When the dust settles on yet another classic El Classico – if it ever will, Jose Mourinho’s reputation will have been dented to quite an extent. The Portuguese was left helpless in what was possibly the best team display by Barcelona
this year.
They wreaked carnage at Camp Nou and Mourinho was right on the receiving end. The self-acclaimed ‘special one’ was short of ideas and failed to inspire his team to a comeback after half time. The game was indeed over within the
first 20 minutes after Barcelona turned their early possession and pressure into two goals from the inspirational Xavi and lively Pedro.
Nothing changed after half time and Barca went on to score 3 more to mark their fifth consecutive El Classico win. It was exhibition stuff from Barcelona, to say the least.
Mourinho himself admitted that his team was second best and Barca were deserved winners and his men were deserved losers. This is a statement one would generally not ascribe to Jose Mourinho. However, he faced his biggest defeat
of his managerial career in probably the biggest game.
Mourinho was being considered as the perfect manager by every newspaper in Madrid and regarded Real Madrid as favourites to come away with all three points from Camp Nou – how deluded these journalists were.
'The manager is on top of everything: tactics, fitness, if the pitch is good or bad, if (a player) needs more or less affection...and he's right in almost every way,' reported the newspaper.
This wasn’t incorrect at all, as Mourinho’s record of 19 unbeaten games at the start of his Madrid’s career is by no means a small feat. He brought some new faces and drafted them in to the first team straight away.
Ricardo Carvalho, Sami Khedira, Mesut Oezil and Angel di Maria are four players bought by Mourinho who started in the El Classico. This isn’t an easy job to do. Working as a unit and developing understanding with teammates can
take up to a season. However, Mourinho got his team going, right from the start.
In contrast, the core of this current Barcelona team has been together for seasons now. Xavi, Iniesta and Messi have played together for over 5 years. The only new face in their starting lineup was David Villa and he had played
very well with many of these Barcelona players at the World Cup with Spain.
Mourinho was taught a football lesson by Guardiola’s men. The fact that Mourinho tried to stop Barcelona from playing their football, like he successfully did it with Inter last year, was a bad decision.
This Real team is not similar to Inter by a mile. Real has the likes of Ronaldo, Di Maria and Oezil who would hardly work their socks off or be tactically spot on. Playing to your strengths is the key to success and that’s where
Mourinho got it wrong. Had he asked his players to close down Barca a little quicker they might have not gone down 2-0 in the first 20 minutes.
No matter what we have to say, the manner in which Barcelona overcame Real was quite ‘Special’, as Jose would tell you. Smashing 5 goals even against a new promoted team is considered a great achievement but to it against 9 times
European Champions is absolutely extraordinary.
This day will be remembered by all Barca fans for many a years to come and with all the hype surrounding the current Madrid team, Barcelona has again come away with a win and shown the world, who the ‘Real’ daddy is.
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