Real closer to challenging Barca supremacy
Reuters - Thursday 18 August 2011, 15:31
MADRID - Real Madrid are getting closer to
challenging Barcelona's supremacy domestically and in Europe
despite losing the Spanish Super Cup after an explosive second
leg at the Nou Camp.
Barca's 5-4 aggregate win came courtesy of a dramatic 3-2
victory late on Wednesday night after 180 minutes of enthralling
action with Lionel Messi scoring a spectacular late volley to
seal victory in the season's curtain-raiser.
Once again, however, the 'clasico' ended in controversy with
a melee on the pitch and three red cards. The ensuing war of
words offered an indication that relations between the two
rivals will continue to deteriorate as the season progresses.
The Super Cup represented barca coach Pep Guardiola's 11th
trophy at the start of only his fourth season at the helm,
putting him level with Johan Cruyff's club record set over eight
years. However, there were signs that mischievous Real manager
Jose Mourinho's long-term planning is starting to bear fruit.
"Madrid have lost their fear of playing Barca," said a
commentary in daily El Pais, praising the way Real took the game
to their hosts rather than defending deep like last season.
Yet while Real matched Barca in many departments they failed
to contain World Player of the Year Messi.
The Argentine proved again he is perhaps the critical
difference between the sides, scoring three and setting up two
of the Catalans' five goals over the two legs.
"Messi, Messi once again, always Messi," wrote daily El
Mundo. "It wasn't just the Super Cup that was in play, but
global supremacy, the first blow to morale, honour, the desire
to be the best."
GREATER BELIEF
Madrid had their chances to beat Barca, particularly in the
first leg which they dominated, but will surely start the new
season with a greater belief that they can challenge the
European champions.
Unfortunately, the brawl sparked by Marcelo's lunging tackle
on Cesc Fabregas at the end of Wednesday's game ensured the
headlines were dominated by images of scuffling players and
acrimonious accusations between the teams once again.
Real's players lined up to accuse Barca's of feigning injury
and falling to the ground too easily, while their opponents
spoke of the overly-aggressive approach of Mourinho's team.
The antics of the Real coach, who poked Guardiola's number
two Tito Vilanova in the eye during the melee between the
players, were caught on camera and could get him in trouble with
the footballing authorities once again.
"We must be careful because we will cause harm, not on the
field but off the field, and we're all a little responsible for
this," Guardiola said after the match, as he commented on the
unsavoury events in the Nou Camp.
The racist monkey chants that could be heard at the Bernabeu
directed against Barca's Dani Alves, and at the Nou Camp against
Real's Marcelo, are just one possible consequence of this
increasing hostility between the two Spanish giants.
With six clasicos already played in 2011, the build-up to
the year's final confrontation, when the sides meet in La Liga
on the weekend of December 10-11, is already under way.