Six things we learned from Spanish Super Cup – La Liga Special (Part 2)
We continue to discuss six things that we learned from the Spanish Super Cup. So far we have discussed how http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296 continues to haunt Real Madrid with his goalscoring exploits and the fact that Jose Mourinho has no answer to stop the diminutive Argentine.
3. Real Madrid full-back Marcelo will start notwithstanding http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fabio-c13152 Coentrao’s addition
Real Madrid have reinforced their squad with five new players over the transfer window. Fabio Coentrao’s move, owing to the transfer price and the period over which it dragged on, has stood out. The Portuguese international moved to Santiago Bernabéu from
Benfica in a mammoth thirty million Euros deal, an astronomical amount for a defender.
Many speculated that he was brought in to replace the pint-sized Brazilian but this does not look like the case.
Marcelo has significantly improved his game, both offensively and defensively. He was a constant nightmare for http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alexis-Sánchez-c4979 in the first leg, and continued his performance in to the second leg. However, he needs to mature in his footballing ways after
being given his marching orders for a needless and reckless challenge on Cesc Fabregas in the dying minutes of the second leg.
Coentrao, meanwhile, was languid in his position, failing to keep pace with the trickery of Pedro Rodriguez. He had a poor match at the left back position and his performance improved when he was asked to step in a more advanced role, with Marcelo taking
his position. The Portuguese looks more like an addition to cover the pitch rather than a specialist, as witnessed over the preseason.
4. Barcelona’s new signings will be consigned to the bench over the next campaign
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Barcelona-c39078 have added expensive replacements to the roster in the form of Chilean winger Alexis Sanchez and former youth academy product Cesc Fabregas. Pep Guardiola has strengthened his squad with these star players who arrive at Camp Nou with ambitions
to win a medal galore. However, it is not easy to establish yourself in the Catalan club and these players will learn that sooner than later.
Alexis was the first to arrive after a summer of lengthy transfer negotiations. He has been with the first team for some time now and featured in the first leg. Starting in his favoured right wing role, he found himself battling an improved Marcelo, who
did not give him any space to live freely. Pep Guardiola moved him to the left wing, as Pedro Came on to replace http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/David-Villa-c10629. Switching of the flanks did not bear fruit; Sanchez was equally subdued on the opposite flank.
In the second leg, he started on the bench as Pedro gained match fitness. He did not feature for Barcelona, as the Catalans stole the march on Real Madrid for the first trophy of the season. From the looks of it, Sanchez will be given the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Job-c18684 of deputising
for Pedro and Villa as he has to make the step up to the Blaugrana style of play.
Fabregas has to remain content with a similar situation at Camp Nou, as he returns to his boyhood club after a hiatus of eight years. The central midfielder came on as a substitute in the dying minutes of the second leg, as he made his much awaited debut.
He will have to remain content with a substitute’s role, being behind Xavi and Iniesta in the pecking order.
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