Jose Mourinho will watch the second leg of the Champions League in a hotel room. Aitor Karanka, his assistant has been delegated on the pitch but it did not stop Mourinho playing his pre-match mind games.
This time it was Franck De Bleekere getting singled out. The Belgian referee is officiating the match and was the target of Mourinho’s ire when he sent off Thaigo Motta in last year’s semi-finals between Inter and Barca. That decision was part of a long list cited as evidence that UEFA favoured the Catalonians. For his part, the referee stated “this was all about football.”
For Real to have any chance they need to attack from the get go. Karim Benzema their hottest striker in the Champions League should partner Cristiano Ronaldo. Ozil and Angel Di Maria form the supply line and will have to do a better job of finding the two strikers than the first leg. On the bench Karanka can turn to Gonzalo Higuain, Kaka, and Adebayor to bolster the attack. One thing is for sure, this is not the time to turn to anti-football.