It wasn’t the Camp Nou. Mick Jagger was in the presidential box and not Florentino Perez. The Rolling Stones’ tongue logo was on the Barcelona shirt. The strangest Clasico in recent years was also the weakest.
Barcelona and Real Madrid offered a match that disappointed from all points of view and that Los Blancos won was because they now have the best footballer in the world in their ranks.
Jude Bellingham saved Ancelotti after a forgettable first 60 minutes and an approach that would have been roundly criticized had the game ended in defeat.
Camavinga staying on the bench makes no sense. You can see this by how Real Madrid changed with his introduction….
Bellingham plays a cracking game
He’s having a bad game? Well, he sent a missile into the top corner of the net from 25 yards to rescue Real Madrid from the brink of total collapse.
Bellingham had a Cristiano Ronaldo esque performance, appearing when his team needed him most. The Englishman was missing, as was the whole of Real Madrid, having played his worst game in El Clasico, but as the leader that he is, he took a shot that nobody expected, not even Ter Stegen.
That the ball ended up in the net was obvious as soon as it took flight. Then he decided the match with a killer goal, because he has instinct and he is blessed. His numbers are impressive: 13 goals in 13 games, ten of them in La Liga.
Gundogan, big-match player
The midfielder chose the Clasico to score his first goal as a Barcelona player. The German came from the midfield and had more determination than Alaba to take the ball and beat Kepa with the calmness of Lewandowski.
Gundogan, who always dreamed of scoring in a Clasico… in a Madrid shirt. He was always attracted to the white shirt and was on the verge of signing for Real Madrid on several occasions. But like so many players, football had another destiny in store for him.
Now he enjoys Barcelona and Xavi enjoys having him, much to the chagrin of Pep Guardiola. For a reason he was… the best Barcelona player in the Clasico.
Madrid’s first half, one of the worst in a long time
The first half was one of the worst in a long time, with Madrid’s first half being particularly awful. The Real Madrid coach did not come off well after his players’ first 45 minutes, which were the same or worse than in the Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid‘s results this season have been good, but if you lose the derby and the Clasico without offering any resistance, you are in trouble.
Carletto was victorious thanks to Bellingham, but the initial plan was a disaster. Madrid didn’t get a shot on target until the 59th minute.
Gil Manzano, impeccable
The pressure on referees in Spain is unbearable. Clubs, fans and the media do everything possible to make the work of referees even more complicated than it is, continually putting them in the spotlight, questioning their decisions based on which club they themselves support.
It was with this in mind that Gil Manzano took to the field in the Clasico in which the referees have been the most talked about in history, yet he played a great game.
Barcelona may have taken away the possible penalty on Araujo and Madrid the fall of Camavinga, but his control of the match was impeccable.
Barcelona’s kids are alright
Xavi took a gamble with Fermin and got it right. The home-grown player, whose been with the club since he was three, had as much impact in the Clasico as any of the veterans.
He came close to scoring twice, especially in the first half, when he hit the post. Credit to Xavi, who is not looking at youth disparagingly and is putting 17-18-year-olds on the pitch, whatever the game.
The new batch of youngsters at Barcelona break with the stereotype of the La Masia boy: they are not only talented, they also pack a punch.
