In Spain, the Clasico between Barça and Real Madrid remains the major event of the La Liga season. Pleasant and full of suspense, this new episode, played on Saturday October 28, during the 11th day of La Liga, turned in favor (1-2) of the Madrilenians. During the impressive renovation work at the Camp Nou, the Catalan club plays its home matches at the Montjuïc stadium, that of its local rival Espanyol.
Leading the score for an hour of play, Barça cracked in the second period and missed the opportunity to get back on their historic rival in the standings. Madrid’s Jude Bellingham responded twice to Barcelona’s Ilkay Gündogan’s opener. With this victory, Real Madrid maintains its leadership position, with 28 points, 3 points ahead of Barça. The surprising team of Girona, other Catalans, also have 28 points.
On Saturday, the team coached by Xavi believed for a long time to carry out the right operation. Until then the only undefeated team in the Spanish championship, Barça lost for the first time this season. However, Barcelona initially dominated the game, before losing ground in the last half hour of the match. Barcelona have only won two of their last eight meetings against Real Madrid in La Liga (6 defeats), including the most recent, on March 19, at home (2-1).
A strike of exceptional power
In the 6th minute, Ilkay Gündogan took advantage of the delays of the Madrid defense. The German shows more enthusiasm than his opponents to recover the ball by countering a too delicate tackle from the Austrian David Alaba. In the absence of Thibaut Courtois, Kepa, the Basque replacement goalkeeper for Real, was beaten by the ball slipped from the flat of the foot by the former Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City player (1-0).
Ten minutes later, Real once again showed fragility and almost conceded a second early goal. Gavi presses Toni Kroos and recovers the ball at the German midfielder’s feet. Fermin Lopez takes advantage of the opportunity to unleash a sudden strike, which fails on Kepa’s post (16th).
Returning from the locker room, the locals hit the post a second time. The unfortunate man this time is Inigo Martinez, whose header following a cross from Lopez misses the target by a few centimeters (51st). Quicker, Ronald Araujo takes the ball, which is pushed back by Kepa on his goal line
On the Madrid side, until now very discreet, the Englishman Jude Bellingham lived up to his incredible start to the season. Recruited from Dortmund for 103 million euros, the 20-year-old first scored his twelfth goal in thirteen games played with Real. A strike of exceptional power, which allowed the Merengues to equalize in the 68th minute (1-1).
Then, in stoppage time, on a Carjaval cross deflected by Luka Modric, the young midfielder emerges like an experienced player to deceive Marc Ter Stegen at point blank range (2-1). “He is only 20 years old but he looks thirty, because of his character and his attitude,” said his coach Carlo Ancelotti.
A collector’s jersey for 400 euros
If the fashionable hit in La Liga sounds, thanks to Bellingham, more like a Beattles song – “Hey Jude” –, this Clasico took place in the presence of two thirds of… The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood. On the occasion of the release of the English group’s new album, Barça organized, with one of its partners, a giant communication operation: the Stones’ “tongue and lips” logo replaced that of the usual sponsor on the jersey of the Barcelona players. Price of this collector’s jersey: 400 euros.
Far from these marketing considerations, sportingly, the Catalans have been deprived for many weeks of several important players like Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Roberto, Pedri, Robert Lewandowski and Jules Koundé. The last two were present on the substitutes’ bench at kick-off. Injured in an ankle, the Polish striker made his return by coming into play on the hour mark in place of Ferran Torres.
In their absence, Barça relied on the excellence of its training center, as Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti underlined before the match: “The young people took advantage of this moment because The first team had a lot of injuries, they took advantage of the quality of the training center. »
For this always crucial meeting, only one of those revealed this season, Fermin Lopez (20 years old), played from the start. Lamine Yamal (16 years old), revelation and phenomenon of precocity, replaced Joao Cancelo a quarter of an hour from time. Marc Guiu (17) remained on the substitutes’ bench. But against Real Madrid, this youth was not enough.
Both off to a good start in the Champions League – three wins in three matches – Barça and Real will once again engage in a merciless battle. Beaten by ten points last season, Madrid hopes to take revenge.
