The boys played some of the best football this season in the first half, and let football do all the talking… I’ve been believing all along, but is it finally time to start dreaming?

ONE.  To celebrate Cris’ first goal and the team’s second, the goalscorer and his inseparable Marcelo busted out a dance.  Apparently, this is the dance to the song “Ai Se Eu Te Pego” by Brazilian singer Michel Teló (go here).  I love the coordination!  They are so adorable, and they always look like they have so much fun together.

It looks like they were singing along too.  This is for in case you want to learn the moves…  After the game, Cris explained, “it’s Brazilian music that we like.”

TWO.  The other goal celebrations on the night.

Gonzalo Higuaín has scored nine goals in 381 minutes this season… giving him one goal every 42 minutes!

And of course, Cristiano scored a hat trick.  If the boys keep this up, we’re going to start expecting a hat trick in every game!  And maybe for Iker to score a goal!  (I did mention dreaming earlier, didn’t I?)

Together, Cristiano and Pipita have scored 19 of the 28 goals this season.  Just the two of them have combined for more goals than any other team in the first division, except for Barcelona, which has scored 26 goals.

THREE.  ¡Qué golazo!  After the game, Cris said, “it’s because I didn’t have the space to strike the ball any other way.”

Amazing.

FOUR.  Prior to the game, we had Esteban Granero filling in as the fourth Musketeer, while Pepe and Gonzalo Higuaín met up with Julio Baptista.

Then we had this cute moment when Álvaro Arbeloa danced up to Pipita and tried to get him to move his hips, but he was just met with a withering glance (Pipita seems to be quite good at that).  See, Cris and Marcelo weren’t the only ones dancing on the night!  Also prior to the game, the Málaga crowd serenaded Cris with “¡Qué guapo eres, Cristiano, qué guapo eres!” (how handsome you are, Cristiano, how handsome you are), which earned them a smile and a thumbs up (in this case, totally appropriate) from that handsome boy.

José Callejón (really happy to see him getting some minutes, and bringing some much-needed intensity back into the game) and Antonio Adán hung out on the bench, and Álvaro Arbeloa greeted Santi Cazorla with a kiss as the teams emerged from the tunnel.  If I had to choose another player besides Marcelo to describe as “sunshine,” it would be Santi.

FIVE.  Can you imagine what a sadder place this world would be if Real Madrid hadn’t gotten Cristiano and Marcelo together?  Later on in the game, Marcelo helped Sergio to pull off his headband after Sergio collided with a rival and hurt his poor little head (and messed up his hair).

SIX.  Look at Mou all alone down there, and Karim and Mesut checking him out!  Where was the rest of the coaching staff?

SEVEN.  During the game, Cris also showed off his pout, and at one point, he moved like this while either trying to see around the wall or avoid the lasers, and I sort of expected him to show off a couple of Matrix-like moves next.

EIGHT.  Iker played in his 428th Liga game with Real Madrid, pushing him into fifth on Real Madrid’s all time Liga games played list.  Ahead of him are four club legends: Raúl (550), Manolo Sanchís (523), Santillana (461) and a man who was watching on Saturday night, Fernando Hierro (439).  If all goes as planned, Iker will finish the season in fourth on the list, and surpass Santillana early on in the next season.  I’m so proud of our capi.  He had an excellent game, by the way.

(But when is he going to wear the black kit?)

NINE.  Early on in the second half, the referee sent Cris off the field, because he had too much white on his legs – as Madrid was supposed to be wearing black socks and Cris had what appeared to be white ankle socks, one of the equipment managers had to cover his ankles with black tape.  Only then was he allowed back onto the field.

TEN.  The lasers (how childish are the people wielding them?) were attacking Mou too, and he protected the area most important to him.  And I love this moment where he was talking with Marcelo, and Marcelo was staring off into the distance, seemingly focused only on rehydrating (and with his pinkie up).

ELEVEN.  At the directors lunch before the game, FP and Fernando Hierro came face to face, FP in his capacity as president of Real Madrid, and Hierro in his role as sporting director of Málaga.  Fernando was polite, but I am still bitter about that divorce.

TWELVE.  Indeed, the perfect shot.  Three times.

THIRTEEN.  Ruud van Nistelrooy didn’t appear in the game, but after the final whistle blew, he came onto the field to greet his former teammates.  He shook hands with Xabi, and hugged and joked around with Iker and Sergio.

FOURTEEN.  The Xabi Alonso pose section.™

He was in fine form.

FIFTEEN.  After the game, Cristiano was asked why he didn’t have the hat trick ball, and he said it was because he didn’t have any space in his luggage and that he would get it once they were back in Madrid, as the ball was given to one of the equipment managers for the trip back home (some newspapers, I think you can guess which ones, are quoting his exact words, without including the last part about Madrid, and insinuating he means space in his trophy cabinet).  Cris told the press, “I’m very happy to score three goals but the important thing is the victory of the team.  If I don’t score, I’m not worried because the important thing is for the team to win.  If the team wins, I win too.  Some days I assist goals and other days they assist me.  This is a team and I don’t want to enter into controversies because the team is good.”

[Even Sara Carbonero, in her column in Marca, had to admit that Cristiano is no longer “egotistical,” as she wrote about Cristiano’s “spectacular growth in this area (assists) which adds a new dimension to his game.”  Meanwhile, I also have to add that it was a certain other player looking very individualistic in a game earlier this week…]

When asked his thoughts about Pellegrini in Málaga, Cris said “I really liked working with him.”

Meanwhile, Álvaro Arbeloa, in a post-game interview with Gol TV, joked about how “I’m tired of signing balls, we don’t have enough pens for so many balls.”  And Sergio talked about playing in the center of the defense: “in defense, we were very solid and I’m very comfortable as a centerback.  It’s a position that I am familiar with and I don’t find it strange.  If I have to return to playing as a fullback, I wouldn’t mind since I’m used to it.”

SIXTEEN.  The Mou corner.

In his post-game press conference, Mou praised his team for the first half they produced, with 45 minutes of brilliant football and four goals.  He said, “I liked everything about Real Madrid… it was a game that I liked in all aspects, we scored goals with varied play.  I knew that it would be impossible to keep that up in the second half.  The level of concentration fell, they played with pride and a 4-2 or a 5-2 could have been the final result.”

When asked about some rude spectators at La Rosaleda, Mou said, “it’s the same in many stadiums, the important thing is that there isn’t violence.  I don’t care if they sing or shout insults or throw sunflower seeds, anyway my goalkeeping coach ate all of them.”  Jajaja!

SEVENTEEN.  Other notes.

The boys have a “deserved” day off today, as Mou said.

Castilla plays San Sebastián de los Reyes this afternoon at 17h, and hopefully the birthday boy, MFC Álvaro Borja Morata Martín, will have extra reasons to celebrate!  UPDATE: Castilla won 3-0 behind goals from Pablo Gil, Jesé and Denis, but el pobre ABMM injured his right ankle and had to leave the game.  Álex was injured as well; let’s hope they’re both okay.

On the other hand, there was that interesting look that Jesé sported, which ABMM had alerted us to look out for.

BONUS.  Marca ran an interview with madridista José Mercé in Sunday’s issue, and he had some interesting and revealing things to say.

What or who convinced you to become a madridista?  As a child, I was already crazy about football.  I went to school, I sang in a choir, but I also played three games each day.  I played as a “9,” as a center forward.  One afternoon, after school, I watched a European Cup game between Inter Milan and Real Madrid, in the time when Luis Suárez played in Inter, and I don’t know why, I can’t explain it, but I absorbed that white color.  Real Madrid is culture.

You said you get nervous watching Madrid play, is it because you don’t have confidence in the team?  La Décima will come this year, there’s no doubt!  I already told the presi that it has to be this year, because my Sergio Ramos doesn’t have a Champions League cup.  He’s pining for it.  I had the luck of meeting Sergio when he was very young.  I adore my Sergio, I love him!

Caramba.  Years ago, during the time of Zidane, Beckham and the rest, I told Florentino, “you know what Madrid is missing?  Hunger and desire!”  I told him that in Sevilla, there was a young man of 18 years named Sergio Ramos, and that this kid had to be in Madrid.  Fortunately, that happened.

Which players can you see performing on stage?  I would give Ramos the cajón, the guitar to Özil, who is the player with the most class in Madrid, he has impressive techniques, although he gets lost sometimes, which happens to all the geniuses.  ¡Ah!  And Marcelo, I call him “mi loquito.”  He’s pure joy, the nicest guy.  To dance, the legs of Cristiano.  And I need Zidane.  I don’t know why he retired so early.  He could have continued for a couple more years.

Sergio Ramos have become a great artist and that’s given you some privileges.  Last year, I traveled with the team to Lyon.  It was as if the Three Kings had given me this present.  Everyone treated me really well, directors and players.  I was sitting on the plane next to Butragueño and Valdano.  Cristiano came in and when he saw me, he made a sign at Marcelo, and immediately Marcelo and Pepe began to sing my song “Aire.”  It’s because Sergio Ramos plays many of my songs in the locker room before going out onto the field.