CHAPTER 305: Real Madrid 2 - 6 Barcelona

Alternative title: 2 – 6

Positives

• BARCELONA defeated Real Madrid.

• Win obtained, 3 more points added and now it is Liga victory number 27 (and the title is getting closer to being back in Catalunya).

• A BIG, BIG WIN. 2 – 6. And at the Bernabeau.

• “Avenged” last year’s 4 – 1. Big time, in a big way.

• This was a very important victory. Madrid was chasing in Liga closely and their win streak. There’s also their strong belief of a remontada.

• Thus Barça’s victory and the manner of superiority shown crushes Madrid (and hopefully until the end).

• Henry scored 2 great goals. Adds up his goal tally for the season. Also, it has to be noted that he scored the decisive equalizer and decisive forth goal to put Barça further ahead in the game.

• Messi also scored two goals, well finished. And his pass to Henry on the Frenchman’s first goal was superb.

• Puyol, what a header! Scorer of the important second goal that for the first time put Barça ahead of Madrid in the game for the first time.
  Excellent header, and excellent celebration!
  

• Pique. Scored the 6th goal (made a great run for it and when Casillas first managed to block his shot Pique rebounded back and his finish was great as both Casillas and Cannavaro got duped from his shot/move), and played out an overall excellent defending performance. He’s getting better in stature as a central defender for the team.

• Xavi another of the key and highly performing players in this game. Assisted in four goals. Great performance, delivered that free kick for Barça’s second goal, gave a good hustle and interception to dispose of Lassana Diara’s ball for Messi’s first goal and also made great work in setting up Messi’s second as he drawn the Madrid defenders towards him before he latched that pass to Messi unmarked as the Argentinean went on to score the 5th goal.

• Fantastic game from Barcelona all round. The passing and possession and the pressing, masterful.

• Some good efforts from several players who tried for goal.
  Messi’s chip on the 33rd minute in the first half made Casillas off guard (shame the ball didn’t go into goal).
  Daniel Alves had a good free kick on around the 45th minute in the first half just that Casillas saved it.
  Andres Iniesta also made a good shot about 2 minutes into the second half: great dribbling and cutting through the Madrid goal area (just the shot went wide).
  

• Another positive point to state, when Pique scored that final goal, it became the 100th goal that Barcelona scored in the league this season! Incredible and special achievement for team (and Pep), simply phenomenal! (talk about icing on the cake!)

• Final positive point to make: this victory not only brings a great giant step towards capturing La Liga, but also a fantastic result coming in against Chelsea this Wednesday at London.

Negatives

• The goals conceded, the biggest negatives from this game.

• Barcelona conceded first, and from poor marking.

• Abidal was troubled with Robben (especially in the first half), and on that first goal conceded he was first skinned against Robben then Robben pass back to an incoming Sergio Ramos that pass through Abidal and ended up crossing the ball into Higuain’s header (and who was covering Higuain at that time?).

• Second goal conceded also from a header, but from a set-piece (free kick) of the opposition.

• There were several shots from Messi on close range that he should have buried, from the intricate attacking plays as he connected with Iniesta/ Xavi several times in Madrid’s goal area that ends with him. Had Messi scored his good chances, could have got 4 or maybe even 5 goals in the game. There was also in the late period of the second half where Bojan delivered a low cross to Messi but his shot couldn’t be directed into goal (went a bit wide).

• Considering that all the goal scorers played a great game (and vindictively themselves from last year’s game) it was a pity Samuel Eto’o couldn’t get a goal (and he also had a point to prove). He also seemed out of sync in attacking play, though he made that great run and cross for the final goal.

• Abidal’s yellow card.

• Puyol’s yellow card.

• Pique had screwed up a pass on the 41st minute in the first half but luckily Toure recovered the ball.

• Alves could have scored an own goal in the first half’s 21st minute when he kick the ball directly to Valdes amongst Madrid’s scrambled attack in Barça’s goal area.

• Henry’s injury.

Other negative point

• The ref, Undiano Mallenco, had twice got in Barça’s play.
  Once in the first half.
  The other in the second half was more damaging. He got in way of Messi and that led to Madrid having the ball which went on to counter that ended up with Iniesta fouling Sergio Ramos. That eventually gave Madrid that free kick that Madrid scored their second goal from. If it wasn’t for the ref, Madrid’s second goal might not have happen.
  

02 – 05 – 2009.
2-6.