the game with his ability to beat players unlike a certain *cough cough* Villa.

Tanuj: In the end, what is your score prediction?

Prashanth: I'm a bit of a pessimist. I'll go with a 2-1 to Madrid. Ronaldo to score a penalty.

Jai: This has to be the toughest part, isn't it? Madrid would be satisfied with a draw as they can maintain the lead at the top of the table. Barcelona would go for the victory. But, in the end it'll end up at two goals each.
Real Madrid CF 2 - 2 FC Barcelona

With goals from CRonaldo, Higuain, Leo and Iniesta.

El Clasico lookahead: Barcelona camp is a post from The Real Madrid Fan!

Listen to the new episode here

Merengue Bites on Twitter, Podbean and available on iTunes.

Podcast- Review Sporting Gijon and look ahead to Clasico is a post from The Real Madrid Fan!

A club’s biggest asset probably are its fans. The people, who throng the stadiums, support the team even when they’re not doing well and in the current scenario, buy the clubs’ ridiculously expensive merchandise despite the financial crisis in most countries. These fans do it because it’s their hometown club, they have some sort of attachment to the club, they relate to the club in some way, they admire the clubs’ history, they like the way the club plays its football and many other possible reasons.

With change of times, these football clubs have taken to social media to increase their merchandise sales, reach out to fans for information, as a form of online journalism etc. Almost all top level clubs have an official Facebook and/or Twitter presence where they update news, information, pictures, and minute by minute updates amongst other content strategies. The main focus and primary measurement tool for these accounts are the number of likes and followers that they have. In most cases it’s dependant on the size of the club rather than the work done by the clubs’ social media team.

Real Madrid, for example, has 21 million Facebook likes and more than 2.5 million followers on Twitter. They have done well to cover the senior side and sometimes (barely) give a mention to the Basketball team but have done a woeful job when it comes to covering Real Madrid Castilla. Our youth setup would get no mention, no pictures, no updates and not even an article on the official website! All this while we’ve produced magnificent talent through our youth setup and continue to do so.

With the official Real Madrid account not doing anything to cover our youth sides, some Madridistas decided to publish information through their Twitter account without any help from the club or the journalists. They would get the information from various sources, put in their hard work and be trust worthy sources of information for our Canteranos. It wasn’t just restricted to Castilla but also to Real Madrid C and the Benjamin sides. One of them – Jaime King, used to tweet under the name @LaFabrica bearing the Real Madrid logo. He was made to change his Twitter handle and display picture or be taken to court. My simple question, why can’t the club let the guy do what he’s doing better than them? Ofcourse, if the matter is indeed taken to court then Real Madrid with its might and power will win over a “fan”.

A few months later, having changed his name and display picture, Jaime would continue to do the good job that he was doing - providing updates during a game, news and information, upcoming games etc. This time the club didn’t take any action against him or anyone for that matter but attacked all accounts covering La Fabrica by calling them FAKE and on the 8^th November announcing a new account meant just for La Fabrica.

I would have understood if the club would have called these accounts as unofficial, which would have been true but why the need to call every other account as “FAKE” when in fact, they’re doing a much better job than what they are!

Seeing this as a step too far – Jaime decided to stop tweeting about the Canteranos COMPLETELY. I understand his decision but as a fan, I wish he would reconsider. He along with the girls at Furia Valkyria and RealMadridCastilla Live are doing an amazing job to cover the Canteranos (they’re a must follow, if you aren’t following already).

I had the opportunity to talk to the girls from Furia Valkyria about the decision and their love for the club and the youth setup. They plan to continue working on the blog  and the Twitter account as much as they can.

The problem's not so much with them calling us "unoficial" (which we are) as with them calling us "fakes". "Fake" implies a will to supplant an identity, and that's never been our purpose. What we've all been doing is sharing information with the public about a section of the club that's been widely ignored: what should be their work, if you want, only they weren't doing it. We don't make a profit from this, and we don't have any special access to the information. We're just doing it because we love the club and its cantera, and we're not the only ones.

And about Jamie, well, it's quite clear that he's always been singled out, and that it looks like a personal feud. But even leaving that aside, the way the club's handled his particular case has been cowardly and just plain sad. They have the footballers themselves at hand, the means to acquire information, the bigger broadcasting opportunities. They could've just opened the account and (finally) done their job, leaving the rest of us in peace, but they had to make Jamie close his as if he was some kind of threat to them. What we get from this is that they don't like the competition, but instead of trying to win the people over with quality, they're forcing themselves onto them. I'm willing to bet the fans won't like that, though.

Thankfully, they’ve not been contacted by the club just yet or been under any threat for that matter.

We've never had any kind of contact with people from club, nor do we know anyone from inside. It's just us, being merrily ignored (at least for now).

Even though the Jaime has been threatened to be sued, the girls are determined to continue and have no reason (yet) to worry.

We'll continue our work as we've always done it. As I've said before, we've never been contacted (nor threatened with suing) by the club, so we've got no reason no change our ways. Hoping it stays like that.

I wish to thank Naru, Mer, Ela and Val from the team for answering the questions and sincerely hope they continue to do what they love without any threats.

At this point, I would like to question the club and its policies towards its fans on social networks. Will they continue to use their might against their own fans? Why was Jaime singled out when, to be honest, many of us have display pictures bearing the clubs’ escudo?

P.S. This is not a personal jibe towards anyone and wish that this is maintained.

Real Madrid target their own! is a post from The Real Madrid Fan!

This is about a Poker website where you can play poker and enjoy tournaments etc. It's completely legit (or does look legitimate) and if Poker is your thing then go ahead and sign up. On a side note, I have no idea how to play Poker. Anyone volunteering to teach me then? :P

Also, to bring you all up to date, Real Madrid play Valencia this weekend at the Mestalla. Yes, the international break is over. For updates on player injuries, squads and other information become a fan on Facebook or follow on Twitter! Hala Madrid!

Gotta earn the bread! is a post from The Real Madrid Fan!

I have some fantastic news. Yours truly along with Kaushik and Bassam of Real Madrid Football Blog kicked off a podcast dedicated entirely to Real Madrid. It's called "Merengue Bites" since Real Madrid are also called Los Merengues (after a sweet dessert).

In the first episode we talked about the Real Sociedad game at Anoeta where we won 1-0 through a Higuain goal and briefly looked ahead to the Champions League clash tomorrow v Lyon in France.

I posed the questions, while battling sleep at 5AM, to the two gentlemen in the know of things Real Madrid and they were pretty much forced to reply.

You can play the podcast from right here by using the player below or click on this link to go to the podcast site:

In the future there would be more people on the podcast and the best part for me personally is that there would be discussion about Castilla as well. Mer from Furia Valkyria Blog would discuss Real Madrid's youth setup with Bassam in a separate episode real soon so watch this space :)
Ofcourse, you can subscribe to the podcast via RSS and hopefully the podcast would be available on iTunes in some time. Would love to hear your comments on the podcast, what we can discuss, what your questions are and any way we can improve. Cheers!

Merengue Bites – A Real Madrid podcast is a post from The Real Madrid Fan!