Barcelona deservedly beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the Bernabeu last night. The first leg semi-final of the Champions League was decided by two superb goals by Argentinean superstar Lionel Messi .
Harsh
The decision to send-off Real Madrid’s Pepe was harsh but Real Madrid deserved nothing better than defeat for their attitude towards the game.
Real boss Jose Mourinho put out a side hoping for a 0-0 or to nick a goal on the break.
Los Blancos started the game with no recognised striker and Cristiano Ronaldo up front on his own. The Portuguese star looked bemused by his bosses first half tactics and was completely ineffective. Mourinho’s tactics may have worked in the past but they didn’t in this clash as Barcelona took advantage of the extra space.
Drama
Everybody involved in Real Madrid claimed that Barcelona were play-acting and making the most of situations. However both sides were just as bad as each other. Both sets of players didn’t cover themselves in glory with their behaviour.
Real and Mourinho like to think that they are king of the mind games but all their mind games came to absolutely nothing. The play-acting nearly ruined the game as a spectacle.
Class
Lionel Messi was one of the few players on the pitch capable of rising above the pettiness and showing some class. He did just that with a typically brilliant Messi strike in the 87th minute and a well taken opener.
Hopefully this game will now be remembered for his brace and not just the ugliness of the rest of the night. These games are decided by players who rise to the occasion and Messi does just that.
Nullify
If Real Madrid had went for the game they may have came out on top. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain could cause any sides defence problems but Mourinho didn’t want to risk Barcelona taking control of the game.
In the end Real started out defensive and still managed to be on the receiving end of a 2-0 defeat. Real Madrid will need to overcome the inferiority complex the club have towards the Spanish champions and it was thought that Real had managed to overcome that complex by winning the Copa Del Rey.
Behind
Unfortunately for Los Blancos fans they are still behind their bitter-rivals and will have their work cut out to make it into the final. They will have to win 3-0 at the Nou Camp and stop the home side from scoring.
Real Madrid have a stronger squad than Barcelona but the Catalans have a better team and stronger work ethic. Real Madrid are starting to develop more of a team spirit and next season they could even threaten Barca’s dominance.
Arrogant
I used to really like Jose Mourinho but he is starting to grate on me. He has always managed to get results from his teams and has won trophy after trophy. He has also always got the results to back up his big talking.
However this season his team haven’t been the best in their league and it seems to really irritate him. The ex-Chelsea boss is anything but a good loser and always has his excuses ready. The referee Wolfgang Stark gave him a ready made excuse last night.
Scared
The sending-off however only masked the fact that Real Madrid are still scared of Barcelona. It proves that even the mighty Real Madrid are still not in the same league as their La Liga rivals.
Did Barcelona deserve to beat Real Madrid?
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