For football fans worldwide, enthusiasm reaches fever pitch for derby matches. Regardless of league position or a potential gulf in quality between the adversaries, football fans know that derbies represent an intense rivalry like nothing else in sport.
In a wonderful week to be a football fan, we are being treated to three of football’s great derbies. Adding extra spice to an already boiling pot, all three matches will have a decisive impact on the destiny of their respective league titles.
El Clasico, Madrid, Real Madrid vs Barcelona
While not technically a derby in the true geographical sense, El Clasico is arguably the single contest that football fans worldwide most look forward to. For pure footballing quality and theatre, El Clasico is unmatched.
Real Madrid, followed closely by Bayern Munich and PSG, have been Europe’s form team this season. Their last loss, an incredible 31 games ago, came at the hands of Barcelona, 2-1, at the Nou Camp in October. Holding a four point lead over their eternal rivals prior to this El Clasico, Real Madrid were well placed to hammer a final nail into Barcelona’s title chances.
El Clasico’s of the past have been typified by a mutual loathing for the opposition. However, the current dynamic is slightly less aggressive.
Maybe it’s because the two new managers, Carlo Ancelotti and Gerardo Martino, have yet to forge out a true rivalry. Ancelotti vs Martino hardly sounds as spiteful as Mourinho vs Guardiola. In a delightful outcome for football fans, both managers ignored the possibility of strategically stifling their opposition, and deployed three strikers up front including the absolute stars of world football in their most suited positions.
Maybe, in a World Cup year, there were a few players looking after their international interests. When Real Madrid’s Argentine winger, Angel Di Maria, took down Barcelona’s Brazilian forward, Neymar, the most concerned player on the pitch was Di Maria’s Real Madrid teammate, the Brazilian, Marcelo.
In a game that had it all, Di Maria shone. Adept on both feet, with excellent control and lightning speed, he cut the Barcelona defence to shreds on numerous occasions. Real Madrid can thank Di Maria for their two first half goals as he twice placed the ball on a platter for Karim Benzema to find the back of the net.
However, Real Madrid insisted on being offensive in defence. Applying pressure well up the pitch provided Barcelona added space when they played through Real Madrid at pace. Quick movement from Barcelona on two occasions allowed the accomplished Andreas Iniesta and Lionel Messi to provide the finishing touch. El Clasico was wonderfully poised at 2-2 after a riveting first half.
With stars of such superb skill on the pitch, careful defending in the penalty box can be quite a proposition! It proved the case in the second half when Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Iniesta all cleverly won penalties for their team. The penalty won by Neymar proved pivotal – it was accompanied by a red card for Sergio Ramos who denied Neymar a clear goal scoring opportunity. At 3-3, Barcelona were presented with the golden opportunity of facing a ten-man Real Madrid team for the final 25 minutes.
It was a prospect too good to pass up for Barcelona. Their 4-3 El Clasico win brings a new team to the summit of La Liga – Atletico Madrid. This is a title race that football fans can be enthusiastic about!
Messi finished as the hero of El Clasico with a hat-trick in the battle of football’s best players. His ability with and without the ball is unparalleled, and his capacity to involve his teammates is an art form to behold.
Real Madrid 3 – 4 Barcelona
GolFan Sports 