PreviousDirectChronicle
There are comebacks that taste of glory, none as celebrated by the
Blaugrana people
as the one obtained last night by Barça against Madrid, just when the
Negreira case
has been brought to court .
The old Camp Nou still has the strength to support Xavi's young team.
The communion of the fans with the players has raised Barça to a leadership that Madrid will not be able to discuss either.
Barca's ambition contrasted with white contemplation in a match of exquisite correctness because the environmental charge elevated the Barcelona fans without underestimating the whites until they achieved victory on the last play finished off by Kessié.
BCNBarcelona
2
Ter Stegen, A. Christensen, Koundé, Ronald Araújo, Alex Balde, Sergi Roberto (Kessié Franck, min. 76), Frenkie De Jong, Busquets, Lewandowski, Gavi (Ansu Fati, min. 90) and Raphinha (Ferrán Torres, min. 83)
RMA Real Madrid
1
Courtois, Nacho (Ferland Mendy, min. 62), Dani Carvajal, Rüdiger, Eder Militao, Kroos (Rodrygo, min. 62), Vinicius Junior, Camavinga (Aurelien Tchouameni, min. 76), Modric (Dani Ceballos, min. 76 ), Federico Valverde (Marco Asensio, min. 76) and Benzema
Goals
0-1 min.
9: Ronald Araujo (pp).
1-1 min.
44: Sergi Roberto.
2-1 min.
91: Kessie Franck.
Referee
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea
Yellow cards Nacho (min. 17), Raphinha (min. 33), Sergi Roberto (min. 64), Modric (min. 69), Alex Balde (min. 90) and Dani Ceballos (min. 96)
Complementary players like Kessié and Sergi Roberto, two midfielders, are as vital as the figures in a team that has headed for the title with a 12-point lead with 12 games remaining in the League.
The blaugrana never gave up in a match of maximums such as the classic, the best way to certify their superiority in the championship, and defend their reputation from the Camp Nou.
The fans sang the anthem a cappella and at the top of their lungs led their heroes to 2-1 to the applause of the box, which was not Florentino and Guardiola was.
Madrid was away too long to discuss Barça's victory.
The presence of Sergi Roberto as fourth midfielder was consistent with Xavi's declaration of intent.
The coach alluded to the stability of the team at a time of trembling in the club and preferred the Catalan midfielder, and his sense of positional play and ability to have the ball, over Kessié's legs and also a versatile third striker like Ferran.
The Barça line-up, after all, was circumstantial while Madrid has functioned for some time as an open book, which is activated depending on the rival and the tournament, distant from the League and closer to the Champions League.
El clásico awakened his long-suffering and lucky character in extreme situations when he found himself with an own goal from Araujo.
The ball centered by Vinicius hit the Uruguayan's head and surprised Ter Stegen.
A strange action in full charge of Barcelona.
The Catalans pressed high and hard and viciously finished off Courtois's goal.
The goalkeeper took two devilish shots from Lewandowski and Raphinha and narrowly missed a shot from Sergi Robert before the game went in favor of Ancelotti's squad due to the misfortune of the safest footballer, Araujo.
Vinicius enlarged and even threw a pipe at Araujo when the contest had started to be successful for Madrid and threatening for Barcelona.
The madridistas, however, became so comfortable, sheltered by the long arms of Courtois, that they seemed to be waiting for Barça to draw.
The goalkeeper took a superb shot from Raphinha and absorbed the Barcelona crosses without stopping until the Brazilian persevered in his attack in the Madrid area.
His rejection ended up at the feet of Sergi Roberto and made it 1-1.
Madrid's contemplative life was as manifest as Barça's percussion.
In the absence of an inside game, the Catalans attacked, always stronger than fluid and also more reliable than erratic with leather, dominating the game and leaning towards the right, the side where Raphinha subdued Nacho.
Madrid also breathed from time to time on the same side of the field when Vinicius was activated and faced Araujo in a duel of great suspense and nobility at the expectant Camp Nou.
Possession, however, belonged to Barça.
As soon as Madrid appeared, Ancelotti intervened quickly: he took Mendy out to better mark Raphinha and Rodrygo to shake Madrid's attack from midpoint.
Although the Brazilian sharpened Madrid, Barcelona did not stop in their offensive, unwise and accurate in the same play, not very fluid and, nevertheless, reaching Courtois' area.
The Barça game, in any case, was out of adjustment more due to fatigue than to Madrid's insult.
Barça stopped too long and couldn't find Lewandowski.
The wheel of changes caused the game to turn for a moment in favor of Madrid.
The Barcelona mismatches followed one another and Marco Asensio scored a goal annulled by VAR.
The scare in the Campo Nou caused an exchange of blows, an unequivocal sign that neither team was signing the tie, nor was Barcelona, who found the goal in an excellent play put together by Lewandowski and culminated by Kessié.
The goal justified Barça's continuity in the match and in the tournament against Madrid's intermittents in a decisive clash for the League.
You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on
and
, or sign up here to receive
our weekly newsletter
.
