Madrid derby could turn a drama into a Real crisis
Four points is a decent lead to take into the final month of the title race, but it was 10 points just a months ago and by tomorrow night, when Real Madrid take on Atletico, it may well be down to just one.
So strong for so long, Mourinho’s team have drawn three of their last five games. Against both Malaga andVillarreal they dropped points after being a goal up; against Valencia on Sunday they simply couldn’t score, despite the efforts of their record-breaking attack.
Valencia keeper Vicente Guaita saved everything they could throw at him, culminating with a tip over at full-stretch from Angel Di Mariafollowed by a brave double-save from Karim Benzema. Cristiano Ronaldo thundered the ball against a post, there were appeals for penalties, but Valencia also had their chances and hit the woodwork.
Assuming Barcelona beat the capital’s third team, Getafe, tonight the Madrid derby tomorrow has the potential to turn a drama into a crisis. There has been a huge turnround in La Liga. After Barcelona lost at to Osasuna two months ago Pep Guardiola was already suggesting the bookmakers should pay out on a Madrid title win.
Now the pressure is mounting for a showdown in Camp Nou on 21 April that at one point looked like being simply a matter of pride: good news for both Bayern Munich and Chelsea, who face the two Spanish giants either side of that fixture.
What’s changed? Barcelona’s away form for one thing.
The champions had taken just 17 away points from a possible 33 when they lost to Osasuna: since then they’ve won nine games in a row, five away from home. Mostly easier fixtures, but it has not all been plain-sailing: Zaragoza pushed them hard onSaturday, Barca scoring twice in the final five minutes to earn a slightly flattering 4-1 scoreline.
From the Madrid viewpoint the last few weeks have been about hard luck. They dropped points to Malaga thanks to a fabulous free-kick from Santiago Cazorla two minutes into stoppage time. At Villarreal they were alsoundone by a late set-piece strike, from Marcos Senna. On Sunday against Valencia they had 32 goal attempts – Guaita played the game of his life to keep them out.
But Madrid have also shown signs of losing their way. They tired visibly against Malaga and also Villarreal, when they lost their heads after Senna’s equaliser and both Mesut Ozil and Sergio Ramos were sent off. Ructions continued after the game with Pepe shown a red card in the tunnel. Against Valencia, Ramos was suspended and Pepe again lost his self-control, even kicking out at teammate Alvaro Arbeloa after apparently mistaking him for an opponent. Maybe Madrid are partly victims of their own success. They have found goals and wins so easy to come by this season that they have forgotten how to dig in and close out a game against obstinate opponents. Along with those three fractious draws they’ve enjoyed two easy 5-1 wins, plus their Champions League stroll against APOEL.
Mourinho has been singularly silent, declining to talk to the media and observing, with some justification, that the papers complain about his comments and then complain when he won’t comment. After Sunday’s 0-0 it was left to his long-suffering Spanish assistant Aitor Karanka to complain, the topic, as so often, being the referee. Hardly the best build-up to a derby.
Atletico have been doing their best Jekyll and Hyde impression again, seeing off Hannover in the Europa League but then losing to 2-0 atLevante and dropping out of thequalifying places for Europe.
“It’s the biggest match of the season,” said their midfielder Juanfran yesterday, and especially so for him as he’s a Real Madrid reject who made his name at Osasuna, where he once scored a vital goal to beat his former club on the final day of the season. Atleti have not beaten their historic rivals in their last 22 attempts and they lost 4-1 at the Bernabeu in November, when on-loan keeper Thibaut Courtois was sent off and they conceded two penalties. They are a tougher proposition now, not least because Diego Simeone, their manager since Christmas, has imparted some the fighting spirit he had as a player.
It could be a lively game.
