Quiet start for Madrid's new year

New blood
With newly-signed striker Antonio Cassano unable to make his debut in last night's game against Primera División rivals Villarreal CF, it was left to Woodgate and Cicinho - a 30th-minute replacement for the injured Ronaldo - to give Madrid fans hope for the future amid a difficult season.

Competent performance
But while a disciplined performance at El Madrigal marked an improved return for coach Juan Ramón López Caro, especially in the first period, it was not to be a vintage evening for either side. Diario AS columnist JJ Santos noted after watching the match: "There is nothing worse than yawning."

Steady debut
Woodgate - fit again after a series of thigh injuries - proved to be solid in defence alongside the more impressive Sergio Ramos, while Cicinho stuck to his remit on the right wing after coming on for Ronaldo, allowing Zinedine Zidane to concentrate on orchestrating attacks from midfield.

Gap extended
Nonetheless, it was an unedifying game and, with FC Barcelona winning 2-1 in their derby at RCD Espanyol, it saw Madrid's hopes of stealing the title back from the Catalan club dwindle even further. They are now in sixth place in the Primera División, 13 points behind the leaders.

Optimistic voices
However, if most pundits have written off Madrid's chances of winning the league, some at the Santiago Bernabéu remain optimistic. "There is a long way to go," said Julio Baptista, while Zidane added: "We must not think about Barcelona and we do feel we are improving."

'More demanding'
"We have to be more demanding of ourselves because we're Real Madrid and we should be winning," said López Caro. "Both teams came with the intention of winning the match but we saw an organised, well-drilled Madrid and we should be happy because we've seen a good show despite a lack of killer instinct."