Arjen Robben arrived in Munich and passed a medical exam on Friday, scored two goals after coming on in the second half with his new teammate Franck Ribery on Saturday, and then left his new home town on Monday to meet up with the Dutch international team in Enschede.

It was a remarkable weekend trip to the Bavarian capital. In just 27 minutes Robben and Ribery — Munich’s new dynamic duo quickly dubbed “Robery” by German headline writers — combined for two spectacular goals to lead Bayern to their first win of the season, 3-0 against defending champions VfL Wolfsburg.

“Robery” managed to dissipate the gloom surrounding the success-spoiled Bayern fans in just 27 minutes following the agony of their month-long “Fehlstart” — just two points from their first three matches in August and an incredible 16th place in the table before Robben arrived.

“I couldn’t have wished for a better start,” said Robben, who also rejuvenated Ribery after months of controversy over his apparent efforts to get a transfer to Real Madrid. “I’ve haven’t scored two goals in many matches before and never in my first match. But this is just the start. I came here to win matches and titles.”

Bild newspaper columnist Franz Josef Wagner usually writes about German politics. But he couldn’t resist devoting his page 2 column in Germany’s best-selling daily on Monday to Robben: “We’ve seen football the way Mozart or Rembrandt would have it played… What wonderful choreography with Ribery. Full-risk football, courageous football. Arjen Robben is worth every cent of the 24 million euros Bayern paid. Three cheers for Uli Hoeness. He’s invested the money in an artist and not a thug.”

PHOTO: Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery celebrate during Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga victory over VfL Wolfsburg, August 29, 2009. REUTERS/Michael Dalder

Real Madrid’s expensive new team boasts an awesome array of attacking talent and huge goal-scoring potential but their defence looked worryingly porous in their opening match of the La Liga season on Saturday.

President Florentino Perez spent 250 million euros ($359 million) to bring excitement and spectacle back to the Bernabeu after two barren years and judging by Saturday’s 3-2 win over Deportivo Coruna, when Real twice surrendered the lead and created a host of chances, the fans will not be disappointed.

The return of the suspended Pepe and injured pair Christoph Metzelder and Sergio Ramos may help to eradicate the errors that blighted their performance.

However, Real’s hopes of mounting an effective challenge to treble-winners Barcelona seemingly rest on the ability of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and their team mates to score more goals than are inevitably conceded.

Sports daily Marca said in an editorial on Sunday that Real were following a script against Depor that the fans had become well used to over the years.

“An opponent with a solid back line who refuses to be intimidated by so many star players and knows how to exploit the whites’ defensive weakness but who ultimately yields to massive firepower,” the paper wrote. “This (Real) promises excitement.”

Perez’s latest creation resembles the band of “galacticos” he assembled during his first stint in charge in 2000-2006, who included Zinedine Zidane, Figo, David Beckham and Brazilian striker Ronaldo.

DYNAMIC SIDES
El Pais soccer correspondent Jose Samano said that coach Manuel Pellegrini was under orders from Perez to focus on attack because the president had grown up watching dynamic Real sides including players such as Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas in the 1950s and 60s.

“Over time soccer has become more conservative but not in the mind of (Perez),” Samano wrote.

“Manuel Pellegrini has no other option than to field as many defenders as attackers, a gamble that almost got them into trouble against Depor,” he added.

“Madrid were struggling to dictate the game and obviously won’t be a balanced and well calibrated side anytime soon but their box of tricks is limitless.”

Writing in El Mundo, Orfeo Suarez said that the new-look Real side were “terrific going forward and vulnerable at the back“.

“That’s the conclusion to be drawn from the start of the second Florentino Perez era; understandable because it’s a project under construction,” he said.

“Madrid kept Depor’s hopes alive because they are not yet a team and perhaps never will be, and some of the stars are still not firing on all cylinders.”

PHOTO: Real Madrid’s Raul celebrates his goal against Deportivo Coruna with Karim Benzema (L) and Kaka (C) during their Spanish first division soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid August 29, 2009. REUTERS/Susana Vera

The draw for the group phase of the 2009-10 Champions League has just finished in Monaco and it’s thrown up a couple of groups to savour especially.

Real Madrid getting drawn in Group C means they will face AC Milan … and that means a return to the San Siro for Kaka, who made the switch over the close season. Likewise, Barcelona’s big signing Zlatan ibrahimovic will be on his way back to Milan, after Inter joined the holders in Group F.

Plenty of other intriguing match-ups … Any of them catch your eye?

Group A: Bayern Munich, Juventus, Girondins Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa

Group B: Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, Besiktas, VfL Wolfsburg

Group C: AC Milan, Real Madrid, Olympique Marseille, FC Zurich

Group D: Chelsea, Porto, Atletico Madrid, APOEL

Group E: Liverpool, Olympique Lyon, Fiorentina, Debrecen

Group F: Barcelona, Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev, Rubin Kazan

Group G: Sevilla, Rangers, VfB Stuttgart, Unirea Urziceni

Group H: Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos, Standard Liege

PHOTO: Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta holds the trophy after their Champions League final soccer match victory against Manchester United at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, May 27, 2009. REUTERS/Darren Staples

If reports in Spain are correct and Real Madrid have agreed to sell Arjen Robben to Bayern Munich for 25 million euros, that would seem to be an excellent piece of business for the Spanish club.

Real paid a king’s ransom to take Robben from Chelsea a couple of years ago — when £24 million pounds was a lot more in euros than it is now — and I think it’s fair to say that he didn’t quite make the impact the fans were hoping for.

Injuries have been a consistent problem, just as they were at Chelsea, and I’m sure Real will be delighted to recoup another chunk of the 250 million euros they’ve spent on players so far this close season.

With Wesley Sneijder also on his way, for perhaps 15 million euros, it’s been a lucrative week for Real, but there are plenty of doubers out there (see The Real Liga for a flavour).

As the linked article notes, having players like Robben and Wesley Sneijder to turn to as substitutes might make the difference between getting through that tight Champions League game and making another early exit.

Real have made huge improvements to their first team by signing footballing royalty like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka … but, as in Florentino’s first spell as president, will they end up regretting the decision to cull the ‘middle classes’?

PHOTO: Arjen Robben reacts after missing a chance during Real Madrid’s Peace Cup match against Al Ittihad at the Bernabeu, July 26, 2009. REUTERS/Juan Medina

Jose Antonio Reyes has some work to do to win over Atletico Madrid’s hardcore fans judging by the reception he received on Tuesday, when he came on as a late substitute at the Calderon in their 2-0 Champions League play-off win over Panathinaikos.

The tie was already over by the time Reyes was called up to replace Simao with four minutes left — Atletico won the away leg 3-2 — but he was met with a barrage of whistles from around the stadium.

“Reyes! Fuera del Calderon!” (Reyes! Leave the Calderon!) was the chant that came up from Atletico’s radical ‘Frente’ fans behind the goal opposite where I was sitting.

Spanish media also reported fans shouting “Reyes! Hijo de Puta! Muerete!” (Reyes! Son of a whore! Die!) and other abuse.

His first touch was understandably tentative, though a surging run soon after had some fans around me standing and applauding, while others continued to whistle.

Why this treatment? Well he was bought from city rivals Real Madrid after helping them win the Primera Liga title in 2007.

His presentation in the Calderon, which I also attended, saw some fans shouting abuse at him then. He did little to win them over that first season making 26 league appearances, failing to score, and complaining about not being in the starting XI enough.

Reyes played last year on loan with Benfica, but the Portuguese side failed to come up with the money to make the move permanent, so with no other interesting offers on the table, the former Arsenal man is back in Madrid.

After Tuesday’s game, his new coach Abel Resino defended him: “It’s the start of the season and we are going to try to change all this. Reyes is an Atletico player, he works hard, and we will try to help him make his peace with the fans.”

Reyes, who turns 26 next week, is clearly a talented player and has shown that at Sevilla, Arsenal and Real Madrid, albeit inconsistently.

Atletico season-ticket holders I spoke to after the game agreed the treatment he received was harsh, and that with the shortage of creative talent in the side’s midfield it was crucial to have a player like Reyes on board.

The club need him but the only way he will win over doubters is with some strong performances. It remains to be seen whether he has the maturity to ride out the abuse and put in the hard graft necessary.

PHOTO: Jose Reyes (L) fights for the ball while at Benfica, April 19, 2009. REUTERS/Hugo Correia

Barcelona’s new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic was given a glowing report by Pep Guardiola after their Spanish Super Cup victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

But the doubts remain as to whether his qualities will be enough to replace or improve upon those the side have lost with the swap deal which sent former number nine Samuel Eto’o to Inter Milan.

The Swedish striker lined up from the start between Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry for the first time, and helped Barca sweep aside the visitors 3-0 to win the curtain-raiser to the new season 5-1 on aggregate.

Messi grabbed the headlines with a brace, and Ibrahimovic’s second-half replacement, Bojan Krkic, added the other goal.

“Ibrahimovic was perfect,” Guardiola said. “Everyone is worried about how he will pressure our rivals’ defences, but I have no doubts.

“Because he’s so tall he doesn’t appear very dynamic, but he will pressure as required for the team. Step by step he will adapt to our needs.”

Ibrahimovic linked up well with his team mates showing some wonderful touches, came close to scoring his first goal on a couple of occasions, and won huge cheers from the fans.

He laid off the ball for Messi’s opener and his physical presence and aerial threat give Barca a new dimension up front. But will they miss Eto’o’s aggression and that ruthless streak in front of goal?

Eto’o netted Barca’s opening goals in both their Champions League final victories against Arsenal and Manchester United.

“Without Eto’o Barca look different, with less of the fire that he gave them, but Ibrahimovic is going to have a fantastic partnership with Messi,” Alfredo Relano wrote in sports daily AS.

Bilbao coach Joaquin Caparros had his reservations: “Barca’s rivals will be able to play out from the back more easily because Eto’o pressured them more. He was a pest.”

It’s early days still, but Ibrahimovic and Barca will need to click quickly with an expensively reconstructed Real Madrid raring to go when the season starts next weekend.

Real Madrid’s 250 million euros spending spree has left new coach Manuel Pellegrini with the kind of headache most managers could only dream of.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Xabi Alonso, Raul Albiol, Alvaro Arbeloa, Esteban Granero and Ezequiel Garay have all been added to a squad that finished second in the league under Juande Ramos last year.

Pellegrini has made the most of pre-season friendlies to experiment with players and lineups, and they have lost only once in their eight warm up games, against Juventus in the Peace Cup. They have netted 22 goals, and conceded just six.

But with only a week to go until Deportivo Coruna visit the Bernabeu for their opening game of the new Primera Liga campaign, the Chilean has yet to make it clear what his best starting 11 will be, and what formation he will play.

There is no debate over the position of goalkeeper, so Iker Casillas is easy to put first on the team sheet.

In defence he can pick from Garay, Arbeloa, Albiol, Pepe, Christoph Metzelder, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Miguel Torres. Royston Drenthe has performed well at fullback in the last couple of matches.

Ronaldo, Kaka and Xabi Alonso will be guaranteed a place in midfield which leaves perhaps Lassana Diarra as the fourth component of a traditional 4-4-2. Arjen Robben and Granero have impressed in pre-season games while Fernando Gago, Guti, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart and Mahamadou Diarra wait in the wings.

And who to play in attack? Raul has topscored with four in the pre-season friendlies, so the evergreen captain and Benzema? Last season’s top scorer Gonzalo Higuain and the returning Ruud van Nistelrooy complete the choices up front.

Assuming everyone was available, the following 4-2-3-1 formation would be a tasty lineup in front of Casillas. Ramos, Pepe, Albiol and Drenthe at the back, Alonso and Lass Diarra holding the centre midfield, leaving Ronaldo, Kaka, and Robben to support Benzema up front.

Is Pellegrini tough enough to put Raul on the bench or does the fans’ favourite have to start? If you were in the hot seat, who would you play?

At last, Real Madrid have got their man. Liverpool agreed on Tuesday to sell Xabi Alonso, a Real target going back at least six years, for a reported 30 million euros.

It’s decent money for a player Rafa Benitez appeared happy enough to consider selling 12 months ago but Alonso is the sort of assured holder and passer of the ball who is hard to replace at any price.

Certainly, anyone Benitez has his eye on will be a risk. Latest reports say Roma’s Alberto Aquilani could be the man, while other names mentioned include Stephen Defour of Standard Liege and Valencia’s David Silva.

Real Madrid fans will certainly happy. I’m just back after a couple of weeks in Spain and the papers were full of editorials praising Alonso to the skies and saying how lost Real would continue to be without him.

Alonso will be expected to pull the strings in midfield for Real … but were Liverpool right to sell him?

PHOTO: Xabi Alonso takes a penalty during the Champions League final against AC Milan in Istanbul May 25, 2005. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

If your first reaction on hearing about the Samuel Eto’o-Zlatan Ibrahimovic deal was “How much?” then I can assure you you weren’t the only one.

To land Ibrahimovic, who is due to be presented this evening at the Nou Camp, Barcelona will not only hand over the Cameroon international striker but will also give Inter Milan a reported 45 million euros and the loan, for one season, of Aleksandr Hleb.

According to Marca, who are not exactly fans of Barcelona it must be said, that makes the total cost of the Swedish striker at least 87.5 million euros (with Eto’o valued at 35 million, and Hleb for a season at 7.5).

So how on earth is Ibrahimovic worth close to 90 million euros? How on earth is he valued at double Eto’o, one of the world’s top strikers?

Ibrahimovic is the sort of striker coaches love. Tall and strong, he is happy playing with his back to goal and therefore gives the team a target man. He scores goals too, of course, and he has contributed to six league title-winning campaigns with Ajax and Inter.

But Eto’o is no mean player himself. The Cameroon international is also strong but relies more on his skill and explosive pace to get past defences. After signing for Barcelona in 2004 he proved to be the missing piece in the puzzle, joining forces with Ronaldinho to get the team back to title-winning ways.

Eto’o scored not only in the 2006 Champions League final win over Arsenal, but also in this year’s victory over Manchester United and he will leave Barcelona with a record of 130 goals in five seasons.

I think it goes without saying that Ibrahimovic is not really worth 40-45 million euros more than Eto’o, so it looks like yet another case of Barcelona letting a player go at far less than their market value, and for reasons other than simply their value to the team.

It happened with Schuster, Stoichkov, Romario, Kluivert, Rivaldo and Riquelme and now coach Pep Guardiola says he’s happy for Eto’o to go for no reason other than a “feeling”, even thought they’re getting next to nothing for him.

Why is it so many big names seem to leave Barcelona in such circumstances? Why have they never mastered the art of selling?

And looking to the future, can you see Ibrahimovic living up to the inflated price tag the Spanish press have put on him?

PHOTO: Barcelona’s new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden poses in front of a FC Barcelona sign at the team headquarters in Barcelona, July 26, 2009. REUTERS/Gustau Nacarino

Click the video above for a look at how Shamrock Rovers are preparing for the visit of Real Madrid — a match the entire soccer word will be keeping an eye on, with Cristiano Ronaldo set to make his debut for the Spanish club.

Interesting line about Real’s continued interest in Franck Ribery. Do they really need him still. Raul seems to suggest they’d still like him…