Press Review: Real Madrid vs Barcelona

In the wake of Madrid's second win over Barcelona this week, the press is reacting with comforting predictability.

Marca rubs salt in Barcelona's wounds with their headline: Madrid Rub Salt Into Barcelona's Wounds.

Yet another victory for Real Madrid over Barcelona - its second in barely four days - and each one easier than the last. Real Madrid has reversed the trend and lost its fear, now even beating its arch-rival when it has an eye on another game, next week's Champions League affair at Old Trafford.

Using Plan B, Mou's side took the lead and held on. Everything changed once Cristiano Ronaldo took to the pitch. As was the case with Real Madrid not so long ago, Barça was left to cling to controversy and wonder what might have been.

Meanwhile, our friends at El Mundo Deportivo prefer to focus on that very controversy. Their headline - Pérez Lasa agrava la crisis de un Barça desconocido - requires no translation.


Real Madrid's Pepe was looking ahead already, and treating readers to a lesson in irony -

We tried to control the game, but they scored with their only chance. We're happy with the win. It gives us a lot of hope for the game against Manchester United [in the Champions League on Tuesday] - we have to do our best to win at Old Trafford. I didn't see what happened. People are saying that it wasn't a penalty. The referee had a very good game. We just have to play our game and let the officials do their job.

Sid Lowe has written his usual match report, but of even more interest is his write-up of Angel di Maria. It is probably long over-due, but inspired by the Argentine's recent return to form. The Guardian's La Liga correspondent has a busy few days ahead of him and has already written up an article detailing Four Pointers For Old Trafford Trip. Lowe has come to the conclusion that Pepe will start in midfield. This seems unlikely, but his reasoning is interesting and with Alonso possibly still injured it makes an interesting preview to the match.