Phil Ball: Clear-cut Clasico as Real Madrid down Barca

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  • Cristiano Ronaldo was, naturally, on the scoresheet for Real Madrid against Barcelona.

    The wonderful thing about the Spanish Clasico is that the circumstances surrounding it are rarely the same.  The only pattern that ever emerges is that of the yin-yang, where one side comes into the game smiling and confident, whilst the other arrives in a state of depression. This time, on the 229th occasion of this fixture, both sides seemed unusually bullish and confident. Madrid, after a shaky start to the season and a wobbly transition into their post-Xabi Alonso phase, were Europe’s top scorers, whilst Barcelona were confounding those who had expected them to start slowly. With a new manager, new goalkeeper, no Carles Puyol, a fading Xavi and a series of boardroom upheavals, they were nevertheless top of La Liga without a single goal conceded in their first eight league games.

    There were some other juicy variables too.  Barcelona’s new coach, Luis Enrique, once of Real Madrid but later of Barcelona, had never been flavour of the month at the Bernabéu, originally for over-celebrating a goal on his return as a player in 1997 and then for letting loose one of Spanish football’s most famous soundbites; “Me veo en los cromos vestido del Real Madrid y no me reconozco” (I see old pictures of myself in the Real Madrid shirt, and I don’t even recognise myself’).  Luis Enrique stands  comfortably forward on the podium of Real Madrid’s public enemies, and was always going to lend the game a special flavour, as was the possibility of Luis Suarez making his debut – a player courted by Real Madrid  two seasons ago, although this last week they had been at pains to deny it.  On the subject of Suarez, Luis Enrique hinted before the game that the Uruguayan would “be given some minutes” but few expected him to start. 

    Real Madrid won the game comfortably in the end, and the 3-1 score rather flattered Barcelona’s defence, held together desperately by the excellent Javier Mascherano but otherwise looking strangely wobbly, given their eight-game clean sheet.  The fact that Suarez did start, and then assist Neymar for the visitors’ 4th-minute opener, was an eye-opening decision by Luis Enrique, given the context.  It certainly showed admirable confidence in his player’s natural chutzpah, and was a declaration of tactical intent regarding Barça’s approach to the game – hardly a cautious one you might say.  It looked to be paying off for the opening period, and one could have been forgiven for thinking that a forward line of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Suarez is almost unfair, and so awesome-sounding as to seem unreal.  

    Carlo Ancelotti got the better of opposite number Luis Enrique, who is among the Bernabeu faithful's leading public enemies.

    But Real Madrid are hardly a modest outfit, of course. The loss of Gareth Bale last week for the Champions League tie at Liverpool looked to be a possible problem, breaking up the goal-scoring speed-fest that has characterised the side since recovering from the sudden loss of both Xabi Alonso and Angel Di María, but Isco’s ability to make the ball stick, and to change the direction of play baffled Liverpool so much that Ancelotti decided to repeat it in the Clasico – a decision vindicated by the young player’s second excellent performance of the week. Add to that James Rodriguez’s growing confidence, Karim Benzema’s present state of grace and the ever-present threat of Cristiano Ronaldo, and Barcelona were eventually outplayed.  Madrid’s aggressive policy of playing a high-line with their two full-backs, meant that Dani Alves simply couldn’t move forward with Marcelo rampant, and Jeremy Mathieu, picked before Jordi Alba, was simply too inaccurate in his passing, on the few occasions that he did manage to cross the half-way line.

    Barcelona fans will point to the 22nd minute of the game when a venomous low cross from Suarez was met perfectly at the far post by Leo Messi, who inexplicably side-footed the ball wide. Had that gone in, Madrid’s comeback might not have been so simple.  Barcelona were playing well, after Madrid’s surge following Neymar’s opener had died down.  As it transpired, Ronaldo equalised ten minutes later from the penalty spot after a handball from Pique, and Madrid never really looked back.  Once Pepe had given them the lead after 50 minutes, once again exposing the Catalans’ problem with defending corners, the hosts settled into their favourite game plan, blocking their opponent’s route to goal with a double back line and breaking on the counter at dizzying speed.  Barcelona had no choice but to take the game to them, but it was akin to suicide. 

    After the third goal, culminated smoothly by Benzema after a counter-attack from a Barcelona corner, it was more a question of how many Madrid would score rather than whether Barcelona would stage a comeback.  With Messi largely absent, Suarez off the pitch and Iniesta trying to cover too much ground, Barcelona looked a rather frail opponent, with Neymar once again an ephemeral presence in the second half.  The Brazilian’s inability to remain involved in the action is partly his effectiveness, in a perverse sort of way, but when the chips are down Barcelona need everyone to be functioning.  Despite the player’s undoubted brilliance, there is something not quite convincing about his overall contribution to the cause.

    Real Madrid have now scored 33 in nine league games, a feat only equalled by their famous 1959-60 team.  They are looking happy again, a well-oiled machine, with Toni Kroos quietly effective and Marcelo and Luka Modric in a rich vein of form.  Even Iker Casillas was smiling, something that has not happened for a while. His team had only 42 percent of the possession, but still ended the game with 18 shots under their belt, as opposed to Barcelona’s 15.  They are now a point off their rivals, and looking hungry. 

    The Clasico tends to have a psychological effect on the two sides, and for a few weeks now Madrid will bask in the glow, until their next stumble. There will inevitably be one, but meanwhile Barcelona will suffer a mini-crisis of confidence, perhaps due as much to their present lack of physical power, compared to Madrid.  Add to that the snarling threat of Atlético in the background, Valencia’s new-found confidence and Sevilla’s interesting start, and this season’s La Liga may yet prove to be a relatively open one, despite the array of treasures on display in the Bernabéu on Saturday night. 

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