Barcelona Must Snap out of Clasico Lull Ahead of Atletico Champions League Clash

CAMP NOU, Barcelona — From the mosaic to the video, everything before the whistle to kick off the Clasico on Saturday was a perfect tribute to the late Johan Cruyff. But from that point on, Barcelona failed to do the Dutchman justice.

He led the way for this team to exist in the capacity it now does, and it would have been an ideal salute to his memory to see off archrivals Real Madrid and essentially wrap up the league title.

Instead, goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo helped Madrid come from behind to win 2-1 after Gerard Pique opened the scoring in the second half.

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

“What Johan Cruyff would like, more than tributes, is for us to win the game because we deserve to, by playing good, spectacular football,” Luis Enrique said before the game, per Sport.

Barcelona did not win the game, and they certainly did not play spectacular football. Not of the kind they are capable of.

At times in the opening salvo, they threatened to. And if Luis Suarez had fired home when Neymar gave him the chance to shoot at an open goal, instead of kicking at air, or if Sergio Ramos had been sent off for taking down Lionel Messi on the edge of the box, it could have been different.

It could have been different too if the fitness situations of the teams were reversed.

JOSEP LAGO/Getty Images

Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi travelled to South America to play in vital FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with the former and latter only training for the first time with their club on Friday, the day before the Clasico.

By contrast, Madrid’s striking trio did virtually nothing, with Ronaldo playing two games in his native Portugal while Gareth Bale and Benzema stayed in Madrid.

Barcelona players have generally played more fixtures this season too, competing in the Spanish and UEFA Super Cups, the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan and getting all the way to the Copa del Rey final.

Bale acknowledged that after the game, pointing out he still felt fresh and that Madrid perhaps had extra in the tank.

"We had a game plan," he said. "We've got belief in ourselves, and we've been working hard on our fitness in training. Maybe being out of the Copa del Rey helps a little bit. We've had [fewer] games. We're feeling strong, confident now, and it’s one final push until the end of the season."

JOSEP LAGO/Getty Images

Bale continued: "I still felt fresh and could sprint a lot more. We always felt we could hit them on the counter-attack, even with 10 men."

But more than Real, what Barcelona have to fear is Atletico Madrid. They take on Diego Simeone’s side on Tuesday night at the Camp Nou in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Luis Enrique must drive his men out of this pothole and back to the form they usually show. Madrid’s win ended a phenomenal 39-game unbeaten streak.

Alex Caparros/Getty Images

“This game no longer exists," explained Barcelona’s coach after the game, as he set his sights on the other major capital club. "Now there is no pain or anything."

That is the right attitude for him to have, although privately he will be wondering why the team showed so little authority after Pique sent them ahead and Ramos had been sent off for yet another foul on Suarez.

The Madrid players’ improved fitness compared to Barcelona’s certainly gives some answers for why the visitors could have scored two or three times in the final 15 minutes as Barcelona flapped against 10 men.

If that doubt still exists on Tuesday, Atletico—who beat Real Betis 5-1 earlier on Saturday to close Barcelona’s lead at the top of La Liga to six points—will be ready to pounce.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.