Thursday morning's training
session focused mainly on ball work, just as the Madridistas like it.
The players practised many shots on goal prior to playing a practice
match. Four youth system players had to cover the absences of Helguera,
Guti, Cannavaro and Sergio Ramos.
Fabio Capello's main focus during Thursday's training was ball work.
After two days rest, Wednesday's session was more physical than usual,
while today the players never let go of the football. They practised
shots on goal with both legs, worked on headers and played a practice
match using the whole pitch.
Before getting into action, the players carried out stretching exercises
with physical trainer Massimo Neri. Bibs were handed out soon after, and
the players were split into two groups of ten that had to move down the
pitch will each man allowed only two touches on the ball. Meanwhile,
goalkeepers Casillas, Diego López and Adán prepared with Franco Tancredi
for the barrage they would receive later on.
Shots on goal
Each group went to one goal and took one shot after the next. The
keepers were put to the test by headers and shots off the boots of their
teammates. The onslaught lasted more than 20 minutes. Fabio Capello
wants his men to feel comfortable in front of the goal with several
important League matches to be played before the Christmas break and
because of the effectiveness he witnessed against Valencia.
The injured
Guti, Helguera and Cannavaro continue their recovery work in the gym
without spending any time on the turf. While all signs point to Guti
being the first to return outdoors, the two starting centre backs,
Cannavaro and Helguera, will have to wait a little longer. Also staying
inside was Sergio Ramos, who underwent physiotheraphy for his sprained
ankle.
Final match
The bibs were handed out again and a practice match put a close to the
session.
With bibs: Diego López, Sergio, Jeffrey, Raúl Bravo, Miñambres, Emerson,
Javi García, Nieto, Robinho, Cassano and Van Nistelrooy.
Without bibs: Casillas, Pavón. Mejía, Salgado, Roberto Carlos, De la Red,
Diarra, Reyes, Beckham, Raúl and Ronaldo.
Twenty minutes along the full length of the pitch with the match
resulting in a 3-0 win for the bib-wearing side. Van Nistelrooy scored
twice with the third being credited to Nieto. Their attack dominated,
and Robinho, Cassano, Nieto and Van Nistelrooy had much more mobility
than their adversaries.
The players then stretched before heading to the showers. The team is
scheduled to train on Friday and Saturday to put the finishing touches
on preparations for Sunday's match against Bilbao. A win would be the
fourth straight in League play.
TRAINING SCHEDULE:
Friday 1 December @ 11:00 am CET. Real Madrid City.
Saturday 2 December @11 am. Behind closed doors at Real Madrid City. |