Second-half capitulation cripples Real Madrid’s title hopes
By Najam Arfeen
Real Madrid fail to deliver fans an early Christmas present…
The stage was set for Real Madrid to cap off a trophy-laden year by making a statement against their greatest rivals. After months of underwhelming performances on the domestic front, the Santiago Bernabéu crowd demanded a resurgent performance to feed their insatiable appetite. Alas, the story was all too familiar as Zidane’s men were thwarted by an efficient, if not dominant, Barcelona side.
Los Blancos kicked off the game in full-throttle – with Zidane opting for an extra midfielder in the form of Mateo Kovacic. This allowed the home side to set up an unrelenting high press and disrupt their opposition’s passing play, and it almost paid dividends. Cristiano Ronaldo had an early header rightfully disallowed for offside, but this early let-off suggested a different outcome for Madrid.
Chances continued to flow for both sides as Paulinho was denied on multiple occasions by Keylor Navas, while Benzema rattled the post with a well-executed header. Ronaldo came close on multiple occasions as well, but an uncharacteristically profligate performance deprived his side of the opening goal. However, even with nothing to show on the scoreboard, Madrid looked the more likely to score going into the break.
Zidane chose not to make any significant changes at half-time – possibly stalling for a big moment to arrive before he played his hand. Lo and behold, that moment arrived sooner than he might’ve expected. Ivan Rakitic broke through the centre of Real Madrid’s midfield with acres of space ahead, allowing his team to counter with pace and break the deadlock courtesy of Luis Suárez. The Bernabéu suddenly drowned in its own silence, and all of the home side’s good work was undone.
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Just ten minutes later, any hope of a comeback was extinguished. Another lightning-fast break from Barcelona led to a scuffle in the Madrid box – which ended with Dani Carvajal committing a blatant hand-ball on the goal-line. Barça were awarded a penalty, and a chance to bury their oppositions’ titles hopes once and for all. Messi made no mistake from the spot and the game was over as early as the 64th minute.
Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio, who had been warming up for some time, had to have their introduction delayed as Nacho was brought in to plug the defensive gap. To make matters worse, Ernestro Valverde’s side passed the ball around in their own half to wind the clock down and prevent Madrid from making additional substitutions. It was frustrating to watch for club faithful, and the stadium mustered up enough energy to jeer these under-handed tactics.
Even with the added attacking impetus, Real Madrid could not claw a goal back – and the game came to the cruellest end possible with Aleix Vidal slotting past Navas for his team’s third of the night. The final score-line may not have reflected the overall balance of play, but it was duly deserved by a Barcelona side which seemingly never fails to capitalize on its chances. It was unspectacular – and that’s precisely what makes it the stuff of champions.
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Zidane’s side, on the other hand, need to rediscover the form expected of them – and soon. With the league title currently out of their reach, if not outright impossible, all eyes will be on the cup competitions for Madrid. A revival in the second-half of the season could restore some semblance of pride for Los Blancos, but questions will be asked in the weeks to come. And now, more than ever, everyone must find answers.