5-star Barcelona thrash sorry Real Madrid
Monday night saw some of the most prestigious names in world football come face to face. Two of the most prestigious teams in the world came face to face, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Two of the most prestigious managers in the world came face to face, Pep
Guardiola and Jose Mourinho. Two of the most prestigious footballers on the planet came face to face, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. And all of them were determined to prove they were better than the other.
Building up to this match started weeks ago, the hype created was immense, and the desire for it to get underway was insatiable. But alas this Monday night saw the kick off of probably the most prestigious game in world football.
Pep Guardiola stuck to his guns and started with an attacking line up with Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Villa and Pedro providing the ammunition. Sergio Busquets was the anchor in midfield, with club captain Carles Puyol and Pique forming a formidable partnership
in the centre of defence. Eric Abidal and Dani Alves started on each flank, with the unenviable task of trying to subdue Cristiano Ronaldo's influence for Madrid, a task both carried out with great sang-froid. Valdes was keeper as usual.
Jose Mourinho started with obviously club captain Iker Casillas in goal. Ricardo Carvalho, who was a summer signing from English Champions Chelsea, slotted into central defence alongside the vibrant Pepe. Sergio Ramos and a rejuvenated Marcelo provided the
attacking width in defence. The midfield was clustered with the likes of Khedira, Ozil, Alonso, Ronaldo and Di Maria. Up top Real started with Benzema as Gonzalo Higuain had picked up an injury.
The game started with Barcelona on the front foot. Barcelona got the ball and kept it, passing it around and teasing the Real Madrid players who had to scurry here and there just to try and get a touch. In the fifth minute, Barca got a corner and after the
melee inside the box, Puyol laid the ball off to Messi whose shot sailed over the scrambling and flapping Casillas and frustratingly hit the outside of the upright. Barca had sent a warning of intent, and madrid failed to register it as they conceded just
five minutes later. Iniesta made a probing run into the Madrid danger area dragging the center backs towards him which left Xavi in space in the box. Marcelo was caught out but as Iniesta played his pass to Xavi Marcelo dove in only to deflect the ball into
the air, but Xavi kept his composure and quickly flicked the ball over the on-rushing Casillas. It was an outbreak of euphoria in the Nou Camp, 1-0 to Barca in El Clasico.
Madrid glaringly failed to even learn from that. At a time when they needed to sure up in defence, they got caught out time and time again. And as a cross field ball found David Villa unmarked on the edge of the box in the 18th minute, it always looked like
Madrid were in danger of conceding another. Villa cut outside Ramos and drilled a low ball into the box, Casillas got a solid hand to it but somehow let it spill through his grasp, and as the ball continued on its path all it asked was for a tap in finish.
Pedro who was making the run into the box duly obliged and tapped the ball home. Barca couldn't believe it, 18 mins gone and they were already 2-0 up against their fiercest rivals and direct competition for the La Liga crown.
That goal effectively ended the contest as a competition as guardiola danced on the touch line and Mourinho slumped deeper into his seat. He had thought that the defensive tactics he had deployed here last time when Inter Milan won here on aggregate last
season would yet again prevail. But he had thought wrong. In inter, he had the defensive personnel equivalent to Anacondas, with an inescapable grasp, but Madrid had horribly failed with these tactics. They lacked invention and ingenuity all over the park.
And the match was over by the 60th minute when two Messi through balls and two Villa finishes had given Barca an astounding 4-0 lead. Jeffren came on as a substitute and joined in on the act, adding to the Madrid drubbing with a painful fifth.
The fans had got their money's worth. The world had gotten a fantastic display of total football by Barcelona. Madrid had gotten a lesson in humiliating fashion on footballing domination. And Mourinho now needs to learn how to vary his formations according
to situations. Messi proved to the world why he is the best as Ronaldo cut out a peripheral figure for the whole ninety minutes. And Barca showed once again that there obviously is a gulf in class between these two giants, and Madrid must now look to cover
it.
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