Mesut Leaps On Top Of Cristiano Ronaldo! The Madrid Derby's Mesut-Centric Match Report & Spam!

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The Madrid Derby - Real Madrid 4 Atletico Madrid 1 - Mesut Tells Off The Official &
Leaps On Top of Cristiano Ronaldo!

The Mesut-Centric Match Report & Spam!

A Couple Of Pre-Match Notes!


Mesut spent the pre-match hours listening to Sami telling him what to do (as always!) -

And following him wide-eyed around the stadium!

The Derby was Mesut's 150th in cumulative First League play and his 50th for Madrid. He debuted when he was 17, coming on for Hamit Altintop (pictured above and his teammate at Madrid) in a league match with Schalke. The Real Madrid website people put up a special feature article commemorating the event, with the following helpful chart!






The Match Spam!


The Madrid derby is arguably Madrid's most important game of the league calendar, though a largely televised audience means the attention (and pressure) for the Barcelona derby seems rather greater. Madrid had won 12 consecutive derbies and hadn't lost one since the autumn of 1999!

 



Usual pre-match nervous hair-fiddling!


Did I mention Madrid hadn't lost since 1999? The Ultras made sure everyone remembered that - by unveiling their usual fabulous banner in the stands. In this case: a gambler putting all his chips on white (cheeky!) -





Mesut certainly didn't look fussed! (This is my favourite picture to come out of the evening because it shows off his crinkly ears to perfection!)





And as it happens the bookies (and they know their stuff!) had Atletico at 27:1. Which is awfully dire, actually.





Mesut was reunited on the pitch (though on opposite sides) with the Brazilian Diego (formerly of Wolfsburg and Juventus) with whom he had played very successfully at Werder Bremen. It is worth remembering that Mesut was briefly Diego's name-sake, his nickname at Werder Bremen being "Der Neue Diego" or "The New Diego" because he was seen as the successor to the Brazilian's play-making role in that team by the fans. Diego, as some of us will remember, was a temperamental, mercurial genius, who was an immense fan favourite at Mesut's club. They were very good friends and he was fond of picking Mesut up during goal-celebrations.

Mesut's first significant action (above) was putting Benzema through on goal.





We didn't see much of Diego though because although they were a goal ahead within a quarter hour, Atleti managed to piss it all away in that inimical fashion they have, by having their keeper sent off after denying a Benzema chance inside the box. When the reserve keeper came on, Diego was taken off. We'll have to wait until next time!

Friend Crispy Ronaldo scored off the resulting free-kick (naturally - takes them like a German that boy!). Meanwhile, Mesut was doing all the usual things he does in a game - like setting up his corners -



This adorable gif has healing powers! Better than Aspirin for a migraine!


Running around looking adorable -



Ditto!


And refusing to get involved, along with sensible friend Crispy Ronaldo, in the usual handbags and lipstick that promptly broke out during one of Angel di Maria's very minor exaggerations after being pushed down in a fight (by a typically hot-headed Diego, as it happens!).

Observe the following gif and you will note 7 players crowded around Angel. The wounded Cherub himself is on the floor. Crispy and Mesut stand apart. Iker is off at his goal. 7 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 11! All Madrid players accounted for!



Wouldn't be a proper derby without wounded cherubs, handbags & lipstick!


Sami (and Sergio too - the friend who has replaced Diego in Mesut's life for Latin excitement and being picked up for no reason during practice and goal-celebrations) looks hot in this gif, so I'm throwing it in as well -



This post's absolutely gratuitous Sami Khedira picture -
note Diego being carded!


At any rate - as noted above - the keeper was sent off, Diego left the pitch, Mesut helped congratulate Benzi for his beautiful run into the box -





- and Crispy scored a typically German penalty!


 





Crispy jumped into the air with Pepe and Marcelo (silly boys!). Mesut high-fived Alonso and Benzi!

A goal down, a man down, the game became absurdly niggly. Mesut's entire right side was covered in grass-stains in no time -





- mainly because he was fouled a great deal throughout the match, often to keep him from breaking - as the following two gifs illustrate -


 





It should also be pointed out that Mesut's genuine outrage whenever he's hacked down never gets old!



"I have been fouled! How is this possible??"


And I mean to say really - they could not get enough of him. At some points in the game, two players were competing for the chance to wrestle Mesut to the ground!



Full disclosure: Jenny would wrestle Mesut to the ground.




"The ball is mine! Mine!"


Mesut continued his rather beautiful passing (and his passing in this game, when he wasn't being hacked down, was beautiful as always) -





But when the fouls continued (like above when he was obstructed recovering the ball) he got rather cheesed off and nearly got into hot-water with the official. My commentator noted sagely that "it's good to see Mesut Ozil's Spanish is coming along so well!"


 



Cheeky Mesut covered in grass-stains is my favourite Mesut!


Mourinho was to note after the game (indulging in some cheek himself) that: "It's a good thing my players had their fibre-glass shin-pads. They are expensive, but they work."



It's German for "card the bastard!"


All that rioting, fouling, sending off and goal-celebrating meant that the first period had 3 minutes of extra time. Mesut took the last kick of the first half for Madrid's final corner -





And whatever it was he said can't have irritated the official too much. He seemed rather friendly when he handed Mesut the ball. Mesut on the other hand looked rather sheepish at whatever it was he said to him ("You messed up your tenses when you were sussing me out"?) -





- and fiddled nervously with his hair while waiting for the whistle -





Madrid had equalized, but was not yet ahead. Not to worry. A nice pass from Mesut to Crispy and a stunning assist for an even better finish from our resident Cherub, Angel di Maria, had Madrid up 2:1 in no time!



Everything about the build up to this goal is spectacular.


Angel was thrilled. Cuddling and happiness quickly resulted!


 



I love how Lass creeps into the group hug!


And Mesut, as he often does now during goal-celebrations, gestured at the crowd to make more noise!



"It's a Derby, not the public-library!"


But the evening's best moment from our point of view had happened a moment before, and was captured by the cameraman - thank goodness! It was Mesut celebrating with Crispy for their role in setting up the goal! Note how Crispy gestures for him to do it!



Croezil! It lives! It lives!


And why not? It was a stunning goal!





I'm sure we all hope Mesut leaps on top of random teammates in every game! (I vote for Sami Khedira next)





But quite frankly, nothing could possibly top Gonzalo Higuain's goal - the build-up, the speed with which Madrid got out of their half of the pitch and Pipita's sheer audacity in getting the ball away from the defender. It was stunning!





And having made the run up the pitch with him, Mesut got first dibs in cuddling Pipita but made sure to keep his bromantic options open by making eyes at Karim!





Mesut was fouled once more before coming off. He and the official were certainly on better terms by that point.





Mesut's final action of the night was to chase down the ball at the corner flag before coming off for Coentrao.



I love how the fans clap anyway!


He got much love from the crowd and a high-five from friend Crispy (who sought him out as he was leaving) and nervously wiped his nose, as he always does when he comes off. It always amazes me how all his on-the-pitch swagger leaves him (and all his shyness returns) the moment he is no longer playing and how he can never look up at the supporters!





Madrid remains unbeaten in a streak of 13 years worth of Derbies with their cross-town rivals.





Next match this weekend, away to Sporting Gijon!

Madrid are now 6 points up, Getafe having managed to beat the second placed team on the table in the game following this one on Saturday!


Masses of affection, as always, for andriy_7 who spent hours making 60 gifs, sent nearly 100 pictures, and did practically all the research! Is there a more devoted fan? I think not actually! In a practical sense the business of conserving Mesut's matches in continuous loops (and providing incidental pain-relief) has been cornered 100% by our beloved andriy_7!

Match report compiled and written by me, jenny_jenkins
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