Manolo Adebayor had said yesterday that he hoped it would be Karim Benzema who would score the goal to push Madrid into the quarterfinals, and hopefully the goal that Karim scored yesterday against his old team will be that decisive goal.  Real Madrid ended the night still winless at the Gerland, but at least they scored their first goal there and they didn’t lose.

ONE. Karim said that was the quickest goal he ever scored, as he knocked it in 40 seconds (!!!) after coming into the game.  And it was a great one, no?  I loved how his teammates mobbed him, but he didn’t really react.

That was because, as Karim explained after the game, he didn’t want to celebrate it out of respect for Lyon’s fans and the team: “I couldn’t celebrate the goal against the team that let me go play in Madrid.  I have a lot of respect and affection for this club.”  He also revealed that Mou didn’t say anything special to him after the game, though his coach did look pretty excited when the goal was scored.

Isn’t it so adorable how everyone just wanted to rub Karim’s head?  Sergio, then Ángel, Xabi, Pepe, Xabi again…  It must be like their good luck charm!

Karim’s entire family was at the Gerland to watch him.  This goal was his 100th in official games; his first goal also came in this stadium and during a Champions League game, back in 2005.

TWO. Florentino Pérez lost his cool after Karim scored, as he was seen standing up in the palco, raising his arms and putting his hands on his head.  The Spanish press is comparing him to Racing’s owner Ali Syed against Sevilla, but FP was much, much more composed, although this was probably the most excited we had ever seen him (since we don’t know what his reaction was the day he found out that Cristiano said yes to Madrid).  It’s kind of sweet how much he supports his pet Karim.  Well, he can’t really afford to have the Karim Benzema project fail, right?  Next to FP in the palco was his special assistant, one Zinedine Zidane.  So, part of his job is to sit with the presi?

THREE. Zidane was looking his usual dapper self before the game.  I’m so glad he’s ours.

FOUR. Meanwhile, in other pregame moments, Mou was being all cute as he walked down the tunnel, giving the children who would accompany the players high-fives, patting them on the heads, joking around with them.  I’m so glad he’s ours.  This is the real José Mourinho.

If Sergio needs any help with that, I’ll be glad to volunteer!  And per his happy-go-lucky personality, Manolín chilled while waiting in the tunnel, using the rail as a seat.

In the moments prior to the start of the encounter, Iker helped to keep his kid warm and later warmed up himself, while Cristiano and Mesut shared a moment.  They also did the obligatory photo.

FIVE. We’re used to seeing Mou with the neck muffler (however, this one is a step up from the one with the Adidas logo), but Iker also rocked one that matched his outfit!

SIX. All in all, Iker was very, very matchy last night.  He looked like a vegetable.

SEVEN. Faces and legs.  Got to love the cameraperson for the slow motion!!

EIGHT. Postgame declarations:

Ricky Carvalho was really upset with the referee: “the penalty from the foul against Cristiano was so obvious.  Four referees and not one whistled!  And they were close by too.  I don’t know how they didn’t see it.  It was a serious error.”

Sergio said the feeling was bittersweet (coinciding with Iker), because the team had two good occasions.  He said he would be returning home with his “head down.”

And he had the quote of the night when he said during the postgame interview with TVE that “it’s a shame that we didn’t get the three points.”  Everyone picked up on this very rapidly and started making fun of him; pobrecito!  It also quickly became a twitter trending topic in Spain, not just once, but three times over, as you can see: #sergioramosfacts, Sergio Ramos and #ramosfacts.  It’s kind of like #turismobisbal all over again.

NINE.  Iker got a yellow card as the game wound down, which he was quite annoyed with.  He didn’t agree at all.

TEN. The banquillo.

It really was so cold – look at Raúl Albiol, there is barely any of his face visible!  Surprisingly, Marcelo was the least covered-up on the bench.  He, Karim and Kaká joked around prior to the start of the match.  The neck mufflers serve another purpose, in addition to keeping necks warm – they also help to cover up what you’re saying, so that no one can read your lips.

They even brought their own blankets, which the players shared – how cute!  And I love that the blankets are so brightly colored and splashy!  It looks warm and toasty too!

ELEVEN. Karim Benzema got a huge cheer from his former fans when he checked into the game.  At the end of the game, he thanked them by giving them several thumbs-up.  Poor Lyon fans.

TWELVE. Adebayor wore the number “28” because UEFA regulations prohibit two different players from wearing the same number in the same season, and Mahamadou Diarra had already worn the “6.”

THIRTEEN. Fun moments.

Cristiano can’t believe the non-call, and Sergio has fantastic hair.  Again, I’m loving the slow motion.

Meanwhile, the usually hot-headed Pepe was the one keeping the usually cool-headed Xabi from getting into a fight!  And when Álvaro Arbeloa shoved Yoann Gourcuff into the Madrid bench during the second half (taking the aforementioned blanket down with him), I loved how everyone on the bench reached forward to stop his fall.  Good thing Dr. Hernández was there, no?  But ninja Raúl should have been able to stop it using his special skills.

FOURTEEN. I don’t know how Ozi got so dirty.  Look at Sami, his kit is completely pristine.

FIFTEEN. The Xabi Alonso pose section.™

He’s working the Blue Steel.

SIXTEEN. The Mou corner.

Mou stood on the sidelines for the majority of the game.  Whenever he sat down, he didn’t last long.  He obviously wasn’t pleased during the first half, because many things were written down in the notebook and he was constantly giving directions to his players.

Mou was “very upset” with the referee for not calling a penalty after Yoann Gourcuff touched the ball with his hand, saying, “it was a clear situation that doesn’t leave room for any doubt… the referee was five meters away, the assistant was also five meters from there, but those four eyes were the only ones that didn’t see what everyone else saw.  There were four eyes that saw this action, which could be decisive.”

He wasn’t a fan of the diving either.

Mou said of Karim, “I’m happy for him because he returned home and scored a goal.  That’s fantastic for him.  He’s good, and has improved a lot, both defensively and offensively.  You also have to praise his character on the field.  I felt bad leaving him on the bench, knowing that this was his home.  But I thought it would be better for him to enter when the others were already tired, and my decision seems to have been a good one.”

SEVENTEEN. Other game notes:

– Real Madrid’s players ran a total of 110.6 kilometers, with Xabi covering the most distance at 11.5 km and Di María second with 11.13 km.  Sergio was third with 10.5 km and Carvalho fourth with 10.1 km.

– Cristiano’s mamá was at the game.

– Four players are one yellow card away from a one-game suspension: Cristiano and Raúl Albiol (who came into this game in this situation) and Di María and Sergio Ramos (who received yellow cards during the game).

– Madrid’s players took a walk on Tuesday morning, strolling around their hotel.  Benzema was the most popular person there.

EIGHTEEN. Looking ahead:

Sami Khedira suffered an injury to his left quadriceps, and tests showed he will be out two to three weeks.

The players have today off, with training resuming tomorrow for this weekend’s Liga game.