Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: 10 Observations from the Title-Deciding El Clasico

Xavi choked. Ronaldo scored. And Lionel Messi came up short!

Today, we laid witness to a rigidly organized Real Madrid squad defeating Barcelona by two goals to one thanks to a Victor Valdes scramble and Cristiano Ronaldo's emphatic winner at the Nou Camp. 

Real Madrid, now, stand at the top of La Liga with an unassailable lead of seven points and have most assuredly brought silverware to the Bernabeu. 

Here are 10 takeaways from the match. 

10. Barcelona Were Unorganized at the Back

Barcelona were very unseemly at the back today. With Gerard Pique on the bench, Javier Mascherano and Carles Puyol were the center-back pairing. 

Victor Valdes' inefficiency to grab hold on the ball led to a scramble which Puyol should have dealt with. But that did not happen, and Sami Khedira slotted home the first goal. 

A similar story with the second goal. Mesut Özil's cross split apart the Barcelona defense, allowing Ronaldo to score a magical goal that led to Madrid's win. 

This goes to show you that Barcelona have huge defensive problems which are usually hidden due to the offensive nature of their play. 

Opponents facing Barcelona usually see very little of the ball, and they only have a handful of chances to create goal scoring opportunities. For example, Chelsea had only one decent chance, and they made it count.  

If Barcelona want to maintain their hegemony, they need to add more depth in defense and be more organized. 

9. Cristian Tello Is Not Ready Yet

While I have been impressed by Cristian Tello's performances in the past, the Spaniard showed yesterday why he is not yet ready for the big stages yet. 

Given a rare start by Pep Guardiola, Tello was unable to leave a mark on the game. He had a glorious opportunity to equalize in the 20th minute, having been at the receiving end of a delicious ball from Xavi, but he blasted it way wide. 

He was quite open and could have composed himself and tried to hit the target. 

I think it was the nerves that got to him. 

Perhaps Guardiola wanted to keep the likes of Cesc Fabregas fresh for the game against Chelsea, but Tello was a bad option in my opinion. 

8. Diving Yet Again

Seriously, nonsensical acts like diving need to be stamped out of the game. 

It's utterly disgraceful when talented footballers dive. And we witnessed these actions yet again. Angel Di Maria was up to his antics yet again, and several players seem to roll around at the slightest of touches.

It's cheating, and this game deserves better.  

I sincerely hope that FIFA/UEFA implement rules to punish such players post-match. 

7. Xavi's Lost His Touch?

Well, not quite. 

He played some lovely balls today and had a 95 percent pass accuracy; it was Xavi who picked an inch perfect pass to Cristian Tello, only to have the latter blast it way off-target. 

However, it was also not the best of days for the pass-master. 

He missed a Torres-esque goal when he found himself at the end of a Lionel Messi through-ball but surprisingly shot it wide. To make matters worse, he was subbed off in the 69th minute, and his replacement, Alexis Sanchez, scored the equalizer for Barca. 

6. Mesut Özil: Real Madrid's Most Important Player?

Not yet. That honor goes to Mr. Ronaldo. However, Özil will cement his status as Madrid's most important player in the future. 

The German had yet another impressive showing today, and it was his spectacular pass that allowed Ronaldo to break away and slot in the winning goal. 

Throughout the season, Özil has dazzled all with his impressive crossing and passes. This season, he has amassed a total of 16 assists and a lone goal in La Liga, while he has netted two goals and provided two assists in the UEFA Champions League. 

And don't forget that he is only 23 years old; he has a lot of room from growth. 

5. Cristiano Ronaldo Was Sensational

Cristiano Ronaldo has a habit of coming up short in crucial encounters. 

If you witnessed the game against Bayern, he missed an easy one-on-one opportunity only to have a bit of luck and assist Özil for the goal. 

I was expecting him to be a non-entity in this game as well. 

However, I was proved completely wrong. He played exceptionally well throughout the game, making exceptional runs down the left flank. He also scored the crucial goal, latching onto a Mesut Özul pass, and putting it into the net. 

My man of the match for the game!

4. Lionel Messi Had Another "Off-Day"

Moving on to Lionel Messi.

The Argentinian did have a mark on the game, just as he did against Chelsea. 

However, we expect so much from the best player in the world that if he does not register himself on the score sheet or contribute an assist, it seems abnormal. 

Yesterday, also, he drew in three or four defenders, released a beautiful ball to Xavi and had an overall good game. 

Against Chelsea, he played quite well. Just not enough to get himself on the score sheet. 

I think it boils down to too much expectations. 

3. The La Liga Is over for Barcelona

As mentioned earlier, Real Madrid are now seven points clear of Barcelona with only four matches remaining.

Only an act of Divine Providence can prevent Real Madrid from winning the trophy. 

2. Barcelona Can Be Beaten Convincingly

Critics will claim that Pep Guardiola had his attention elsewhere, namely the crucial encounter with Chelsea, and therefore did not field his best team. 

But these are critics, and they only seek to undermine notable achievements. 

Real Madrid won because they were organized perfectly, poised to win and got their tactics right. The defense closed down quickly on Messi and co., and Madrid were swift to launch a counterattack. 

Barcelona did a shoddy job in defense and for all their possession did not make it count. 

This leaves us with an obvious question: is ball possession really a testament to a team's ability? 

In this game, Barcelona enjoyed an overwhelming 72 percent of the ball, and they had a total of 14 shots. Not to mention great chances that fell upon Cristian Tello and Xavi. 

It was the same story against Chelsea. Against Chelsea they had 79 percent of the ball, took a total of 24 shots, six of which were on target, yet failed to score any. 

With two passes, from Frank Lampard to Ramires, Ramires to Didier Drogba, Chelsea took apart Barcelona. 

Barcelona need to be more clinical with their finishing and make the possession count. I think it is during games like these that they miss people like David Villa. 

Barcelona need to become more adventurous and not simply try to pass their way through. 

1. Symbolic Win for Real Madrid

If Real Madrid, at the end of the season, managed to take home the La Liga title without having beaten Barcelona, I'm pretty sure the title run would have been rendered "not as hoped". 

However, a win over Barcelona symbolizes that Madrid were indeed the better team all throughout the season, and it signifies the beginning of a new era where the dominance of Barcelona might be beginning to wane. 

A victory at the Nou Camp that seals the title is certainly a testament to greatness. 

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