Barcelona secured their first victory over Real Madrid since 2019, thrashing La Liga leaders 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu, with goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (two), Ronald Araujo and Ferran Torres. Here are three thoughts on El Clasico:
1. Xavi changed Barcelona
Xavi’s first game at Barcelona was exactly four months ago, and in that time they have risen from ninth to third in La Liga, but simply measuring that progress in numbers is an understatement of the impact he’s had.
– ESPN+ Guide: La Liga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup and more (USA)
– Broadcast ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (US only)
– No ESPN? Get instant access
He took on a broken team and turned them into the confident unit we saw on Sunday at the Bernabéu. It’s not so much that he preaches the traditional Barcelona values of ownership, creativity and teamwork, rather than individuality – many have done it before – he lives it, allowing himself to make the adjustments that modern realities require. a game. It’s like playing a clean defender at right-back to hold off the fast-paced Vinicius Junior instead of making an emotional choice in favor of Dani Alves. Or playing wingers like Torres and Ousmane Dembele, who interpret the game and position in completely different ways. Or return confidence to a centre-forward like Aubameyang, who has been suspended or unproductive since the summer at his old club Arsenal, and turn him into an incredibly effective attacking threat.
It all comes amid club executive resignations, doubts that the club will remain solvent and, more recently, news that next season’s financial constraints are likely to be as tight as they have been this season, if not more so. . Ignore Barça, this man should be running for public office.
2. Ancelotti thinks outside the box and pays for it.
With resident icon Karim Benzema unavailable, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti had two main options: he could keep his 4-3-3 formation and bring in another striker – be it a specialized striker like Mariano Diaz or Luca Jovic, or an adapted like Marco. Asensio – or he could thwart his plan and throw Barca on the curve by coming up with a whole new scheme.
He opted for the latter, getting an unusual diamond shape that kept his wingers (Rodrigo and Vinicius) wide while Luka Modric and sometimes Toni Kroos remained his de facto frontmen in the middle. It was bold and original, and it was a disaster.
This made it too easy for Barça to play through the first pressing line, giving full control in the last third to Xavi’s team, playing right into their hands. With a nine-point lead at the top of La Liga and a Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea in two and a half weeks, you can afford to experiment a little, but it backfired. And no one wants to see this approach again.
2 related
3. Dembele’s decision is more confusing than ever
With all the dominance of Barcelona, it was Dembele who showed the advantage. He scored the first goal with a classic inside-and-out fake move on Nacho that left the defender rooted to the spot as he raced to the endline and smashed Aubameyang. Araujo’s header for the second came on one of the Frenchman’s signature laser passes from the corner. He even had a hand in the buildup to the third.
When he is like this, he is almost unplayable. He is one of the most bipedal players, with speed and quality galore. Of course, we saw the downside, especially after he started to limp after the break: passing the ball, tracking ineffectively and getting a hearing from Xavi before substitution. But sometimes superstars have to live with the other side too.
Dembele becomes a free agent June 30. There are no further negotiations. Barça will have to face a new financial reality; Dembele can feel like he deserves more and if he puts on a first half every week like we saw against Madrid, he’s worth it. He is 24 years old and when Ansu Fati recovers from injury, he could be half of a devastating pair of wingers for the next decade or so. On the other hand, he has never played more than 22 league games in a season due to a string of injuries and you need to think twice before making him the club’s highest paid player. This is where a serious call needs to be made and Barça cannot afford to make a mistake.