The good news is there is still undoubted quality in this side. Xavi Hernandez must now pick his players up because they have tough fixtures coming up against Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Bayern Munich and Valencia before the end of the month. Match report: Madrid 3-1 Barca | LaLiga table | Upcoming fixtures Six of their seven wins have come against sides in the bottom half. They came into the Clásico sitting top of LaLiga with the best attack (20 goals scored) and defence (one goal conceded) in the league, but hindsight now suggests that was perhaps down to the quality of the opposition they had faced recently. Wednesday's draw with Inter Milan, which left them on the verge of Champions League elimination, and now this defeat have brought them back down to earth. This week has been a reality check for Barcelona, whose start to the season had shown promise after a busy summer in the transfer market. The absence of Thibaut Courtois didn't matter - Andriy Lunin was mostly well protected in goal - and once Valverde had made it 2-0, Madrid's lead never felt under threat until those nervy few moments after Ferran had pulled a goal back, before Rodrygo's penalty.īarca might be making progress but on this showing, Madrid are still further ahead than their three-point advantage at the top of the table would suggest. Even relative youngsters Valverde and Vinicius Junior already play with the mentality and confidence of veterans. There's a battle-hardened feel to this Madrid side, from the experience of Ancelotti on the bench to David Alaba at the back, Toni Kroos - who was outstanding - and Luka Modric in midfield and Benzema in attack. Carlo Ancelotti's team were ruthlessly clinical, making sure the key moments - notably, the chances that were converted into goals by Benzema and Valverde in the first half - went their way. Madrid might have had less possession (43.8% to 56.2%) and fewer shots (8 to 18), created fewer chances (6 to 13) and had a lower XG (1.44 to 2.25) but none of that mattered in the slightest. ![]() This game laid bare the gap between a mature, fully formed Madrid team that knows exactly what it's doing, and a Barcelona side who are still a work in progress. ![]() JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures The well-deserved win sees Los Blancos take a three-point lead at the top of the LaLiga table after nine games played, ahead of second-placed Barca. Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.) Karim Benzema, Federico Valverde and Rodrygo scored the goals for the hosts, with Ferran Torres notching a consolation tally for the Catalan club. MADRID - Real Madrid looked comfortable throughout their 3-1 Clásico win over Barcelona at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |