No end in sight to Spanish reign

LAST time around, we had to wait until the very last game of the season for confirmation of what we had long suspected: Manchester United are not in the same league as Barcelona.

This time around, we have barely had to wait for a ball to be kicked in anger to come to much the same conclusion. But with the additional bad news for the champions of England that now they may not be in the same league as Real Madrid either.

This can only be interpreted as a significant development for La Liga too, bearing in mind that when the four-in-a-row El Clasicos were unfolding last April, the peerless Jamie Redknapp made an audacious bid for punditry’s always keenly-contested Foot In Mouth Of The Year gong by baffling Sky Sports’ viewers with the revelation that: “Real Madrid are not in the same league as Barcelona.” (As an aside, Redser better keep on his toes this term since new boy Gary Neville is already showing considerable early promise. Commenting on a contentious incident in the box during the opening day’s Stoke-Chelsea fixture, he sagely observed: “Anywhere else on the pitch, that’s a penalty”).

But back to our main theme. You will recall, no doubt, the English season’s traditional curtain-raiser had the Premiership’s cheerleaders salivating at the prospect of a classic campaign to come, after Manchester United came back from the dead to beat Manchester City in a terrific Community Shield.

But then along come Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Spanish equivalent and, suddenly, you have to wonder what all the fuss was about at Wembley.

Admittedly, the Spanish giants had twice the length of time on the pitch to stoke the fire but that still doesn’t detract from the fact their version of the season’s opening act offered roughly about 10 times more class, entertainment and drama.

Controversy too, as we’ve come to expect, but we’ll get to that later.

Madrid and Barca had already served up a stirring 2-2 draw in the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup before the action moved to the Nou Camp on Wednesday night. What followed was, in the words of Gerry Armstrong, “sensational”, as the two heavyweights again traded four goals before the killer blow was delivered, inevitably, by Lionel Messi — 3-2 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate, it meant that the European champions had added a 10th Spanish Super Cup to their glittering collection.

But the significance of the two games goes much deeper than the statistical.

Since, for well-documented reasons, Barca and Real Madrid don’t really do friendlies against each other, the Super Cup was contested with an almost ferocious intensity. This was no dress rehearsal but a full-on first night, into which one was entitled to read a lot about what the season ahead is likely to have in store for both clubs — and, indeed, for all those who will have the dubious privilege of coming up against them.

For one thing, Madrid look an altogether more formidable proposition than they did last year, a proper collective which now bears the unmistakable imprint of Jose Mourinho. Hungry, committed and aggressive, they shook Barcelona out of their stride right from the kick-off in the Bernabeu and, when they took possession of the ball, moved it around with deadly intent. For once, Barca had to rescue a game almost entirely against the run of play, first with a stunning goal by David Villa and then with an unusually prosaic one from Messi.

And, in the second leg in the Nou Camp, it would be Messi who would make the difference. Again, there was nothing much between the two sides and, again, Madrid managed to score twice, but a masterclass from Messi showed that when it comes to game-changers and match-winners Barca retain the very best in the world. It was a lancing run and sublime through ball from the Argentine which set up Andres Iniesta for the first; then a backheel from Gerard Pique put Messi in to dink Iker Casillas for the second; and, finally, the boy wonder supplied the coup de grace, first-timing a pass wide to Pedro and then tearing into the box to meet the resultant cross with a thunderous volley.

That should have been the headline story from a memorable night but then came the crude scissors tackle on Cesc Fabregas by Marcelo — who had been subjected to equally crude ‘monkey’ chants throughout the game — which sparked that chaotic touchline melee in the course of which Mourinho poked his finger in the eye of Barca’s assistant manager and, by that one sly and staggeringly stupid act, ensured a truly great game of football would be forced to play second fiddle to another media firestorm.

All very ugly stuff and it does make you wonder if Mourinho will actually be around long enough to see his training ground labours bear fruit in Madrid.

Happily, the pulsating action on the pitch last week sent out an altogether more uplifting message. Unless, of course, you happened to be a rival manager with serious designs on, say, Champions League triumph next May.

For Fergie, Roberto Mancini and all the others who would like to think themselves contenders, the 2011 Spanish Super Cup can only have been a sight to cause sore eyes.