Real Madrid: The season so far

• We have one: From the first two matches of Liga BBVA, Real Madrid have managed only 1 point. Playing against the new look Valencia with old Real Madrid players, (including Soldado and Gago), all the defending champions could manage was a hard fought draw. Which actually was not a bad start keeping in mind Valencia look like a team that is going to be a tough nut to crack this season. Then this week staying in Madrid, the Los Merengues travelled to the Coliseum where the gladiators of La Liga (pointing towards Real Madrid) managed to miss many opportunities to take a 3 goals lead in the first half and ended up finally losing the game which included a lack lustre performance in the second half. However, this no way points towards that the La Liga title is already lost, playing two tough matches and earning one point doesn’t mean ‘congratulation Barcelona for La Liga 2012-13 title’ – all it means is like last year, this year also it is not going to be a rosy ride towards winning the Liga BBVA.

• Welcome David Guetta with incredible footballing skills to Bernabeu: Finally, finally and once more finally, Croatian Luka Modric has joined Real Madrid on a 5-year-deal costing almost £33million and except Los Blancos, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is the other winner. He not only got a good deal for Modric but also managed to get Real Madrid to sign a partnership deal which will allow Spurs to exchange players and coaches with Madrid and the contract also includes a future friendly between the North Londoners and Liga BBVA Champions.

• He came, we didn’t see him and he went: That my friends is the story of our Turkish star Nuri Sahin and who with lots of love is called as Nuricorn (Nuri+Unicorn). He joined Madrid with huge expectation but what can the poor fellow do with expectation when he just can’t fit into Jose Mourinho’ plan. So after one full season of not even warming the benches and actually warming the Bernabeu seats or the hotel room couches, Nuri Sahin has left for Anfield on a year long loan. There were huge possibilities that he would have joined Arsenal instead of Liverpool but Arsenal wanted a permanent deal clause included in the contract which really didn’t materialise with the guys at Bernabeu. So, Sahin shall now play Swansea style football for Brendan Rodgers at Anfield.

• Pepe had too much of Iker: So at Bernabeu, during the first match Real Madrid not only lost 2 points but also lost their centre back Pepe due to a head injury caused by a big time collision with Saint Iker Casillas. I added Saint so that our Barcelona friends understand that it was not on purpose and so that Marca don’t end up making news that Iker wants Pepe to leave so he gave the signal on the field. Due to this head injury, Pepe also missed the El Clasico and that caused deep sadness to Dani Alves as he felt alone at Camp Nou. As head injuries are always taken seriously at all the clubs around the world, there are still no fixed dates for Pepe to return to full time football.

• Valdes was the thirteenth man: Coming back to Santiago Bernabeu from Camp Nou with a 3-1 loss would have looked like a lost cause for the Madridistas for the second leg of Super Copa. But thanks to Victor Valdes’ howler, Real Madrid will welcome their Catalan friends with not one but two away goals. Di Maria’s presence of mind and great speed and Valdes’ dance moves in front of his own goal helped Real Madrid earn that critical second away goal and also open up the Super Cup for the second leg to be played at Santiago Bernabeu. This called for Valdes to earn the 13^th man title as 12^th man is always with Jose Mourinho.