No matter what stage of the season it’s played, El Clasico is always the game of the season for culers. The one match that supporters of both clubs look forward to in anticipation of the action living up to the hype.
Occasionally, there has been some importance attached to add to the bragging rights, for example in domestic finals or Champions League games.
Never before has a Spanish top-flight title been won with a result in a Clasico, however, and that was, perhaps, the biggest carrot for Barcelona
as they stepped out to play Real Madrid at Camp Nou for the first time in 1,148 days.
During the last Clasico at the stadium, Frank Kessie was the match winner late on, but who, if anyone, was going to be the hero this time around?
Let’s take a look at three talking points from the game…
Stunning attacking play
To even contemplate that Barca’s attacking play was a result of Real Madrid’s preparations for the game and a very poor performance during it is to do the Blaugranes an incredible disservice.
In the first 20 minutes, particularly, the Catalans were absolutely sensational going forward and defended from the front.
Even before Marcus Rashford scored one of the goals of the season – the first direct free-kick from a Barcelona player in a Clasico since Lionel Messi in 2012 – the hosts were making a mockery of the notion that Trent Alexander-Arnold was an elite right-back.
Ferran’s venomous finish owed much to the movement and vision of Dani Olmo, as Barca simply tore Los Blancos apart.
No wonder the oles were heard as early as the 25th minute!
Gavi has got Bellingham’s number
No doubt about it, Jude Bellingham is an outstanding footballer. He’s also very full of himself and clearly seems to think football owes him a living half the time.
There’s not another player who can get under his skin like Gavi does, however.
Barca’s tigerish midfielder isn’t perhaps in the same class as his contemporary in the way that the Englishman glides across the pitch and goes box to box with ease, but where Gavi often wins out is with an incredible desire and will to win that simply can’t be matched.
Gavi won’t give him a moment’s peace, and the frustration from Bellingham is quickly evident as a result.
Gerard Martin, Barca’s unsung hero
With so much attention often focused on Pau Cubarsi, it’s often forgotten just what an integral role Gerard Martin has played in the centre of defence.
Don’t forget that Ronald Araujo is being kept out of the side because of the emerging partnership between the pair.
A player who is rarely fazed and who has grown into the role , there’s some degree of comfort knowing that Gerard Martin is in the starting XI, and that wasn’t always the case.
Against Real, admittedly, he didn’t have an awful lot to contend with, but the work he did do, he did well.
A player who will be a mainstay in central defence for the next few seasons, injuries notwithstanding.
