I sit Pep Guardiola. He took a seat in the box next to Cris, his wife, after greeting Danny, Johan Cruyff’s wife, effusively. The Camp Nou detected the arrival of the City manager and gave him an ovation. In Pep’s eyes, Barça did not control a game that was theirs, only frustrated by Courtois’ saves. When he should have the ball, he lost it. When he wanted to control the game, he got out of control. But still he won.
With Pep spying in case he eliminates Bayern and it’s Madrid’s turn in the Champions League semifinals, in case, of course, that Ancelotti’s team eliminates Chelsea first. And, suddenly, Pep saw Balde’s cavalcade so that Kessié would sentence Madrid. Although everything was born in the sublime heel of Lewandowski.
The protagonist
Sergi, at 0-1; Sergi, in the 1-1
He appeared in the photo of the two goals. Sergi Roberto appeared, and much to his regret, in the carambola action that ended with Araujo’s own goal. He appeared because he did not close the passing channels of Camavinga, who calmly invaded Ter Stegen’s area, prior to Vinicius’s cross that ended up bouncing off the Uruguayan’s head. The Barça player was not fine, Xavi’s great bet to complete his commitment to the four midfielders in which he sent Kessié to the bench.
But he redeemed that condition of surprise guest in the white goal with a right foot, worthy of an old nine, of those of a lifetime, which unleashed delirium among the thousands and thousands of culés that packed the old Camp Nou, who attended the event excitedly. penultimate classic of his life. Sergi Roberto redeemed himself with that goal that rewarded, already in the last breath of the first half, the insistence of Barça. If Lewandowski couldn’t, then he did it.
The debate
Vinicius was not scared by Araujo
He wore two Vinicius classics without being Vinicius. He seemed intimidated by Araujo’s superb marking. Marking that he bordered on perfection in Riyadh (Spanish Super Cup) and at the Bernabéu (Copa del Rey). The Uruguayan had the white striker under emotional control. Or so he believed. They met for the third time this season.
It happened at the Camp Nou and Araujo showed signs of weakness. Both tactically, he gave him too many meters, and emotionally, perhaps the center-back of Barça was hit by Madrid’s own goal. It was a move in which Vinicius rode over the baseline until serving a cross that turned into an own goal because he was involuntarily deflected by the Uruguayan’s head.
For the first time, and in a duel marked by sportsmanship between the two players, the blaugrana was beaten. And that was immediately detected by Vinicius, who must have been an offensive system for Madrid by himself, disconnected as Benzema was.
Marking to…
Raphinha, winger and spotlight
In an asymmetric Barça, with Gavi acting as a left-handed winger although he is not, it was Raphinha’s turn to assume a leading role. And he was, especially in the first half, where he channeled the attacks of Xavi’s team, which gave Balde the entire left flank. But the side was not as poisonous as in other games. In addition, Madrid knew how to stop the young Barça defense.
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And that caused Raphinha to become a torrent of light because she not only threatened the stability of Nacho, who was soon punished with a yellow card. He had not even reached 20 minutes into the game. From that moment on, the Brazilian was a hammer. Dribbles, crosses, long distance shots… Raphinha’s catalog of resources was a support for Barça, who only attacked for his wing.
the tactic
Kessié sneaks into culé memory
There are plays. And plays. Barça was disoriented, surviving thanks to the technology that allowed, thanks to VAR, to cancel Marco Asensio’s goal, which would have been 1-2. But then Xavi’s team turned to the left, something they had not achieved in the previous 90 minutes. Suddenly, a counterattack rewarded that crazy Barca ambition because Balde found a crack to undress Madrid, after Lewandowski’s heel shot that turned on the light in a volcanic Camp Nou. And the triumph in the classic came with another unexpected guest. If Sergi Roberto made it 1-1, the glory of more than half the league belonged to Kessié with the 2-1, a goal full of intrastory because, in addition, Barça took away from Madrid everything that it usually boasts about. He took away from the epic.