Ex-Liverpoolstar Luis Suarez scored the winner on Sunday, threadingthe needle to lead Barcelona to a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the Clasico. The win solidified
Barcelona’s grip on the La Liga title and kept an out-of-sorts Real Madrid side
firmly in crisis.
But
this 230th meeting of
what is simply the greatest club game in the world also lived up to
expectations. For much of the match, it was a scorching game largely free of
the extracurricular activities that have marred past meetings between the two
sides. Featuring two of the best attacking tridents anywhere in world football
– and the two greatest living players – this was a Clasico that lived up to its
billing.
Real
Madrid had won this fixture in October by an impressive 3-1 margin, dealing
Barcelona what was at that time their first loss of the season. And that helped
spark a run of form that saw them reel off 22 straight wins – and spark talks
of crisis at Camp Nou as the New Year rang in.
But
entering this game, the teams were heading in opposite directions, with Real
crashing out of the Copa del Rey, falling behind in the La Liga race, and
getting walloped by cross-town rivals Atletico in the derby. Cristiano Ronaldo
was seen mouthing obscenities at his own fans after Madrid made heavy weather
of Champions League play against Schalke,
and there was a feeling of gloom setting in.
In
contrast, Barcelona have picked up steam and looked brilliant in Europe, taking
apart an expensive Manchester City side with a performance that was simply a
next-level thrashing. Lionel Messi, once looking jaded, has exploded of late,
and it was expected that tonight he would pull the strings to fine effect.
Messi met those expectations, as Barcelona came out early and looked to put pressureon Iker Casillas from the kickoff . Andres Iniesta and Luis Suarez almost
forced a goal inside of three minutes, and Neymar and Suarez would run a tricky
set of one-twos that had Casillas fuming at his back line. But Neymar’s final
touch was often too heavy or awry – a theme that would continue throughout the
match as he left several chances lie fallow, and opened up more questions about
his ability to finish.
It
was Ronaldo who would actually come closest to scoring early as he sidefooted a
volley off the underside of Claudio Bravo’s crossbar in the eleventh minute.
Collecting a lovely long, searching ball from Marcelo, Karim Benzema found
himself in space on the left side of the area and stopped, thinking he must be
offside. He wasn’t, and with Barcelona’s back three converging on him, he
clipped the ball over them to a waiting Ronaldo at the far post. He was unlucky
not to draw first blood, and was left with a wry smile on his face as Bravo
went tumbling.
The
first goal, instead, would come from Lionel Messi after a soft, and somewhat
silly foul from Pepe, who went into the back of Suarez. Lining up a free kick
near side, about 25 yards out, Messi blew in a head-high cross that caught
Real’s back line flat. Jeremy Mathieu simply ran onto the ball and nodded it to
the far post, leaving Casillas helpless.
But
the turning point of the match might have come on the half hour mark, when
Neymar had a chance to put the game if not to bed, then more firmly into Barca’s
corner. With Suarez tumbling, the Uruguayan flicked a fine square ball to
Neymar, all alone with but Casillas to beat. Instead, the young Brazilian
tamely kneed the ball right to the keeper, who immediately started a lightning
break.
At
the other end of the field, off service from Luka Modric, Benzema took the ball
in stride and clipped a backheel into the path of Ronaldo. With a slide, he
tucked the ball through a tangle of legs and into the back of Bravo’s net.
For
the remainder of the half, Barcelona looked very uncomfortable as Modric drove
Real’s midfield right through Barca. Gareth Bale nearly doubled their lead on
40 minutes when he steered the ball home after a Ronaldo flick-on, but the
linesman had his flag up. It was a dubious call, as it appeared Ivan Rakitic
had held both men on, but it would not count. Ronaldo would then force Bravo
into a brilliant finger-tip save over his own bar with a lash from some 35
yards out that was heading into the net.
But
after the break, the game changed: Barcelona simply became vastly better
against Madrid and should have come away with far more in this game.
Suarez
would seize the lead back for Barcelona in the 56th minute, finishing off an incredible
60-yard pass from Dani Alves with a low roller through Pepe. Collecting the
ball over his shoulder in full stride, he somehow shook off both Sergio Ramos
and Pepe to slide the ball to the far corner, past a despairing Casillas. It
was a brilliant outlet ball, delivered with a precision so rare in the modern
game when it comes to direct play.
RealMadrid were down but not entirely out. Benzema would see his shot well-saved by
Bravo after it took a wicked cut off Javier Mascherano; only the keeper’s
positioning saved a sure goal. And Neymar’s wastefulness kept Los Blancos in
the game; he muffed two gilt-edged chances at the near post, and ignored a
wide-open Suarez before finally getting the hook.
But
quality showed: Casillas was forced to save Messi twice late in a yeoman display
as Real started to dissipate under what became withering pressure. By the end
of the game, Madrid looked a team with a crumbling sea wall, and Barcelona were
able to move through them at will.
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