After the game, Xabi Alonso said, “we tried everything possible… and we fought until the end.”  That sums it up nicely, along with the fact in the 79th minute, the possession for the game was 66% Real Madrid vs. 34% for Deportivo.  And we’re beginning to look a lot like David Villa earlier this season, with everything hitting the post, no?  I’m not the only one who thinks so…

ONE. This also wraps things up nicely – frustrated players lying on the field.

TWO. And this – Mou spent some time and on several different occasions arguing with the fourth referee, and at one point Chendo had to intervene.  In the third minute, Mou put his hand on the referee’s shoulder to say something, and the guy removed it and asked Mou to return to the bench.  I love it.  And as the game went on, Mou had a few more choice words.  After the game, Mou said, “he should speak more politely with my players.”

THREE. When Iker was interviewed after the game, I couldn’t help but notice that even the La Sexta microphone matched him.  And with the bottom of his jersey missing, having been cut off, I wonder if that’s what he made his neck muffler out of, the one he wore in the Champions League game last week.

FOUR. It looks like a fun game, no?  Chase Cristiano and then hide and seek.  And at one point in the game, Cris decided to hang out next to Iker, claiming the post as his spot.  Maybe he was trying to make friends with it, so that it would be nice to us.  Meanwhile, Xabi never stops posing and giving directions, no?

I can’t believe the cameraperson didn’t go for a close-up at this moment.  Cristiano spent most of the game frustrated and unhappy.

Bonus Cristiano being Cristiano aquí.  He’s now the only player in the Liga to have played every minute of the campeonato.

FIVE. Telemadrid decided to go for split screens, and I like it because we get to see Mou’s reaction to the play on the field.  He’s resting his chin on his hands!  He brought his hand to his mouth!  He’s saying stop!  Sometimes, Mou is even more entertaining than the game.

And as cute as this moment is between Cristiano and Pepe, I can’t help but wish the cameraperson had chosen to zoom in on the front of Sergio Ramos at this exact moment.

SIX. I’m sure some of you are here just for Sergio Ramos, so here you go.

There are two things I like about the picture on the left.  One is the smiling Esteban.  Can you figure out what the other is?  And since we have the front (that’s your clue), here’s the back.

SEVEN. Marcelo and his Vicks.  How’d he manage to make it almost perfectly round?

EIGHT. Iker being Iker: organizing his defense and then being all captainy by preventing Pepe from getting into a fight/red card.

He didn’t have a lot of work in this game, but he felt as frustrated as we all did.

NINE. Both Mou and I were hoping that Esteban could do something to break the deadlock.  Though he didn’t manage to do it, he does have fabulous hair, no?

TEN. Speaking of fabulous hair… it’s so shiny!

ELEVEN. The Xabi Alonso pose section.™

When he wasn’t busy posing, Xabi was the conductor of the Real Madrid orchestra.

TWELVE. The banquillo. Does Manu have something in his hat to make it stay up like that?  And poor Kaká didn’t have a great game.  I wish Álvaro had gotten to play against his old team.

Eze Garay and Antonio Adán were left off the final game list and so watched the game from the stands.

THIRTEEN. Karim Benzema’s contribution to the game.

FOURTEEN. The Mou corner.

During his postgame declarations, Mou once again complained about the scheduling of games: “even though they’ll continue to laugh behind my back, I’m going to continue defending the interests of my team – the normal thing would have been for us to play on Sunday.  As a coach, I have to speak up.”  He also said the team had deserved to walk away with three points from the Riazor, although he did praise the effort put in by Deportivo: “I’ve watched them play many times this season and there’s no comparison because the effort they put in to this game was much more than in other games… in the second half, we played against a goalkeeper and 10 defenders.  It seemed that only one team was trying to win, but the rival defended their goal until they had no strength left.”

FIFTEEN. Looking ahead: the team will get today off, and return to work on Monday to start preparing for Thursday’s game against Málaga (once again at 22h).  Meanwhile, Castilla won their eighth straight (!) with a 2-0 victory against Cacereño at the Di Stéfano.  Jorge Casado and Denis scored the two goals.  Go MFC and co.!  And Jesé Rodríguez of Juvenil A had a great 18th birthday yesterday, as he scored a golazo in his team’s 3-0 victory against Toledo.  At least some of the teams are winning.

And look who was at the game… Miguel Pardeza!  Oh, and Aitor Karanka too!  And that looks like Emilio Butragueño’s head on the right.  Hope I didn’t miss anyone there…