How Barcelona beat Real Madrid in their own “dirty” game (Part 5)
With five Barcelona players staying behind the half way line throughout the game, it was quite impossible for Real Madrid to counter attack. The German midfielder Mesut Ozil touched the ball four times in the first half but was able to complete only two
passes. On the other hand, the Catalans dominated 72% of the possession in the first half.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Carles-Puyol-c8331 was made to cover either Mesut Ozil or Cristiano Ronaldo, playing as a left back. The Catalan captain made sure he that he got the job done and controlled the threat perfectly. Angel Di Maria was being taken care of by the Brazilian full back,
Daniel Alves.
Real Madrid was doing nothing throughout the first half. The only chance that they created was through a long range effort, coming from none other than their leading goal scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo.
With Alves and Puyol sticking to their positions at the back, Barcelona missed the services of their full backs on the flanks. However, to compensate this offensive shortfall, Josep Guardiola decided to put David Villa on the right wing and Pedro Rodriguez
on the left wing.
Recently, Barcelona has been playing with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296 in the center-forward role while David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez aided him by being the second strikers. However, in this game, Villa and Pedro, both performed their roles as wingers. Both of them were
stretched far out and throughout the game they were seen on the sidelines.
The reason why the two were playing on the sidelines was due to the absence of the full backs. It was easier for Xavi and Keita to play a long ball over the sidelines because the Real Madrid full backs often made a run forward to aid the team in outnumbering
the Barcelona players in the midfield.
During the first half, Lionel Messi played a little deep into the midfield and that way http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38605’s defense did not become too vulnerable. Their only way of scoring a goal was either with a long range shot or through Lionel Messi doing his magic to get past
players.
Xavi Hernandez took two long shots during the first half. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/David-Villa-c10629 also decided to take one. This is how Barcelona played defensively and still created chances.
Later, Lionel Messi showed his outstanding dribbling skills and got past three Real Madrid players to find Xavi Hernandez inside the penalty area. The Spaniard took his shot on goal but it was saved by the Spanish No. 1, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Iker-Casillas-c16815.
Real Madrid won a few free kicks in the first half. However, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Xabi-Alonso-c37045, both failed to deliver the perfect ball in the penalty area. Ronaldo, either shot the ball out wide as he decided to go at it himself, or he could not find a
man inside the 18 yard box.
The first real “dive” of the game came during the first half. The Argentinean winger Angel Di Maria fell on the left flank, near the sidelines, as Daniel Alves seemed to have tripped him over. The replays clearly showed how Di Maria dived and the Real Madrid
players surrounded the referee.
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