In its last iteration of 2024/25, El Clasico refused to disappoint.
It has been a marketing campaign of excellent duels between Spain’s two behemoths. Two Barcelona routs have been adopted up by an all-time nice Copa del Rey last final month, and there have been objectives galore in Catalonia on Sunday afternoon.
Travis Scott was in attendance for Barcelona’s vastly vital victory, because the hosts ruthlessly took benefit of a Actual Madrid defence that spent a lot of the competition stargazing in homage to the American rapper.
This was as open a soccer match as you are ever more likely to see. There have been seven objectives, however there may’ve been no less than 67. Each attacking sequence appeared to lead to a second of word, and solely not often did the bout permit these concerned to return up for air.
Ultimately, Barca’s 4-3 triumph has left them getting ready to La Liga glory, all whereas confirming 2024/25 to be a season of palpable disappointment within the Spanish capital. Listed here are 4 issues we realized from the sport.
Final season’s La Liga and Champions League double seemed set to be the beginning of a interval of Actual Madrid supremacy in Spain, with many suggesting that the wealthy have been solely getting richer by including, arguably, the world’s finest footballer to their ranks in Kylian Mbappe.
The Frenchman, individually, has carried out effectively after a reasonably sluggish begin. His hat-trick means he now leads Robert Lewandowski within the Pichichi standings with 27 La Liga objectives, however Mbappe’s goalscoring prize is more likely to be the one honour Madrid garners from what’s been a bitterly disappointing marketing campaign.
Not even grasp balancer Carlo Ancelotti has been capable of get this set of gamers to coalesce. Whereas Madrid have the capability to purr as a collective, such cohesion has not often been prevalent. In consequence, they’ve usually manifested a quite disjointed kind, and Ancelotti’s antiquated beliefs pale compared to the thrilling ideas this Barca staff adhere to.
Sunday’s defeat means Ancelotti’s last 12 months will finish with out home silverware or the Champions League, and it is as much as Xabi Alonso to get Madrid functioning with the telepathy which has thrust Barcelona to the promised land this time period.
The one factor lacking from Yamal’s efficiency in opposition to Inter on Tuesday was a crowning glory. Whereas the Spaniard was thwarted by the excellent Yann Sommer on a number of events in midweek, Yamal was additionally responsible of manufacturing finishes which did not fairly match the standard of his general efficiency.
Nevertheless, the teenage celebrity did not permit any time for speak over a possible downside within the last third to linger on Sunday. Amid one other divine show from maybe the world’s finest, Yamal scored Barcelona’s second with an emphatic curling effort.
The winger latched onto Ferran Torres’ layoff with the utmost intent, subtly bending the ball previous a despairing Thibaut Courtois. Not even Tuesday night time Sommer would’ve had an opportunity.
You believe you studied that is the kind of objective Yamal will make a behavior of scoring.
The objectives have been so unrelenting on the Montjuic that they appeared to lose worth. We’re not precisely certain how ‘enjoyable’ this Clasico was given the extent of defending on show.
Flick’s aggressive defensive position labored splendidly effectively when Barcelona have been contemporary, however this season’s been a slog, and their power ranges with out the ball are now not conducive to high-line success. They’ve conceded no less than twice in 5 of their earlier seven outings in all competitions, and no less than three in 4. If Borja Iglesias ran riot in opposition to this fading Barcelona staff, what did you suppose Mbappe and Vini Jr have been going to do?
A zonal method meant Madrid’s two superstars usually broke in behind with out a contact. After a turnover, the hosts have been instantly weak. Now, there is not any denying that Flick’s aggressive line has been key to their success this season, aiding their capability to suffocate and maintain, however Barcelona’s woeful defensive showings down the stretch beg the query as as to if such an method is sustainable in the long term.
Nevertheless, whereas there’s a technique to Barca’s insanity, Madrid have been with out a single concept as to how they have been going to cease the house facet from profitable Sunday’s Clasico. They have not been well-coached out of possession for a lot of Ancelotti’s second tenure, and Mbappe’s arrival has exacerbated their woes with out the ball.
You possibly can undergo, round, and over this Madrid backline.
Rodrygo has lengthy been slated because the underrated fourth horseman of this Actual Madrid assault, however the Brazilian has seemingly fallen out of favour forward of a potential summer season transfer away.
After lacking the 3-2 victory over Celta Vigo due to an obvious sickness, Rodrygo, who’s performed over 3,200 minutes in all competitions this season, was again in Ancelotti’s squad for the Clasico however didn’t take to the sector.
One thing is not fairly proper. Ancelotti turned to debutant Victor Munoz to exchange the injured Vinicius Junior within the closing phases regardless of having Rodrygo out there. There was speak of a possible departure this summer season, and Ancelotti’s sudden choice for Arda Guler suggests the Brazilian star could be on his method out of the Spanish capital.
This felt like a definite indication.