The pragmatic champion and the hesitant candidate, who conquered the Bernabéu last year but just failed in Europe, face a duel of great contrasts that will set the trend
Due to the imperatives of the television business that defines the League, football fans will be left this Sunday without being able to extend their after-dinner conversation or take a good restful nap as the classic is coming, that universal game against the two giants this times at the Bernabéu, leaders matched and excellent. At stake is the tentative head of the table after just nine days, but much more as these duels usually leave rivers of ink, infamous hangovers, endless controversies and very clear trends.
Two bitter rivals face each other, two models, two ways to understand this game and, like it or not, two teams that have always been more than a club: Barça because they brag about it because of identity and political issues and Madrid because she has always become the most representative team of Spain. Apart from their colors and feelings, be it geographical proximity, family traditions, likes or dislikes, there are no fans in Spain who do not sympathize or curse Real Madrid or Barça.
The champion is the winner by shield, shirt and history, but he is criticized because his end justifies the means. Enjoy a successful and calm period and it comes with less pressure. The petitioner says he sets the “nice game” for the outcome, to the point that his most critical people often accuse him of “pissing cologne,” and he is a recurring victim of self-destructive processes. Go more mentally demanding.
The appointment comes with a memory of last year when the Catalans surprised and attacked a Bernabeu under construction with a devastating 0-4, although it was very watered down over time as the meringues conquered the League with enormous superiority and for the fourteenth time were crowned in Europe. Carlo Ancelotti says this precedent does not affect him and that he has learned from that day that everything is made up and that it is not worth experimenting, especially in games like this. He tried Modric as a false nine, and the “stick” was capital.
His experience and Italian style enable him to be pragmatic, realistic and, if desired, even result-oriented. He knows that his players are deadly in transitions and so physically strong that they often decide in the second half. He doesn’t worry about passing the ball to the rival, closing spaces, connecting the lines and counterattack. He argues that proposing just one style, as Barça does in theory, is negative and dangerous.
For Xavi, that classic was a special baptism of fire. But football is forgetful and the Barça coach is not having a sweet moment right now. Had the excuse last year of taking over from a destroyed team, now he has a stellar cast, the result of economic leveraging and Joan Laporta’s signings, with the lofty Lewandowski at the helm. The recent draw to Inter, following a build-up that saw Barca die for the second consecutive year in the top continental competition, drew the seams from a team still under construction, with an inexperienced coach.
Unlike his colleague on the bench in Madrid, the Egarense coach says that this 0-4 does serve as a reference. In front of the gallery, he declares that he is not signing to win and to play badly. He insists that he wants the ball, high pressure and control of the game as the basis for success. Allowing a frenetic match like Inter’s against Real Madrid is tantamount to dying attempts.
Among the whites, Courtois’s absence is disturbing because of the nasty sciatica that afflicts him. A very sensitive loss as he is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, although Lunin has performed so far. The rest is known by heart. If anything, with a few doubts. Rüdiger is available despite the 20 stitches to his face he sustained after the clash against Shakhtar in Warsaw, but the most normal thing is that he is on the bench. In addition, Carletto has to bet on Valverde’s muscle strength and greater distance, it seems, or on Rodrygo’s imbalance.
In the azulgranas, Xavi breathes for the recovery of Jules Koundé who should bring Piqué to the bank of the accused after his very poor game against the Lombards. The doubt is whether his Koundé will be lateral, with the main mission to stop Vinicius, or central. On this, in turn, the demarcation of Marcos Alonso and whether Sergi Roberto, Balde or Jordi Alba play will depend. Above the small doubt between Raphinha or Ansu Fati, although the Brazilian is much better in every way.
In terms of numbers, it is the 250th match-up in the classic’s history between all competitions, with 100 wins for Madrid, 97 for Barça and 52 draws. The Whites have won five of their last six games against the Blaugrana, but they have the chance to win two consecutive games in the League for the first time since 2019, then with Ernesto Valverde on the bench. Special focus on the gunnery duel between Karim Benzema, scorer of 20 goals in 38 games against Barca, and rookie Robert Lewandowski, who scored six goals against Madrid in eight games with Dortmund and Bayern, all in the Champions League. The Pole is the player who has scored the most goals against the whites in the history of that continental competition.
Source: La Verdad
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