Real Madrid Are Exhausted, Despite Carlo Ancelotti's Claims
A season is a marathon, not a sprint. After running, say, 20 miles out of 26, some athletes "hit the wall." That means they suddenly feel depleted of energy and are struck by a deep fatigue.
That's what it looked like Real Madrid were going through, to the 99,760 spectators crammed into Camp Nou on Sunday night.
You could say the moment Madrid hit the wall was the same moment Luis Suarez's strike hit the back of Iker Casillas' net—in the 56th minute of El Clasico.
The game was gone after that. Not on paper, because a one-goal lead is easily surmountable. But football isn't played on paper, and after Suarez scored, it seemed that if another goal went in, it would be Barcelona extending their lead.
Before Suarez struck, paying off a huge wedge of his transfer fee in one fell swoop—or two, if you count that quite magnificent first touch as a magical moment of its own—Real Madrid were on top.
More than on top, they were dominant. After Barcelona opened the scoring, Madrid took the game by the scruff of the neck and tried to shake its innards out.
Karim Benzema's balletic backheel to Cristiano Ronaldo led to the equaliser, and after that, only the bloody-minded defending of Gerard Pique prevented Carlo Ancelotti's side from taking the lead.
Luka Modric was plucking the strings in midfield, and when the Croatian is taking the initiative, Real Madrid are finely tuned and singing from the same hymn sheet.
But if you'll forgive the extended metaphor, Barcelona's rock'n'roll was the sound of the second half, because Real Madrid tired physically.
It was plain to see.
Despite evidence to the contrary in almost every match, Ancelotti has previously denied that Madrid are struggling for fitness, with the team clearly below their best level.
In fact, instead of Madrid hitting the wall against Barcelona, you could point to the moment their stride fell out of sync as being their return from the Club World Cup in Morocco.
Having won 22 games consecutively, Madrid decided to fly to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and play a friendly against AC Milan. They lost 4-2.
That game didn't upset their winning streak, given that it wasn't a competitive match, but they didn't have long to wait.
Five days later, they were back in action in La Liga and were beaten 2-1 by Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium in an intense, physical game.
Three days later, they lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey clash at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.
Would they have lost these games had they rested over Christmas and not used their winter break to play a friendly? It's impossible to say, but the travel certainly wasn't helpful.
However, look back to the summer. Barcelona stayed in Europe, playing a few pre-season games against lesser opponents. Given the World Cup, the club thought it prudent to have a relatively relaxed schedule.
Last season's champions, Atletico Madrid, went off to South America, while Real Madrid went to the United States to play glamour friendlies.
That's a sound financial strategy, but when it comes to preparing for "the marathon," it's akin to having a night on the tiles before the race, while Barcelona were tucked up in bed.
Luis Enrique received criticism for rotating his team a lot in the first half of the season, and it's paying dividends now.
Ancelotti has kept his team's core playing week in and week out. The Italian coach has wrung every drop of blood from Toni Kroos, who performed brilliantly but is now exhausted. Back in November, the German midfielder was complaining of being tired, per ESPN.
Kroos was rested for a Copa del Rey tie against Cornella in the week after he said that, but he has played in 21 of the 22 games since then.
"I think it was a mental problem not a physical one. We started looking for more difficult passes and that is why the last half-hour didn't go like the first half," Ancelotti said after El Clasico, per The Telegraph.
Whether the coach is denying his team have been worked to the bone because he knows he will be blamed for that or because he genuinely doesn't believe it is unknown.
It should be noted that injuries to Modric and James Rodriguez have influenced the amount of playing time Kroos has spent on the pitch, although Sami Khedira and particularly Asier Illarramendi could have featured more.
One thing is certain. Ancelotti must find a way to break through "the wall" and push the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Kroos into overdrive as we hit the final stretch of the season.
Barcelona are not infallible. They have difficult fixtures to play between now and the end of the season, as well as a Copa del Rey Final. They will drop points.
What Madrid have to ensure is that they are on the Catalan club's shoulder, ready to squeeze past them as soon as the opportunity arises rather than panting behind and coming to a standstill.
.jpg?w=480)
.png?w=600 "NBA Fans Rip Pistons After Magic Go Up 3-1")
.jpg?w=600 "Pickens' Trade Ultimatum")
.png?w=600 "2027 NFL Mock Draft 🔮")
