Atletico a huge threat to Real and Barcelona
In between we had the 167th performance of El Clasico, La Liga’s world-famous theatrical production that by now should surely be turned into an opera to give full vent to all the prima donnas involved.
We are up to match number 225 now, once all the cup-ties are included, but the real rivalry — the classic Clasico you might say — is in the league, dating right back to 1929.
Spain stops, the whole world looks on, the stars pause in their courses... or so they would have you believe. It is of course a global TV event, but half of Spain — from Bilbao in the north to Cadiz in the south — is largely immune to the hype and bored with the biannual diving exhibition.
Saturday’s encounter in Camp Nou was more intriguing, however. Two new managers needing to make their mark and two new players, both striving to justify absurdly inflated transfer fees: €150 million in total, or thereabouts.
Perhaps predictably Neymar revelled in the charged atmosphere of Camp Nou whereas Gareth Bale seemed a little lost.
Neymar enjoyed himself against Madrid’s rookie right back Daniel Carvajal, often left isolated by his team-mates, and Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to play three centre backs, with Sergio Ramos in a holding role ahead of Pepe and Raphael Varane, seemed to mystify his own side more than the opposition.
Bale was preferred to the out-of-form Karim Benzema. It probably seemed a good decision at the time. How long can you leave a €91 million player on the sidelines anyway? Bale was duly taken off after an hour and Benzema duly came on as substitute and almost turned the match on its head with a thunderous strike against the bar.
It was that sort of game for Ancelotti. Nothing quite went according to plan. His opposite number Gerardo Martino then brought on the two Alexes — Sanchez and Song — which effectively won the match for Barcelona.
Song sealed up the middle in front of the defence and Sanchez scored the goal that eventually won the game with a brilliant long-range chip that caught Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez in no man’s land.
Ancelotti evidently has more work to do, whereas Martino is adding a more pragmatic approach to Barcelona’s pretty embroidery.
Afterwards he seemed almost apologetic.
“Before the match, during lunch, we watched Barca’s 5-0 win against Real Madrid,” he said. “I too would have liked us to play as we did that day. The bar has been set very high.”
Barcelona fans won’t complain too much, at least for the time being, especially as their star man Lionel Messi is obviously below par. Even so, this wasn’t the most convincing performance from the Catalans and once again the Clasico turned on a controversial decision. Cristiano Ronaldo had been a subdued figure for much of the match (like Messi) but when he did get free in the area, he was clearly pushed in the back by Javier Mascherano.
Referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco is one of those with a reputation for harsh decisions, so it seemed especially odd that he missed this one. But both Barcelona and Real Madrid now have such a reputation for diving that you can understand this sort of error. But it was either a penalty or a yellow card for simulation.
After presiding over a midweek match in Lisbon that ended with pools of water all over the pitch it may be that Mallenco thought a bit more diving was in order.
The Big Two are in action tonight and tomorrow, Barcelona in Vigo and Madrid at home to Sevilla. Yet La Liga is far from a two-horse race this season. Atletico Madrid are just one point behind the leaders and five ahead of Real after their 1-0 win at the Bernabeu last month. Diego Simeone’s team look like a real threat after their 5-0 demolition of Betis at the weekend, and they play in Camp Nou on the final day of the season.
It looks like being a lively build-up for Spain’s defence of the World Cup.
