How the Priciest Rivalry Went Down: El Clasico

        “El Clasico.” The name itself emits quite an aura of prestige. It has within it a deeply rooted rivalry. El Clasico refers to any game between Real Madrid and Barcelona, the two biggest and most expensive clubs in Spain. With so much hype and excitement for the most recent game, which was played yesterday, October 25^th, it certainly lived up to its expectations. But then again, how could a match featuring Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi not be mesmerizing? Let alone, the countless other stars on each team made it seem like an all-star match displaying the world’s best 22 players.  There is a reason this event was tagged as the “billion dollar game,” as both teams starting players amount to ridiculous expenses.

           

The Real Madrid and Barcelona attacking trios

            It didn’t take very long for the match to get into the swing of things at The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s home stadium. Luis Suarez, who made his debut for Barcelona after being suspended 4 months for a notorious biting incident, made his impact immediately.  Attacking down the right flank, he lifted his head and sent a dazzling 30-yard ball that landed perfectly on Neymar’s feet. Neymar took the ball across the Madrid defense and stuck a low shot in the corner past Casillas to give Barcelona the lead in the 4^th minute, hushing the 70,000 plus Real Madrid fans. The Madrid defense seemed to be asleep, and center back Pepe gave Neymar way too much space. The chemistry between Suarez and Neymar was brilliant, as Suarez took note of Neymar’s backward movement and put a ball on a dime to Neymar. The controversy of Barcelona coach Luis Enrique starting Suarez seemed to pay off. However, Barcelona’s lead wouldn’t last forever.

            In the 35^th minute, Real Madrid defender Marcelo went on a surging run down the left-hand side, and whipped in a low cross in the box that struck the hand of Barcelona center back Gerard Pique. The referee awarded a penalty kick, and Ronaldo rose to the challenge, and slotted the ball past Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo, who hadn’t conceded a goal in the past 7 league matches.  The half ended at 1-1, with Real Madrid looking to capitalize on their momentum.

Ronaldo taking a penalty kick

            The explosive attack of Real Madrid proved too much for Barcelona to handle. Just five minutes after the start of the second half, Real Madrid midfielder Tony Kroos curled in a corner that met the rising head of Pepe, who redeemed himself after his defensive mistake earlier in the game, and headed the ball into the net. 

            And then in the 60^th minute, Barcelona coach Enrique subbed off Xavi for Ivan Rakitić, the Croatian midfielder.  Rakitić’s first touch of the game was taking a corner kick, which was cleared by Real Madrid, who sparked a lightning quick counter attack. Madrid attacker Isco stole the ball off of Barcelona star Iniesta at halfway, and released the ball to the Real Madrid attackers who were charging up field. In a counter attack that was executed in textbook style, Karim Benzema finished off the elegant play by sliding a ball past Bravo to extend Madrid’s lead.

Karim Benzema finishing off a classic Real Madrid counter attack

Click to watch Real Madrid's amazing counter attack

            With Madrid leading 3 to 1, the game was opened up, as Barcelona had to commit numbers forward, leaving themselves vulnerable defensively. Although the score line remained at 3 to 1, Real Madrid continued to attack with a menace that was intriguing to watch. Barcelona did manage to control a majority of possession, however, it was Real Madrid who took the most shots and ultimately capitalized on the day.

            For the 500 million fans that watched the game world wide, I think it is safe to say that everyone enjoyed what they saw. Both teams played with a fluidity and skill level that made the performance seem like a work of art. The ridiculous ball control and the fast pace movement displayed was among the best in the world. And with that win, Real Madrid has inched up closer in the La Liga table, now just 1 point behind first place Barcelona. The next El Classico matchup between these two Spanish Giants is set for mid March. Whatever happens between now and then, it is probably safe to say that the game will be another one for the history books.