Question marks had been asked about this Real Madrid side but they were answered in emphatic fashion against Barcelona on Saturday night at Camp Nou.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, the usual suspects, were at the heart of Los Blancos 2-1 victory.
Gerard Pique had given Barcelona the lead early in the second half before Benzema’s equalizer, with Ronaldo striking a late winner in the last ten minutes of the game.
Both goals sandwiched a towering Gareth Bale header which was ruled out for no apparent reason.
The result and Real’s football in general means that they’ll go into their Champions League game against Wolfsburg with confidence and enthusiasm.
After ending the 39-game unbeaten streak of the reigning champions, and favourites to retain the La Liga title, Real had every right to boast.
Zinedine Zidane had set his team up in an overwhelmingly cautious manner in the opening stages of the game, but reverted to a 4-3-3 formation late in the game which allowed a tremendous fight back.
By contrast, Barcelona’s final 15 minutes were disastrous, a monumental collapse due to fatigue and confusion, and Luis Enrique’s side left the pitch in downcast fashion.
The lacklustre performances of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were in stark contrast to the exuberance of Real’s front three.
Seldom has there been such a weak showing by ‘MSN’ and physically they gave the impression that they were still back on the other side of the Atlantic.
So often before have Barcelona’s front three come to their rescue but this time there appeared to be a considerable problem.
When the visitors broke on the counter, spaces were left everywhere for them to attack and penetrate in the Barcelona defence.
There was little help from Messi, Suarez or Neymar who all seemed exhausted and fatigued, giving Real the confidence that had been lacking for most of the season.
Long before Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo left their mark, Los Blancos depended on the resolute defending of Dani Carvajal who enjoyed a memorable performance.
After an absence of a few games, and behind Danilo in the pecking order, the Spaniard showed a competitive edge over Neymar and justified Zidane’s decision to bring him back into his selection.
The Frenchman’s thinking was possibly due to the fact that Danilo afforded Neymar far too much authority in the 4-0 loss at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu earlier this season.
Barcelona gave few positive signals throughout and played a fairly predictable game.
Suarez missed a golden chance early on, Neymar was poor against Carvajal, and apart from his delicious chipped attempt in the second half which was saved by Keylor Navas, Messi’s impact was minimal.
Everything changed for Real after Pique’s goal and they soon came out in force to mount their comeback.
Marcelo played an important part as he continued to drive into the Barcelona half, Casemiro patrolled the field efficiently, and Toni Kroos rose from the ashes to stamp his authority on proceedings.
Real showed real purpose and belief in a demanding game and this result that will live long in the memory and for the remainder of this season.
Bron: Marca
