Is time running out on Special title challenge?
There are three sections to the bull run — the mad, the crazy and the totally insane. They also have a special event late at night, but that’s by invitation only.
San Fermín is not until the first week of July, however, so in the meantime the main source of excitement is Osasuna’s continuing struggle to stay in the top division.
The Estadio Reyno de Navarra is a small ground. Just under 20,000 squeezed in on Sunday evening to watch the game against Real Madrid. Watch doesn’t quite describe it. They were kicking every ball, competing for every clearance, making every tackle.
Osasuna went ahead on the hour and the last 30 minutes became an epic battle of steely defence against frenzied attack, the five minutes of added time stretched to almost seven as José Mourinho, muffled against the cold, watched Real Madrid’s title chances draining away into the night.
Mourinho tried one tactical trick after another, to no avail. New boy Adebayor was flung on instead of Albiol as Madrid went to three at the back, and then seemed to be down to two as Arbeloa somehow blocked a shot on the line with Casillas stranded.
There were 11 local heroes on the pitch, among them Ricardo in goal, once at Old Trafford, now in his sixth season at the club and still performing heroics at the age of 39. Futher forward was Walter Pandiani, once of Birmingham City, but the man who caught the eye was Carlos Aranda, who was still carrying the attack to the enemy in stoppage time.
Aranda began his career at the Bernabeu — he played a few minutes for them as a sub in the Champions League — and 10 years on, you could see the desire to put one over his old club in a crucial game.
On the touchline was a second José. A face from the past.
José Antonio Camacho also played for Real Madrid (almost 600 times) but is more familiar from his four years in charge of Spain. He has laboured in obscurity for most of the past six years but he does have the unique distinction of overcoming Mourinho in a final. In 2004 Camacho’s Benfica side deprived Porto of a treble triumph by beating Porto in the Portuguese cup.
Lightning evidently does strike twice in the same place, for this defeat almost certainly means that the league title is beyond Mourinho’s grasp.
The seven-point gap is not perhaps insuperable, and Barcelona still have to come to the Bernabeu. But that’s about it with the good news. Barcelona’s 5-0 victory in the head-to-head is worth another point should the teams finish level, unless Real Madrid can somehow match that win.
Pep Guardiola’s team are on a seemingly unstoppable run. Their only defeat was a shock result on the second day of the season against Hercules. On Saturday they reversed that result 3-0, their 15th consecutive win, matching the record set by Real Madrid 50 years ago at the time of Alfredo Di Stefano.
Barcelona face a few tricky away games, but they have a 100% record away from home whereas Madrid have already dropped 13 points. Moreover, Madrid still have to travel to all six of the sides currently in contention for Champions League and Europa League qualification, starting with Barca’s neighbours Espanyol in two weeks time.
The Catalans are trying hard to talk down their lead, but the pictures in the papers of Guardiola enjoying himself with his family at a childen’s show on Sunday while Madrid were going down to defeat tells you all you need to know about the mood in the Barcelona camp.
Mourinho is putting a brave face on it, but he definitely senses the gap is too wide to be bridged. It is eight seasons since he last finished without silverware. A third Champions League would of course be a triumph, but it’s a tough call.
The Spanish Cup could be his best chance of a trophy. The final in April comes just four days after the crunch game at the Bernabeu — and a Barcelona-Madrid final beckons.
It might be easier to try that bull run in July.
