El Clásico World Series, Real Madrid vs. Barcelona: 10 Things Game 1 Taught Us
The first of four clásicos is in the books, and all is square. Barcelona and Madrid played to a rather bland 1-1 draw Saturday, with both goals coming on penalties and very little for the home fans to cheer about. Looking ahead to Wednesday’s Copa del Rey final, and the ensuing two-part meeting in Champions League, what did we learn about the matchup of Spain’s best clubs?
1. Real Madrid Will Defend
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This is an understatement. Benching promising playmaker Mesut Ozil, Mourinho started centerback Pepe in midfield. Paired with Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira—two physically imposing players—Mourinho managed to turn a squad full of gifted attacking players into a parked airbus.
We’ve seen this strategy before, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, but one might have expected Mourinho to feel some pressure to put on a show for the fans. Saturday taught us that he has no such qualms. He obviously doesn’t believe Madrid can compete with Barcelona in an open game, and sees the counterattack as his side’s best chance of prevailing.
Unfortunately for fans of the beautiful game, expect more of the same in the next three Clásicos.
2. Barcelona Will Possess
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Anticipating an onslaught from a super-motivated Madrid, I could only hope that Barcelona might start to impose their football at some point in the first half. Instead, they were given the ball from the very start.
Barcelona has been disrupted by high pressure from squads like Valencia, sometimes struggling to assert their possession. This doesn’t seem to be an issue against Madrid.
The return of Puyol makes possession even easier to come by, as the ball can be worked neatly around the back, and we can expect to see more lopsided numbers ahead (at one point in the first half, Barcelona had 81% possession.)
3. Lionel Messi Will Score
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Involved in most every dangerous attack Barcelona mustered against Madrid, Messi looked his usual dangerous self. He netted his first goal against a Mourinho-coached squad by converting a penalty kick.
Despite being marked closely by Pepe, “La Pulga” made his way through the thick Madrid defense time and again, and put Iker Casillas to the test. Barcelona’s attack will continue to move through the little man up top, and he’s bound to find the back of the net again against Madrid.
4. Cards Will Be Shown
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We knew things would get heated, and despite this match being perhaps the least significant of the four, eight yellow cards and a red were shown. There’s some bad blood here. While the referee managed to keep things relatively under control, the next matches may get uglier.
Real Madrid—and especially players like Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas—are downright sick of being dominated by Barcelona, and these matches are their last chance at redemption.
Leo Messi, Andres Iniesta, and the rest of “Los Bajitos” don't back down from physical challenges, and hotheads like Pique and Valdes are quick to jump to their defense.
Saturday won’t be the last game that ends with less than twenty-two men.
5. “El Kaiser” Is Back
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Gerard Piqué looked very, very good against Real Madrid. Time and again he cut off dangerous crosses with all-out lunges, and he stood up well to the quickness of Di Maria and Ronaldo.
There’s been speculation that Piqué’s new girlfriend Shakira has distracted him from football and caused a drop-off in form, but he looked as good as ever on Saturday. Big, strong, sure and solid, this guy could be the best in the world for years to come.
Unfortunately for Barcelona, a silly yellow card for arguing means he’ll miss the cup final on Wednesday.
Correction: Pique's yellow card doesn't carry a suspension, and he will play on Wednesday.
6. Barcelona Is Vulnerable on Set Pieces
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Real Madrid, despite a defensive game-plan, managed to draw numerous corners and a pair of dangerous free kicks. It was in these sequences that Barcelona looked most vulnerable. Madrid has some fantastic athletes in Ronaldo, Ramos, and Adebayor that are adept at heading balls into the net. With Barcelona's makeshift back line, aerial defense is especially questionable.
From outside the area, Ronaldo is still one of the most lethal players in the game, sending the ball with a vicious combination of force and downward movement. His first half free kick had Valdés beat, but ricocheted off the upright.
If Madrid is to beat Barcelona, it will likely be from a dead-ball situation.
7. Real Madrid Has No Chemistry
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This may be an overstatement, but compared to their Catalan rivals, Real Madrid has very little team chemistry. This is to be expected, considering the number of new players on the squad, and the fact that coach Jose Mourinho is in his first season.
It shows on the pitch in the form of one-on-one attacks and very little ball movement. There’s ridiculous talent here—a squad truly deserving of the “galácticos” moniker, but they’ve yet to put the pieces together. Madrid needs somebody besides Casillas to become a general on the field, and command the respect of the prodigious talent and egos on this squad.
8. Barcelona’s Back Line Is Wearing Thin
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Puyol’s return was a godsend for Barcelona—without him they very well could have lost on Saturday. Wednesday, Piqué will be suspended and Pep will once again debate inserting the very shaky Gabi Milito in his place, or pulling the slender Sergio Busquets back into central defense.
Either way, things are less than ideal in defense. Another injury to Puyol, another suspension for Piqué, and Barcelona is looking at a crisis on the back line.
9. David Villa Is Playing Poorly
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Although he did manage to draw a penalty, David Villa looked pretty shoddy against Madrid. He blew his shots well off target, lost the ball numerous times, and tried a particularly silly back-heel pass into three defenders.
Aside from his willingness to hustle back on defense, Villa has contributed very little lately, and Saturday was perhaps his worst match of the season. If Barcelona is to break down the Madrid defense on Wednesday, here’s what David Villa must do:
Control the ball on the wing, get some shots on goal, and prove that his goal-scoring instincts and big-game experience are enough to warrant another start ahead of Ibrahim Afellay.
10. Barcelona Is Better
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Barcelona was completely dominant on Saturday, controlling the game from start to finish. While Madrid resorts to specialized tactics, Barcelona just plays soccer. The game plan has remained unchanged all season long: hold on to the ball, help your teammates, and get back on defense.
Any way you slice it, Barcelona is clearly the better team. They are united in a style of play that has been perfected. Every man knows his place in the grand scheme and sets out each match to improve in this area alone. They have experience, chemistry, and joy on their side.
These players love their club, each other, and playing soccer more than any other group, and it shows.
But football is a funny sport, and the best team does not always prevail. Barcelona may be the better team, but round one showed that Madrid is entirely capable of beating them.
