Real Madrid appeared for half an hour in Montjuïc and with that it was worth winning A caffeine-free classic Against a Barcelona more interested in neutralizing the whites than in carrying out its bid. It is now becoming common to see Xavi injecting kryptonite into the board with every measure of Madrid.. Jude Bellingham’s appearance twice in the gray match was enough for Ancelotti’s team. close victory and become leaders with ties on points with Girona.
Barcelona has become a pragmatic team. He sharpened his competitiveness, putting aside the hedonism he always proudly displayed. And this transformation took place, oddly enough, at the behest of Xavi Hernández, the symbol of La Masía, the man of the ‘tiqui-taca’. The man who defines the style in which Messi brings success. By the way, it’s the same Messi who will win his eighth Ballon d’Or this Monday.
Eleven designed specifically for Xavi
But this Barça is less elegant. Due to the urgent needs of a devastated club, Xavi built a team around two specialists, players who have historically been more specific to Real Madrid. One is attack (Lewandowski) and the other is defense (Ter Stegen). That’s what the region’s judges did, identifying teams like Ronaldo Nazario and Casillas or Benzema and Courtois. It has nothing to do with Guardiola’s actual orgy. This is how they won the league last season. However, the limping Pole was replaced by Vinicius. Xavi will form a “special” eleven at the back, well-equipped and full of “arrivals” With Cancelo, Balde, Fermín, Gündoğan, Gavi, Ferran and Joao Félix. The white defense has a preventive advantage in the midfield and a reckless attack.
face a Madrid have been pleased with Ancelotti’s pragmatism and emotional intelligence for years and Zidane. Technicians They naturalize their boards with dissolving defensive structures and create offensive environments where their players flow. Carletto’s diamond 4-4-2 is the perfect habitat for a Bellingham that floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. In this Classic, the Italians sealed the left with Mendy and the midfield with Tchouameni, Valverde and Kroos. There is no experiment.
The crossover match started with Barça jumping around, carrying the Rolling Stones logo, with Jagger and Wood in the box, and AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ being played. And things kept happening because In the eighth minute, the messy rebound from Tchouameni could not be cleared sufficiently by Alaba, and Gündoğan’s belief allowed him to score the first goal. It was about to be repeated a quarter of an hour later, when another pressure on Kroos resulted in a robbery, which Fermín sent to Kepa’s post office. Barça bared their teeth and a stunned Madrid yawned at Montjüic. Minutes passed and the special suit prepared by Xavi fully adapted to the qualifications required for the match. Araujo once again shut out Vinicius, disappointing game after game, and Kroos lost the battle with Gündoğan. In this chaos, Joao Félix’s sparks illuminated a Clásico in which Xavi enjoyed more than Ancelotti.
Madrid expanded their boundaries a bit after the break, more out of necessity than belief, but the clearest opportunity was once again in Barça’s hands. Íñigo Martínez’s header hit the post and the rebound resulted in a point-blank shot from Araujo, which Kepa miraculously saved. White’s laziness was alarming and the team was unable to finish going into the game. No intensity, no attitude, no hunger. From time to time I remembered Madrid from the derby at the Metropolitano. Ancelotti tried to solve the problem by swapping parts with Modric for Kroos and Joselu for the desperate Rodrygo.
Bellingham’s two goals
Madrid changed the tempo, accusing Barça of being too complacent defensively in the second half. And on the diagonal ball in the 67th minute There was space at the feet of Bellingham, who was strangely alone and took a shot that Ter Stegen discovered late. The goal of the Englishman who silenced Montjuïc and left his evil majesty speechless in the penalty area. Half chance, goal. The Madrid strike once again sent into the field a Barça team that deserved better, but they entrenched themselves with minimum income and it cost them dearly.
The wind changed direction in Classic and started to blow in favor of meringues. Xavi then changed his attacking front to reactivate his attack with Lewandowski, Raphina and Lamine. He also protected the center perhaps late with Oriol Romeu. The last part of the duel was very lively with the arrival of people from both regions. And in this scenario appeared again bellingham To overtake Madrid in stoppage time and confirm that there is currently no player of his level in either the League or Europe. Jude exposed Barça’s shame and covered up Madrid’s shortcomings.