Football Special Report: Real Madrid & Barcelona- A Comparison of the Giants
The next La Liga season is going to be the most interesting battle in European club football, as most of the big names are in La Liga, including the last three players getting the FIFA World Player of the Year trophies, i.e. Messi, Ronaldo and Kaka.
The teams are lined up for the fierce battles, to be started from the last weekend of August. Although, there would be twenty teams, in the top flight, playing for the title, however, it seems like the battle would be between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The other teams would only be playing for the European spots and some would be fighting the battle for relegation.
The superiority of these two giants is quite obvious, and realistically speaking, no other team would ever by trying to overcome either Madrid or Barcelona in La Liga. The star-studded Barcelona side has been one of the most successful clubs in recent times. On the other hand, Real Madrid also comprises some extra-ordinary players, from all over the World, making them a formidable football side as well. The other clubs in Spain either do not possess the resources to meet the quality of these clubs, or they do not have a strong youth system that can provide them with extra-ordinary talent, like the Barcelona’s youth system. That is why the last decade has been overpowered by these two teams, with only Valencia winning two titles. However, the focus of both teams would be on Champions League, in which case there is a chance that one can slip up, which would make it easier for the other teams to make it through.
Real Madrid would definitely be a far better side than last year, because in the beginning of the last season, they were only trying to put a team together. However, during the course of the whole season, the members of the team have learned about each other, developing a greater understanding. Therefore, even if Real Madrid failed to win anything last season, the year proved to be a constructive one for the team. In addition, a series of experiments was done with different players, and now the coaches know the players that need to start the match for Madrid.
The biggest change that came, in Madrid’s squad, is the addition of a new head coach, in the shape of Jose Mourinho, the Special One. During the last two years, Barcelona won almost everything, until they were stopped by Mourinho’s bunch of Internazionale players. Apart from him, there is no other person who can claim to have overpowered the mighty Catalans in the last two seasons. Therefore, he is supposed to be the last ingredient in the Madrid’s squad, as they are getting ready to put a stop to the onslaught of the Catalans.
On the other hand, Barcelona has been looking for a world-class striker for the last two seasons. Although, Samuel Etto was pretty good, but he lacked his presence in the box, as the crosses were always cleared by the opposition defenders. So, he was replaced with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had a decent record in Serie A. However, Ibrahimovic had a below average season, as he failed to fulfil the duty entrusted to him. This time, however, Pep Guardiola, Barcelona’s head coach, has taken no chances, as he got hold of the best in the Europe, in the shape of David Villa. Villa is the Spanish star, as he was the top scorer in both Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010. With his presence, the Barcelona’s squad looks the most comprehensive team in Europe.
There is no doubt that the quality is present in both sides, but the real battle would be fought on the sidelines, as the team strategies would matter the most. Right now, it is obvious that Mourinho is tactically a better coach than Guardiola, as the latter is still young and has got less experience. However, a man learns from his mistakes, so the loss against Inter Milan, last season, would have taught valuable lessons to Guardiola. In the new season, he would emerge as a more experienced and, probably, a coach that is more dynamic. Therefore, both sides look completely balanced. The fans of football are highly anticipating the start of the new season, as this might prove to be the best season in the history of Spanish football.
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