crinkly_ears | Part Two: Valladolid vs Real Madrid - The Long-Awaited Mesuty Match Spam (Reply)

Part Two: Valladolid vs Real Madrid - The Long-Awaited Mesuty Match Spam - With Exclusive Gifs By Andriy-7!

andriy_7's gif of Mesut's gorgeous winning free kick is SO gorgeous I'm just going to give away the plot from the outset!

Mesut used to take the free kicks all the time for Werder Bremen - a team that knows how to score off them with some considerable style - from the centre and right side of the pitch. Bromantic interest Marko Marin (now at Chelsea) would take them from the left. They were often successful. Free kicks from Mesut resulted in goals against the likes of Bayern Munich and Valencia (in the Champions League).

Mesut's first free kick goal was against derby-rivals Atleti (way to pick your team!). That was a low drive that had teammate Mahamadou Diarra shouting on the bench at the rest: "You've no idea how hard that is" and bromantic interest Xabi Alonso giving him a huge cuddle. His second came against Dortmund last month. His third was at Valladolid (above).

Meanwhile, Mourinho's expression part-way through the second half:

I love how he pulls down the snood to complain.

...is well explained in part one of this spam which went up yesterday.

Aitor Karanka looks freaked out.

Incidentally, this seems a good moment to point out that our fearless leader has yet to be sent off this year (in a year when the RFEF are taking a zero-tolerance line on coaches bitching at the linesman). This is fairly spectacular, I think.

But it's a reflection of how stressful the game was that Crispy Ronaldo was carded, mainly for lip. He's adorable in a snit, don't you think?

Incidentally: the centre of Mesut's balance is an amazing thing, isn't it?

Anyway - there we were. Two all at the stroke of half-time thanks to stellar work from Bug-eyes. There was an instant change at the half, with Angel di Maria coming on (and saying hello in the best way possible - could you resist, after all?):

Mesut, attempting to tackle.

And it was a nervy half-hour until Karim Benzema went down rather easily just outside the 6 yard area.

From Cuatro's post-match coverage

Mesut always points. At what, is unclear.

And then...just as the comms were pointing out that with Ronaldo behind the ball, a right-footed Sergio Ramos to the left of it and a left-footed Mesut Ozil to the right that it would OBVIOUSLY be Ronaldo taking the kick ...

Just look at those ears!

The flight of the ball was perfection - it curled and spun to the right so perfectly that Sergio Ramos (and Mesut, for that matter) began celebrating before the ball even hit the back of the net -

Here it is from every conceivable angle:

To understand Mesut's technique: he has no run-up - not for his free kicks or his penalties, which means all the strength in his shot comes from his left ankle.

A final glance: from the unfortunate Valladolid keeper's viewpoint (it was an unstoppable shot, so nothing he could do either way):

It was Madrid's first time ahead in this game, and it was a fairly amazing way to do it. Mesut did two things we have never seen him do in a goal-celebration for Madrid. First, he slid on his knees (and had an adoring Sergio Ramos join him - and they really should have stayed on the ground for a manpile, to be quite honest):

What an adorable pair of kids.

But then he did something quite sweet (and obviously copied from Crispy Ronaldo) - he gestured at his teammates to join in! Free kick goals help with celebratory inhibitions, apparently. Notice: Luka Modric's impressive leap, Pepe's speed, Ramos's smile, and general happiness in the general rush to cuddle!

There were also high-fives for Pepe, super-special cuddles for Karim Benzema (who earned the kick) and a wink for newer bromantic interest Luka Modric:

Just as well - because Benzema (joint man of the match with a goal and assist) was straight off:

You will forgive me for saying that Mourinho plainly does not own a cat - that's no way to give it a hug (!) -

Meanwhile, Papa Jose was as pleased as Punch -

Papa Jose - satisfied at last.

Sort of...

Incidentally, this wonderfully Mesuty half wasn't done. Mesut (who was to get huge praise from Aitor Karanka for his off-the-ball movement during this match in addition to his goals - and who was to note: "This is the Mesut we know and love.") also broke down a late break from Valladolid (going in on his knees to avoid injuring the player) -

The peculiarly sweet expression on Mesut's face is quite...sweet.

- before forming a nervous one-man wall and getting carded for his pains (the very definition of taking one for the team - his third yellow of the season, incidentally) -