October 26, 2024, 10:33 AM
October 26, 2024, 10:33 AM
The Spanish football classic recovers all its splendor with the return of the best image of Barcelona thanks to the football commitment of Hansi Flick, who faces the greatest challenge at the home of the current champion, a Real Madrid dominant in the last chapters, which after appealing to the epic to recover its identity in the ‘Champions’, it intends to hunt down its eternal rival for the league leadership.
The first fight between Carlo Ancelotti and Hansi Flick on the benches of Real Madrid and Barcelona, in the match that paralyzes the world and recovers all its greatness. A classic with substitute goalkeepers, without the decisive factor that Thibaut Courtois and Ter Stegen provide with their stops at key moments in the matches.
The Brazilian fight for being the player of the moment between Vinícius and Raphinha. Kylian Mbappé’s first classic. The desire to shine again as Jude Bellingham – author of three goals in the two league classics – did last year in these events of greatness, or to conquer Lamine Yamal’s Santiago Bernabéu for the first time. So many incentives in a cocktail shaker to have a drink of the best football spectacle in LaLiga.
With a Real Madrid that has in its power to equal Barcelona’s historical record of 43 games without losing in the League, an endless streak that began with the only defeat of the last tournament, at the Metropolitano, visiting in a derby already surpassed this season, that escaped him at the last breath in one of the three draws loaned away from Santiago Bernabéu that put him three points behind Barcelona in the standings.
It will not be the only record within reach for the Madrid team, which if they win would equal their second best streak of consecutive wins in a classic, up to five. And for this an exciting tactical duel is presented. With Ancelotti rubbing his hands if Flick maintains his courage with an advanced defensive line given the risk that this entails against fast footballers of the profile of Vinícius and Mbappé. Focused in turn on recovering the defensive strength that collapsed against Borussia Dortmund, in a match that they want to turn into a turning point.
The 0-2 at half-time that complicated the situation in the ‘Champions’ provoked the long-awaited reaction for Real Madrid fans, the reunion with the team that never gives up anything for lost and from the mystique, is capable of lifting any situation, no matter how adverse it may be. be it, against him. The five goals in half an hour, Vinícius’ hat trick just days after receiving his first Ballon d’Or, the change in attitude, the strength shown, are aspects that Ancelotti and his squad want to extend in the classic.
And he will look for it with a new tactical tweak, the return to 4-4-2 due to Rodrygo’s muscle injury. Strengthening a midfield in which Luka Modric’s chances of remaining a starter are diminishing, to give way to the physical power of the French pair Aurélien Tchouaméni-Eduardo Camavinga as an antidote to Barcelona’s engine room. With confidence in Andriy Lunin who replaces Courtois after being key in the last victories with his saving saves. And an aid system for the tough test for Lucas Vázquez on the right side without the leadership of Dani Carvajal, in the difficult challenge of putting a stop to the best moment of Raphinha’s career.
Barcelona, after beating its European ‘black beast’, Bayern Munich (4-1), in the Champions League, wants to confirm that it is once again among the greats with a prestigious victory in the first classic of the Flick era . Leader of LaLiga, he is going like a shot, and wants to give himself a new bath of self-esteem by desecrating the Bernabéu and putting even more dirt in the way in the fight for the title.
The German coach, who a few weeks ago equaled Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino’s record of seven wins in the first seven rounds of LaLiga, wants to once again emulate the Argentine coach, the only Barcelona coach who has won his first classic in the last eleven years. Since October 26, 2013, when his Barça defeated Real Madrid 2-1, led by Carlo Ancelotti, also a debutant in this type of match, Luis Enrique Martínez, Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setién, Ronald Koeman and Xavi Hernandez.
Hansi Flick has reasons to think he can break the curse. The team works like a perfectly oiled machine in the pressure after loss and that advanced defense that leaves all the opposing forwards offside. And it also has the most lethal trident in Europe. And between Lewandowski, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal they have scored 29 goals of the 43 that the Barça team has scored in the first 13 official matches of the season.
Although he still has significant losses, such as the long-term loss of goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen -Iñaki Peña is emerging as a starter again-, the center backs Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christense and Eric García – the latter converted as a center back – and the forward Ferran Torres, Flick has recently recovered Fermín, De Jong and Gavi in the midfield.
And it is likely that the German coach will repeat the same Bayern eleven at the Bernabéu, where players like Cubarsí as the head of the defense, Casadó, Pedri and Fermín, in the midfield, and Raphinha, author of a spectacular hat trick, put together a great performance .
. Probable lineups:
Real Madrid: Lunin; Lucas Vázquez, Militao, Rüdiger, Mendy; Tchouaméni, Fede Valverde, Camavinga, Bellingham; Vinícius and Mbappé.
Barcelona: Iñaki Peña; Kounde, Cubarsí, Íñigo Martínez, Balde; Casadó, Fermín, Pedrí; Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Lewandowski
Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez (Murcian committee).
VAR: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz (Galician committee).
Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu.
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Positions: Real Madrid (2nd, 24 points); Barcelona (1st, 27 points)
The key: Barcelona’s defensive ability to stop Vinícius and Mbappé’s danger in space.
The fact: Real Madrid has the record of 43 consecutive games without losing in LaLiga. The last Barcelona coach to win his first classic was Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino just eleven years ago.
Ancelotti: “Barcelona has changed its philosophy a little. It is a team that plays differently, it is much more direct.”
Flick: “I didn’t know about the Real Madrid TV videos about the referees. It is not right that this is done. The referees have a hard job and my job is to prepare the players”
Additions: Brahim at Real Madrid.
Out: Courtois, Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Rodrygo (injury) for Real Madrid; and Ter Stegen, Araujo, Christensen, Eric García, Marc Bernal and Ferran Torres (injury) at Barcelona.
