Tactically daring, FC Barcelona corrected Real Madrid (4-0) on Saturday on the lawn of the Santiago Bernabéu, thanks to an immense Robert Lewandowski, author of a double in two minutes, who eclipsed the two Madrid stars Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior.
With its armada of stars, its probable future Ballon d’Or, and the immense expectations surrounding Kylian Mbappé’s debut in the Clasico, we would almost have forgotten that Barça, too, had a world-class striker in its ranks.
At 36, Robert Lewandowski showered the Madrid supporters with a clinical double in the space of two minutes in the second half (54th and 56th), reminding those who perhaps doubted it, that he remained one of the best No.9 in the world.
Author of his thirteenth and fourteenth goals in the league, the Pole rewarded, with his experience and his composure, a collective Barcelona performance full of audacity, finished in demonstration with two other goals from the Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal, his first in a Clasico (77th), and the Brazilian Raphinha (84th).
This new-look Barça (1st, 30 points) consolidates its position as leader of the Spanish championship with six lengths ahead of its great rival, reigning champion. However, Hansi Flick’s players have long played with fire with a very high positioning on the pitch and a desire to project themselves quickly forward which goes against their possession football.
For his first Clasico in the Merengue jersey, French striker Kylian Mbappé, author of two disallowed goals (30th, 66th), failed to take advantage and ultimately experienced a nightmarish evening by being systematically trapped outside. game by the Barcelona defense, then blocked by Catalan goalkeeper Inaki Pena (61st, 65th).
“Mbappé? We knew they were playing with this very high block, so we wanted to try to take advantage of it. He had opportunities to score, it’s true that he was caught offside several times, but it “It’s normal with such a high defensive line. Then he could have scored several times but he lacked a little efficiency,” said his coach Carlo Ancelotti.
“It’s a difficult moment, but we can’t throw everything away. For 60 minutes we were very good, we have to forget the last 30. The season is very long, we have to learn from this defeat, as we learned from the last one (against Atlético Madrid last year, 3-1),” he added.
With its ambitious tactical plan, the Catalan club came close to correction several times in the first half, but finally logically returned to the locker room at 0-0, thanks to exceptional depth management on the part of its defenders, notably the young Pau Cubarsi, imperial at the age of 17.
This very risky approach by new German coach Hansi Flick paid off, as has often happened since the start of the season, and was extremely frustrating for the Merengues.
Having identified the potential flaw of their opponents, Carlo Ancelotti’s men almost systematically sought to catch the Catalans in depth, without ever succeeding, with twelve offside calls and decisive saves from the inexperienced Inaki Pena , replacing German Marc-André Ter Stegen, who suffered a serious knee injury.
It is, ironically enough, that they themselves were victims of poor alignments on the part of the evening captain Lucas Vazquez and the French full-back Ferland Mendy, on three of the four Barcelona goals.
A real lesson for the King of Europe, whose legendary enclosure was plunged into profound silence by this bitter setback, the first in 42 league matches.
