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Bouncing back from a defeat is never easy, particularly if you'd won your previous eight games.
It can indeed be made worse if your star striker is out injured, your form player - arguably the best in the league at the moment - is forced off in the first few minutes, and your most valuable player in the last five years is playing the game with an injury.
Real Madrid made it look easy. Visitors Valladolid did not go to the Santiago Bernabeu - where Real Madrid have won all their league games this season - to scrap for a result, they went out there to win.
It backfired, as they proved no match for their opponents and despite starting the match the stronger side, were a goal down within the opening ten minutes. They continued pressing and in doing so conceded a second, and from then on it was one-way traffic as Real rioted to a 5-0 lead at half time.
The second half was played at a canter as Real Madrid toyed with the visitors - who, in 13th place, were by no means a free win, having already almost beaten Bernd Schuster's side in this season's reverse fixture.
In the end, club captains Raul and Guti each grabbed a brace, while Julio Baptista got the opener and Royston Drenthe the closer at either end of the match but will be Arjen Robben's goal - the easiest of the lot, practically gifted to the Dutchman - that will steal the headlines.
It is his second goal for the club - his first in the league - and this in his first start since October, and on his wife's birthday, no less.
A Total Machine
The man who brought the injury-ravaged Robben to Real, president Ramon Calderon, was delighted with the side's performance, but apprehensive about the injury to star player Robinho.
"Seeing our team play like a total machine makes Madridistas very proud," declared Calderon to the club's official website.
"The only bad news is Robinho's injury. Everything else was perfect: the goals, the way we played, seeing the team so happy... We have to be proud of this team.”
The Team We Want
There have been waves of speculation linking Real Madrid with a number of European and South American football's stars but, contrary to their usual stance, they were almost completely inactive in the January transfer window, sticking to their word despite many believing players would be leaving and other big names would be arriving.
It had appeared that after the vast summer spending that the squad was too big, but a whole host of injuries have given nearly every player in the squad a healthy run-out and a chance to prove their worth, something that will delight Calderon, sporting director Predrag Mijatovic and coach Bernd Schuster to no end.
“This is the team we want," hailed Calderon. "We found the way to victory despite having so many injured footballers. Our 25 players have talent, skills, and unwaning commitment. They all attack, defend, and help one another. It's beautiful.”
“We have to stay grounded and can't start begin celebrating anything just yet. We have a comfortable lead which allows us to think we're the favorites, but we have to keep working hard until it's mathematically over.”
Real Madrid are top of La Liga on an exceptional 56 points from 23 games, eight points ahead of second place Barcelona.



source:goal.com