Madrid 2.0: An Era of Dominance?
I have been following ‘Los Blancos’ for quite some time now. I have seen the best team of the generation toy with us and have cried myself to sleep when they thrashed us 5-0, at the Camp Nou. I have seen their defender’s smug face when he had raised his hand gesturing how many goals his team had scored. Never will I forget their demigod’s audacity, when he nicked in the winner at the Bernabeu last season. Every defeat, every scar, is still quite fresh, but somehow this Supercup fixture has managed to make everything slightly easier to bear.
We have beaten Barcelona before, right? So, why is this victory so special? What makes this the best tie that we have played in a while? The scoreline, 5-1, is just one part of the story. El Clasicos have always been an even contest - Madrid with their explosive attack and wobbly defence; Barcelona with their brilliant build-up and the unearthly humanoid’s magic. In all the Clasicos where we had managed to one-up our rivals, there were always these little chances which could easily have tipped the tie in our bitterest’s favour. The match we played at the Bernabeu on 17th, however, is a glaring exception.
A two goal lead to protect and Zidane chose to keep the sensational Isco, the industrious Casemiro, and the flying Welshman on the bench. Cristiano had already received a 5-game ban earlier, and leaving 3 of their best players on the bench looked audacious, to say the least. Kovacic, after having a tremendous pre-season, started the match; but he has always been more adventurous than Casemiro, elevating Real to a higher brand of football. However, defensive lapses are usually easier to point out.
Kovacic, Kroos, and Modric were pitted against a 5-man midfield, with Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba tucked in as wingbacks. Kroos, as usual, set the tempo, and Modric was at the heart of every silky passage of play. Kovacic, despite being out of position, played like he has been reprising the role for years. Sergio Ramos and Varane chased every ball, defended fiercely, and hardly gave an inch to Suarez and Leo.
The best wingbacks in the world, Carvajal and Marcelo, wreaked havoc on the flanks. Lucas Vasquez proved once again how influential he can be, given the opportunity. Marco Asensio, Madrid's and probably the world’s best young talent set the tone early on with an impeccable hit, catching Ter Stegan off-guard. Quick goals give you an early cushion, but one must always look to build on the opportunities rather than just sitting on them. Real Madrid tightened the screw, and Barcelona looked fragile as ever. Madrid’s midfield played at a standard which was a couple of notches higher than that of Barcelona, which didn’t change for the rest of the tie.
For me, Karim Benzema was the standout performer. A player, who has proudly played second fiddle to the club’s highest scorer, has once again proved how invaluable his contributions are. He dropped deep, stretched the defence and was like a live wire in front of Pique and co. The goal he scored, against all odds, demonstrates his insatiable hunger to push his team. With Cristiano out for the next four matches, Karim Benzema will have to emerge as a clinical centre-forward, and not just a man who has an unmatched link-up. Now, even if he manages only half of what he produced against Barcelona, we will cope without Cristiano, sweat free.
The match we played at Camp Nou had Clasico written all over it. Superb counters, fragile defence, and a superstar shining brightest against all odds. It also had controversial decisions, a shameless dive from their number nine, and an unfair call which has sidelined our record goalscorer for a significant time. Madrid coped, like they do more often than not, and ended the game with an unstoppable Marco Asensio stunner. The second leg at the Bernabeu gave us a glimpse of what could be the start of something equally ruthless and beautiful.
The way we dominated the game for the whole 90 gives my pessimistic self a little hope. For the first time in 40 Clasicos, we have dominated Barcelona in every single aspect, and yes, that includes possession. Maybe, we are not going to crash and burn this time. Maybe, we do have a chance to achieve the impossible. Maybe, Zizou will be the one who ends an era of Barcelona dominance, and starts a glinting white one. And now, with our first league match just hours away, there is this one song stuck in my head-
“Historia que tu hiciste
Historia por hacer
Porque nadie resiste
Tus ganas de vencer”
Hala Madrid Y Nada Mas.
<a href="https://t.co/OyTl0NeLrV">https://t.co/OyTl0NeLrV</a> <a href="https://t.co/XE9HuBPbhL">pic.twitter.com/XE9HuBPbhL</a></p>— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/900119140073177088">August 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
️ <a href="https://t.co/kFkI3veLcK">pic.twitter.com/kFkI3veLcK</a></p>— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SquawkaNews/status/909405853673050112">September 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
<br><br>More: <a href="https://t.co/ChDWIHuBfV">https://t.co/ChDWIHuBfV</a> <a href="https://t.co/0hSu7tqMT4">pic.twitter.com/0hSu7tqMT4</a></p>— Goal UK (@GoalUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoalUK/status/913031073533177857">September 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
