Barcelona vs Real Madrid And What El Clasico Said
One may opt to insist that Wednesday’s Copa del Rey final will have absolutely nothing in common with last Saturday’s Clasico. Either way, we cannot look forward to the second part of the Barcelona-Real Madrid series without analyzing what happened at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga very recently.
On Saturday night, it was clear as the day: Jose Mourinho chose a defensive tactic to prevent Barcelona from doing a “November 29”. Real Madrid’s average of ball possession which is of 59% fell deep down to 24%, only to stamp Barcelona’s dominative style of play! Possessive football has been the Catalans’ weapon for long now.
However, Jose Mourinho also proved that taking chances was another thing that his tactics could block. Call Mourinho’s defensive approach a crime or a smart move; either way, Real Madrid ended up with more shots in total than Barcelona who somehow struggled to make the most of their authority on the pitch.
At a point in the first period of El Clasico, Barca even had as much as 82% of the ball whereas they played against a numerically disadvantaged Real Madrid for almost 40 minutes in the second half. In a sense, counter-attacking football worked quite well for Los Blancos.
A victory would have even been possible if Adebayor had been a bit more effective with his chances. On the Real Madrid vs Barcelona match page on April 16, Live Soccer TV gave you El Clasico’s game statistics as you can see below:
Statistics
Shots Total
13
11
Shots on goal
6
6
Fouls
22
14
Corners
8
0
Offsides
1
5
Possession Time
24%
76%
Yellow Cards
2
5
Red Cards
1
0
Saves
5
5
Does this mean that Jose Mourinho will have to stick to his defensive style to win the Spanish Copa del Rey final against Barcelona? What is more important? Good football, winning titles or both?
Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Approach vs Officiating
“It doesn’t matter what kind of football Real Madrid will put up against Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey on April 20; all what matters is winning the cup.” Most Real Madrid supporters may reason this way.
After enduring a winless run against Barcelona, Los Blancos’ eyes are red hot. Their hunger to taste cup glory at last is burning in their bellies and you can sense that they are set to do whatever it takes to end their title drought.
When Real Madrid lifted the 2007/2008 La Liga trophy, they were actually celebrating their very last title until now. To play in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday is an immense opportunity to win silverware at last.
However, Barcelona vs Real Madrid also presents Los Blancos with an equal possibility of suffering bitter emotions. This is exactly what Jose Mourinho has been employed for to avoid.
So would it be a crime if the Spanish giants treat Wednesday’s Copa del Rey final with a defensive style? Ahead of Barcelona vs Real Madrid, Live Soccer TV asked the equivalent of this question here: Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Is It OK If Real Madrid Kill Barca’s Style?
However, what tells us that Jose Mourinho won’t drop his negative ideas for something more different? After all, reports from Spain reveal that Mesut Özil may be offered a starting XI spot against Barca following his good display as a substitute in El Clasico.
On Wednesday, the performance of the referee may even affect the attacking vs defending balance as the “Special One” seemed to suggest in his comments to the press after El Clasico last weekend:
“As usual, when it’s 10 against 11, it’s very difficult to play against a team like Barcelona. [After Raul Albiol’s red card], the referee's approach changed with his choice not to send off Daniel Alves. For once I’d like to play against a 10-man Barcelona.”
The 2011 Copa del Rey final, Barcelona vs Real Madrid, will be LIVE on Live Soccer TV! Don't miss the Copa del Rey final on April 20!
