Barcelona vs Real Madrid: How Ugly Will the Beautiful Game Get?

Today's Clasico has all the makings of a great game.  Two absolute giants in futbol.  Two rivals.  The game's Ballon d'Or best player for the last two years surrounded by two teammates who finished just behind him in this year's voting, both of whom held the World Cup last summer and the EURO two summers before that.  The Ballon d'Or winner from two years ago, and last year's runner-up.  The self-proclaimed "greatest" manager in the game, trying to repeat as Champions League winner with a different club.  Teams that dueled to a 1-1 draw just over a week ago.  Each goal scored by each team's leader mentioned above.

So, why then, am I hesitant that the game won't live up to its billing? 

For one, the 1-1 draw wasn't a beautiful game, no matter what Jose Mourinho will tell you.  He's a tactical genius, there's no doubting that.  But having lost 5-0 to Barcelona earlier in the season, he realized there was no way to beat Barca at their game of technical grace, and changed things up a bit—with excellent results. 

With a lineup similar to the Galacticos a decade ago—Ronaldo, Zidane, Figo, Beckham, Owen, & Roberto Carlos—Real Madrid once again have an offensive arsenal so strong that their subs would be starters on most clubs.  Madrid players average $7 million per season. 

Winning doesn't come cheap.

But in the last match, Mourinho moved some of his star attacking players to the bench in return for defensive players in the middle of the pitch, and thereby, taking away Barca's ability to pass and move so freely in that area.  The tactician had also ordered that the grass be left long, and it did slow down both the game and Barcelona's offense, which dominated the opening 20 minutes with over 80 percent of possession.

Madrid finished the game with 10 players after Albiol was sent off in the 51st minute.  Had the referee not already sent him off, he certainly could've done the same to either Pepe, Alonso, or Arbeloa, for their consistent and sometimes dangerous tackles.  And both goals came from the penalty spot. 

The last time Mourinho faced Barcelona in a Champions League match was last year's semi-final.  The game cannot be talked about without mentioning Barcelona's Busquets and his clear dive after challenging Inter's Motta from behind.  Motta's arms went up as the ball approached the sideline, and Busquets went down in pain, holding his hands to his face.  Replays clearly showed that his face was never touched.  And the chants of Barcelona's brilliance with the ball was mixed with heckles of diving when things didn't go their way.

Sure, players get caught up in the heat of the moment of any futbol match.  Throw in a rivalry, a Champions League contest, a semi-final, the third of four matches against the same opponent in less than a month and neither team willing to go down 2-0 in the first leg like Schalke did to Manchester United 24 hours earlier, and I'm holding my breath on a beautiful match.  The level of talent on the pitch will be second to no other Champions League game we've seen this year.  

I just hope we will see more of that than of Madrid fouling, Barcelona diving, and Guardiola & Mourinho squaring off again before the second leg.  I hope to see a real Clasico.