A Great Match

Was it a goal fest like last year’s 4-3 match ?

No

Was it filled with eye-catching dribbles or smart

smooth sequences of passing ?

No

In fact, the match was quite the physical one. Eleven

yellow cards is the perfect indication.

However, the match had the most important element in

such matches : suspense. The feeling that anything could

happen any time. Something which most people dreamed

off before the match. To but it more clearly, nobody thought

the out-of-form Real Madrid will go toe-to-toe with the stable

destructive Barcelona. This was logic, for whom football was

never really obedient.

MSN vs BBC

It’s clear that the front three of Barcelona had the edge over

their counter-parts in Real. Comparing them one by one will

make it even clearer.

Starting with Suarez and Benzema. Both of the central forwards

had an excellent match. The French assisted Ronaldo’s goal with

a nice back-heel. But took too much time before passing the ball

to the Portuguese on an earlier chance in the 12th minute which

ended with Ronaldo hitting the cross-bar. He also missed a vital

chance in the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half after a one-two with

, again, Ronaldo. He was a consistent threat but he was missing

“the killer instinct”. The ability to make the right run to be in the

right place and have the right touch. Suarez, on the other hand,

didn’t. The Uruguayan didn’t have the best match when it comes

to overall performance. But his goal was an prime example of a

No.9 mastering his position. From the first step of his run to his

inch-accurate shot. Everything was top-notch.

Neymar vs Bale was no-contest. The Brazilian wasn’t at his best

when it comes to finishing or decision taking. But he was always

on the move and a constant threat. Simply put, he was there and

you could feel it. The same can never be said about Bale.

Gareth Bale completed 2 passes in the final 30 mins of El Clasico. Steven Gerrard completed 4 passes in 48 seconds before being sent off. — Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 23, 2015

Finishing with football top 2, here is where I think many would dis-

agree with me. To me, Ronaldo had the edge over his Argentine

nemesis. CR7 scored a goal, had two very dangerous efforts and

created a scoring chance for Benzama. The key part is, all of these

happened when the match was still alive and the result was really

on the line. On the other hand, except for the free-kick assist, most

of Messi efforts came after Pepe substitution and Suarez goal i.e.

against a weakened defense and after the match was, apparently,

killed.

The Modric Effect

This match was another example of the huge influence the Croatian

has on the team. In the first half, we saw the team who was struggling

to dedicate the match against lesser teams without Luka dominate a

very strong Barcelona side. Modric was everywhere : linking lines, killing

attacks and helping teammates. He was the one behind the pass to

Benzema preceding the French assist. A couple of minutes into the 2nd

half, Modric got tired. It’s only natural for a player with his second match,

as a starter, after months of absence.

Real Madrid created just one chance between the 60th-90th minute during El Clasico. pic.twitter.com/v9sOMhMVf5 — Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 22, 2015

From that point on, Real Madrid lost it. Barcelona dominated the rest of the

game. Not saying it’s the only reason, but it’s a big sign to the significance

the Croatian mid-fielder has in the team.

Bravo killed it, Casillas killed Madrid

Another vital detail in this match was the goal-keepers’ performance.

On one side, you get Claudio Bravo on his game saving Blaugrana

in multiple occasions. Starting with Ronaldo’s rocket in the first

half and ending with Benzema’s deflected shot. Did any of these hard

-to-save shots hit the back of the net, the route of the match would’ve

drastically changed. On the other hand, you get Iker Casillas with

another big mistake in another big match. His positioning in Suarez’

goal was just bad. The Uruguayan shouldn’t be able to score in

that situation. As simple as that. With this mistake, Iker handed

the match to the bitter rivals.

Knight of The Night

The decision is hard and so should it be. Marcelo had his 100th

excellent match in a row, Modric dominated the midfield for nearly

an a hour and Pique continued his 2015 amazing form as an all-

rounded defender. But the two ‘finalist’ for me are Bravo and

Suarez. One man prevented the match of going Real Madrid

way, the other made it go Barcelona way from the first half-

chance he had. I can pick one decisively to be honest. but it’s

worth noting that : For once, neither Ronaldo nor Messi is a

candidate here and, for once, Barca’s main men where those

at the two ends of the pitch rather than those at its middle.