Real Madrid Opinion: Clásico Defeat Disappointing, Not Insurmountable

Once Cesc Fabregas' header found its way past Iker Casillas and into the net, it seemed as if nothing short of a miracle would help Real Madrid salvage a draw, much less a victory, against their eternal rivals.

While losing to Barcelona by two goals at the Santiago Bernabéu is discouraging, Madrid's game in hand as well as the manner of Barcelona's triumph should offer hope to all Madridistas.

The past 10 weeks, during which Real Madrid won 15 straight matches and played some scintillating attacking football, at times left me in awe of Los Blancos' chemistry and individual talent.

Unbelievable skill exhibited by players like Ronaldo, di María, Marcelo, and Higuain helped propel Real Madrid to a perfect Champions League group stage campaign, a six point lead in La Liga, and arguably the number one spot in world football power rankings.

It seemed almost unfair to me that so many world class players could be concentrated within one team and unleash destruction for nearly three months without cease, but we met our match on Saturday.

Lionel Messi aside, I was sincerely surprised that the Blaugrana players, chiefly Andres Iniesta, could match our technical ability, especially considering Barcelona's away form this season.

After a shaky opening quarter-hour, Barcelona recovered and managed to avoid becoming victims of our high pressure for a second time that night. I was particularly impressed by their ability to get the ball out of their final third and into ours.

I believe that their transition from defense to offense was the main reason why Barcelona emerged victorious. Most teams would have succumbed to Madrid's pressing, but Barcelona consistently overcame it through teamwork and pure ingenuity. Iniesta was all over the pitch, and even the Barcelona defenders showed their prowess at distributing the ball with Madrid players breathing down their necks.

Players of that caliber should never be underestimated.

And the above statement is the reason why I have faith in the ability of my team to recover from this demoralizing loss and play as if it never happened, as if our perfect run was never ruined.

Ronaldo in particular had a bad game, at fault for a wrong decision and an uncharacteristically terrible header.

While Barcelona made the most of its opportunities, notably its first and third goals, Los Blancos didn't capitalize on two or three prime chances which could have shifted the result in their favor.

But even the most fanatical Barcelona supporters will recognize the quality of the squad Jose Mourinho has put together.

Just like Messi and Iniesta, Ronaldo and Özil shouldn't be taken too lightly or considered incapable of playing in future Clásicos. There are still four months until the next encounter with Barcelona. I expect every Real Madrid player to pick himself up and restore our lead in La Liga, starting with next Saturday's clash versus Sevilla.

And when the next Clásico finally arrives, it could be Ronaldo's turn to play with the confidence and coolness exhibited by Barcelona this weekend.