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A NEW ERA OF EL CLASICO

By Karthik Mudaliar

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Real Madrid wins the El Clasico 1-2 at the Camp Nou as Barcelona continue their disappointing run of games domestically. Both sides played a young side which has kickstarted the new era of El Clasico and despite being a low scoring game it surely lived up to the expectations.

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The biggest game in the footballing calendar is here and both sets of players were cautious and determined at the same time throughout the 90. Real Madrid players also had to fight a psychological battle since they had Barcelona fans screaming at them from the stands running parallel to the touchline. The new era of Clasico began today after the departure of Lionel Messi earlier this summer but the importance of Clasico doesn’t depend on the players playing but the rich rivalry between the two footballing giants FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Barcelona haven’t had a great start to their new season since they are currently 8th in the table which is not that bad but their overall game hasn’t been up to their high standards. They have been facing problems both on and off the pitch which is essentially why a win against Real Madrid would be perfect to lift up their camp’s morale and give the fans something to be proud of. Real Madrid too have made a few mistakes at the back but they have made up for it with productive attacking display having scored 22 goals already this season.

Real Madrid found the opening goal in the 32nd minute courtesy of a quick counter as El Clasico debutant David Alaba found space in front of goal from the left flank and a clinical finish from the edge of the box was enough to beat Ter Stegen. We saw an entertaining end-to-end half of football with both sides creating good chances but the away team managed to score before the mighty Catalans. Barcelona missed two easy goal-scoring opportunities one by Dest and Fati respectively but they won’t be too disappointed with their performance considering they have another set of 45 minutes to draw some blood themselves.

Lucas Vazquez twisted the knife by scoring the 2nd goal of the game in the stoppage time of the game as Asensio’s shot was stopped but Lucas managed to score off the deflection. Barcelona too had an opportunity to level the game but failed to do so amidst a crowded Madrid box. Aguero managed to score his first goal for Barcelona in the 96th minute of the game after a cross from Dest but the goal was just a consolation prize for the home side.

Barcelona did comparatively well in the second half but it still wasn’t enough to shake Real Madrid’s dominance. They did better defensively but their attacking display was still below sub-par and Madrid didn’t find any difficulty reading Barca’s game. Real Madrid were the better team out of the two and deserved to walk away with 3 points which puts them back on top of the league table.

A YOUNG CLASICO

This game kick started a new era of El Clasico and looking at how entertaining this game turned out to be, the fans are in for a treat for the next few seasons. The players who had the most impact and influence on the game were the energetic and enthusiastic youngsters from both sides which says a lot about the future of these clubs and this iconic fixture. From Barcelona the teenager Gavi was actively part of the link-up play and the attack was headed by Dest and Ansu Fati who created a myriad of chances. It was also surprising to see Eric Garcia play maturely and make good decisions at the centre back position alongside veteran Gerard Pique. For Real Madrid, Vinicius jr was surely the MVP of the game and Rodrygo also gave a player like Jordi Alba a run for the money on the right-wing.

BARCELONA DEFENSIVELY MISMANAGED

Barcelona were looking extremely vulnerable every time Real Madrid exploded into a quick counter and the Catalans would have had an embarrassing defeat if only the Madrid players were sharper in their finishing. Vinicius jr drifted wide taking two Barca defenders with him which gave Benzema too much space inside the box with Rodrygo an option as well. Barcelona kept a high backline but failed to fall back effectively which left gaping holes in their backline. Even their midfield line could have contributed a lot more defensively since we hardly saw Sergio Busquets, Gavi and De Jon make any tackles stopping Madrid’s momentum. Lack of communication and tactical mismanagement were major factors in Barcelona’s defeat tonight and it is evident that there is a lot more work to be done in the training grounds.

BARCELONA PREDICTABLE IN THE FINAL THIRD

Barcelona lacked the creativity and extra edge that is usually expected of them in the final third. Barca worked the ball around Madrid’s box and were looking for runs to make and opportunities to take. Unfortunately for them, Real Madrid quite easily managed to read their opposition’s game since they defended as a unit in huge numbers. When Barcelona had the possession, Madrid sometimes had 8 players standing in front of goal which made it almost impossible for Barcelona to take and a shot and even when they did, t wasn’t enough to beat a world-class keeper like Courtois. Barcelona needed to be quicker and more innovative in their attacking play.

Karthik Mudaliar
A Manchester City fan, who idolizes Guardiola. Never blue unlike the team he supports, you will always find him smiling. He spends his free time playing Fifa and watching anime on most days.

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