were missing three goals so that the Barça-Madrid team reached 600 in the 255 classics they have played. All the numbers are white: 103 victories for Madrid, 100 for Barça and 52 draws, 299 goals for Barça and 301 for Madrid.
The honor of sealing the round figure was achieved by the fashionable footballer of the League, the soul of Real Madrid, with a double after Ilkay Gündogan opened the scoring: Jude Bellingham escaped the nightmare he was living with Gavi twice, that defeated him even in the physical clash, and extended the extraordinary inspiration that guides him, with a long shot that surprised Ter Stegen and a rebounded ball that left him alone in front of the goal.
‘(I can’t get no) Satisfaction’ he hummed under his breath the culé when leaving Monjuïc. The chance of a rebound darkened a round afternoon. It has been sung thousands of times by Mick Jagger, who had another episode of being a total jinx with the teams he supports. Each attendance at a football stadium is counted as a loss. The presence of the Stones had a toll… Real Madrid fans sang the Hey Jude of the Beatles.
The protagonist
Bellingham took the laurels with the two goals and Gavi won the admiration, a colossus in the field despite being the smallest in size. The fans chanted his name, now a great footballer who dedicated himself to the battle where the stars graduate. He is, and he is already the young man with the most classics behind him, an indisputable asset for Xavi.
Gavi and Bellingham made up one of the couples who danced across the field, near the one that united Fermín with Kroos – another clearly Barça duel – and Araujo-Vinicius.
Gavi was Gündogan’s companion in midfield, a variant that allows, among other things, one of them to acquire the license to leave the position. Hence Gündo was the fourteenth player on the squad to score. (It is known that only Bellingham targets them in Madrid).
The proximity of Fermín and Gavi freed Gündogan from playing the dirty game. He emerged clean from the classic: the fouls were made by the children. But they also created. Fermín once again had two chances and regretted the third shot on the post in a row.
The tactic
Xavi made three changes to Shakhtar’s eleven. Important changes: moved Araujo towards the right wing to closely monitor Vinicius, which motivated Cancelo to advance, and Christensen to enter the center of the defense.
Before the first shot (from Kroos), Barça had scored a goal, hitting the posts twice and Kepa had avoided another goal.
No less relevant was the disappearance of Oriol Romeu, the midfielder, whose role Gündogan played, although helped by Gavi; As soon as the pair was formed to build, Fermín and João Félix were placed in front to compose the square, with Cancelo as an open winger, Ferran in the center and Balde who had to complete the lead with his incursions.
The changes altered Barça’s drawing. None of the six injured players started despite the fact that five of them had gone out to train with the group the day before. Lewandowski and Raphinha entered the scoresheet and were in the game, but not Koundé, the most surprising recovery. De Jong and Pedri occupied the same seats in the stands.
Madrid was satisfied with the point, and began to defend with five after the entry of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. His first shot came on the hour mark, the work of Kroos, and by then Barça had scored a goal, hitting the posts twice and Kepa had avoided the same goal.
The artist
A tribute Barcelona fans fully paid tribute to the Rolling Stones, acclaimed and cheered, like the songs that were played during the classic. The measures of ‘Start me up’ They preluded the Barça anthem and activated the mosaic.
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Mick Jagger and Ronnie Woods They enjoyed the day based on their gestures. Jagger didn’t move like he did on stage, but he didn’t stand still, moving around in the box. Woods remained quieter, and much more Matt Clifford Responsible for keyboards in the band.
The box was packed. Just like the stands. An entry was reported 50,112 spectators when the official capacity established by Barça at the beginning of the season was 49,472 people, so zero visibility seats had to be enabled. The first rows of the entire ring, between four and ten, depending on the area, were covered by Barça tarps. The group of meringues next to the scoreboard left singing their new anthem, the one dedicated to Jude.