It was a breathtaking and scintillating encounter in the copa del rey semifinal first leg game between the defending champions Barcelona and European champions Real Madrid. I hope I don't get guillotined if I brand these two teams the two biggest club in the world. Any time they clash against each other, it's always an amazing spectacle to behold, especially to football lovers who appreciate beautiful football.
Wednesday night sight Barcelona host their arch rivals at the Camp Nou as they look forward to winning the cup for the fifth time in a row. The last time Los Blancos won the Copa del rey was in 2014 and funny enough they had defeated Barcelona in that final. Since then, the Spanish champions have dominated both the league and Copa del rey trophies, winning both in four succession.
However, it seems Madrid is not ready to allow the champions have it all their way this time, as they put up an amazing performance against Barcelona yesterday. They must have been relieved from the fact that their biggest threat Lionel Messi was not in the starting line up. Messi has been a great form in recent times, and it's no manager's prayer to play against him now.
Gone are the days when the El Clasico was more of Messi vs Christiano Ronaldo match, with the departure of the Portuguese legend to Turin, the Barcelona captain is now the undisputed king in Spain. Valverde was being cautious about his talisman's fitness, so he had to allow Sergio Busquets start the game with the captain band. It wasn't a game to miss, did you miss it? Now if you did, give yourself a spank, because the best of football is played in Spain. Haha...
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What Transpired In Wednesday Night Copa clash?
It was the copa del rey semifinal first leg tie between the Catalan giants and Los Bloncos on Wednesday night and it culminated in a 1-1 draw. It took Malcolm's second have somewhat funny goal to cancel out an early sixth-minute opener from Vazquez. It's a result that left both teams with much to play for during the second leg at the Bernabeu come 27th of this month.
Messi wasn't considered fit enough to start the game, so Barcelona had to prove once more that they could go against the odds without the Argentine captain. With the Champions league being Valverde's major target this season, he doesn't wanna risk the fitness of his goal poacher.
Well, Los Blancos seized the opportunity and went ahead with just the second shot of the game. That 6th minute goal by Real Madrid meant the Los Blancos have netted in each of their last fifteen away games against Barcelona in all competitions, their best scoring run away from home in El Clasico history.
Lucas Vazquez showed why he is paid. He had to professionally twist his body frame with spontaneous aplomb to flick the ball beyond Ter Stegen, thanks to a Karim Benzema well controlled drilling square cross. The Frenchman has been in good shape in recent times, it's either he is scoring or he is assisting others to score. Though he may not have gotten on the score sheet yesterday, but trust me, He is fast becoming a leader up front for Madrid.
Malcolm was on the starting line up for the fifth time this season in copa del rey. Messi not playing from the start is always a big opportunity for the Brazilian who is always ready to grasp it with full hands. He was a thorn on the flesh of Madrid as he operated from the right flank for Barcelona. He may have missed what would have been the best equalising chance for Barcelona if not for the assistant referee's offside flag.
It was also Malcolm's free-kick that Ivan Rakitic headed against the woodwork. However, it took Barcelona 57 minutes to find the net, thanks to Malcolm's left footed shot. A shot that Sergio Ramos mistook to be going off target. Malcolm's goal yesterday made him the second Barcelona player to score in his El Clasico debut after Arturo Vidal in October 2018 league match. However, Gareth Bale missed a late chance to win the game for Madrid after Karim Benzema had set him up with a nice pass. The Welshman needs to find his rhythm, his injury spell has really taken a toll on his performance.
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Did You Notice Real Madrid's Improvement?
Well, I don't know if am the only one that took cognizance of the European champions current state of play, I may be wrong though but I feel lighter letting it out. Many saw yesterday's clash as a true test of how far Santiago Solari has improved the team after taking over from Lopetegui. If you ask me, I will say Madrid is in better state than when the Argentine took over.
Before he was handed the keys of Madrid, Los Blancos were in a deplorable state and many feared if the European champions will even qualify for next season's champions League. It was in those days of doom that Barcelona battered them 5-1 in their last encounter at the Camp Now. That defeat saw Lopetegui being sacked as well. Solari seems to have restored gradual calm at the Bernabeu and is well sitting at the 3rd position if the league table.
Santiago Solari hasn't been afraid of taking some hard decisions as he continues to rejuvenate the team. His coming has seen the rise of young Vinicius Jr who was rarely considered as an asset under Lopetegui. And the young Brazilian starlet operating from the left flank has added so much spark in Madrid's drive already. Well, the European champions may not be having an awesome time in the Spanish league, but they are up and running in the Champions league. Eliminating Barcelona in copa del rey will boost their confidence ahead of what is left of the season.
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