Real Madrid vs. Barcelona: 1st-Leg Positives and Drawbacks for Los Blancos

After the somewhat aesthetically displeasing Clásicos earlier this year, many hoped that the Spanish Supercup would be a fitting curtain raiser to the 2011-12 La Liga. Although the second leg is yet to be played, the Bernabéu fixture was nothing short of entertaining.

Real Madrid came out riding the momentum of their fine preseason and while Barcelona were clearly not in the same state of preparedness, they are the still same club that won the UEFA Champions League less than three months ago.

After dominating the first half hour, it looked as if Madrid could possibly hand their Blaugrana rivals a beating. But once the away team came back through Lionel Messi and David Villa, Madrid could do no more than equalize through Xabi Alonso.

The first 90 minutes of official football have been played, and with the deciding game at the Camp Nou looming, now is a good time to think about what went well for Madrid and what could have been better.

Positive: Multiple Goals for Real Madrid

Despite the draw, Jose Mourinho will be greatly encouraged by the fact that his side managed to put two past Barcelona. No Real Madrid side has accomplished this feat since May 2009, and even then they found themselves on the losing end of a 6-2 scoreline.

Los Blancos found themselves in a similar, albeit more worrying, situation earlier this year. Prior to Cristiano Ronaldo's 82nd-minute penalty in the second league fixture, Barcelona had scored 12 unanswered goals against their eternal rivals, not conceding a single goal for nearly 400 minutes. Ronaldo's strike gave his team some much-needed confidence, which manifested in the form of a 1-0 overtime victory in the Copa del Rey.

Just as the 1-1 tie on April 16th showed that Madrid could score and possibly contain Barcelona, the 2-2 tie last Sunday could open the floodgates for confident play and more goals.

The last time Real Madrid scored more than one goal, and won, against Barcelona was in May 2008.

Positive: Barcelona Scraped Through on Individual Brilliance Alone

Barcelona's 5-0 victory last November was largely due to their dominating style of play and intricate passing which literally tore apart Real Madrid's defense. Their distinct footballing philosophy was also evident during the balanced Clásico series.

Last Sunday could not have been more different. Barcelona seemed unable to impose their passing play in any way, resorting to keeping the ball in their own half.

Although Barcelona's second goal should have been avoided, Messi did well to get past Khedira, Pepe and Casillas. Villa's goal was simply beautiful. Both of these goals not only came out of nowhere but also were thanks to individual efforts. Madrid showed that they could contain Barcelona's game, an encouraging feat with respect to Wednesday's showdown. 

Positive: Real Madrid Outshone Barcelona

Although Barcelona isn't invincible, there have been very few times over the last couple years where they were comprehensively outplayed. Real Madrid outshot their opponents 19 to four; the Blaugrana only managed two shots on target but put both of them away, a testament to their efficiency.

Some Barcelona proponents will undoubtedly bring up the fact that Barcelona enjoyed 52 percent of the possession but this statistic should not be used religiously; after all, earlier this week, Swansea City commanded a similar amount of possession but ended up losing 4-0 to Manchester City.

Quantitative data aside, it was evident that Madrid controlled the game and looked much more threatening than Barcelona. Madrid supporters should feel content with how the team outplayed Barça but disappointed that they could not convert any more chances.

Supercup aside, the fact that Mourinho was willing to unleash the Real Madrid attack, and that it (should have) worked, is encouraging news for the 2011-12 season.

Drawback: Barcelona Obtains Home and Aggregate Advantages

Speaking of missed opportunities, it is quite possible that Benzema and Co. will come to regret the disappointing result on Sunday. Barcelona now holds the home and aggregate advantages. Real Madrid must score on the Camp Nou pitch and will likely have to win the game, as another high-scoring stalemate is improbable.

If Barcelona goes through on away goals, then the blame will lie on Madrid's inability to convert more chances at the Bernabéu.

The last time Real Madrid escaped from the Camp Nou with a victory was in December 2007.

Drawback: Barcelona Given Valuable Time To Organize

While tactics are generally associated with Jose Mourinho, it is expected that Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola will be the more active manager during the 71 hours that separate the two Clásicos.

Barcelona's back four looked quite shaky at times, and Guardiola will be relieved that he has a few days to figure out a solution for Wednesday night's game. Gerard Pique made a substitute appearance at the Bernabéu but could possibly make the starting 11 on the 17th.

On the offensive front, Barcelona has just acquired a new weapon in the form of Cesc Fabregas. While the Barcelona No. 4 is not expected to start, he could very well have an impact later on in the game.

The rest period between the two legs of the Supercup was inevitable, but Real Madrid should have taken advantage of a Barcelona side which did not look match-fit. Instead of going to the Camp Nou with a comfortable lead, Los Blancos are instead faced with the prospect of taking on a reinvigorated Barcelona side.

Drawback: Real Madrid Unable To Plunder Makeshift Barcelona Defense

A major concern for Mourinho will be Real Madrid's inability to run rampant against the relatively poor Barcelona defense. The opening half hour should have seen the home team go up by two or more goals, but it was in fact Barcelona who scored twice and took a surprise lead.

Although Alves, Mascherano, Abidal and Adriano are excellent players, they were part of a makeshift defense that lacked the experienced Carlos Puyol and the world-class Gerard Piqué.

Ronaldo, Ozil and Benzema, following a preseason which saw the three of them gel nicely, couldn't find a way to run rampant against the overwhelmed Barcelona back line, thanks in part to an inspired display from Victor Valdés.

Now that Barcelona have had time to rethink their defense, which may be boosted by the presence of Piqué, scoring against Barcelona should prove a much tougher task for the Real Madrid attack.

Closing Remarks

Thank you for your time. If you have any comments, suggestions or criticisms, feel free to state them below. It is perfectly fine to post your thoughts even after the return leg has been played.

Here's to an exciting game on Wednesday!