If it’s true there are lies, damned lies and statistics, perhaps the biggest mistruth surrounding Saturday’s Clasico are the figures which suggest Real Madrid’s strike trio have enjoyed a slightly better season than Barcelona’s.
Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo have combined for 63 league goals in 5,597 minutes so far this season (a goal every 88.8 minutes), with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar managing 69 goals in 6,865 minutes (a goal every 99.5 minutes).
From those statistics, you might draw the conclusion that BBC trumps MSN. You would be wrong. A more pertinent figure shows Barcelona 10 points clear of their rivals at the top of La Liga, with an opportunity in Saturday’s meeting, to kill off any lingering ideas that the title race is still alive.
And if we want to continue down the numbers path, consider this: in this season’s toughest games (against Real, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Arsenal), Barca’s front-three have combined for 16 goals in seven matches; but in their equivalent outings (versus Barca, Atletico, Villarreal and PSG) Real’s front three have mustered only one in six.
So although BBC have a better overall scoring ratio than their MSN counterparts, that is only because they have massaged their figures by pummelling lower-class opposition. When tested against the elite, it’s a different story.
This is surely due to their very different collective mentalities. Whereas Barca’s South American amigos are motivated by a genuine “All for one, one for all,” mindset, at Real it’s more a case of “All for one” – with the one being Ronaldo, who never fails to look furious if a game passes by without him scoring.
When the MSN and the BBC go head-to-head #ElClasicohttps://t.co/VGdfMhMfIr
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) April 1, 2016
Conversely, the way Barcelona celebrate their goals make it clear that Messi, Suarez and Neymar play for each other and take joy in each other’s success – perhaps even too much, with all three of them occasionally guilty of over-passing in an attempt to set up their mate.
And that is exactly why they have enjoyed much more success than Madrid’s forwards in big games.
Against weaker opposition, it’s much easier for a highly-talented player to score with a piece of individual brilliance. But when confronted by elite opponents, it needs more than that – it needs teamwork. Stopping a magnificent player who is trying to do everything by himself is much easier than stopping three magnificent players all working together.
Earlier this year, Ronaldo said he doesn’t think it’s important for team-mates to get on well to be successful, citing his time at Manchester United as an example. In contrast, Barca’s players regularly enthuse over the warmth of the friendships between their star forwards, confidently asserting that their generous personal relationships make everything easier on the field of play.
Which of those opinions do you buy into? The trio who won a treble last season and are on track to do the same? Or a member of a trio who won nothing last season and have only one trophy to play for at the moment? The answer is clear.
If Real want to get the best out of BBC, they need to remind their superstars, especially Ronaldo, they are playing a team sport. Flashing angry looks at each other, as Ronaldo is prone to doing, whenever passes aren’t perfect, or shooting when a pass to an unmarked team-mate would be a better option, is not the way to build team spirit or understanding.
To beat the best, rather than being content with battering second-raters, Madrid’s forwards need to start playing together, and the lead should come from their most high-profile player.
Ronaldo has been and remains a superb individual player – now, he needs to become more of a team player.
