Managing Madrid - El Clásico 2016: FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid, La Liga 2015-16: All the newsDominating European football since March 6th 1902https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50831/mm-fav.png2016-04-03T14:56:22+02:00http://www.managingmadrid.com/rss/stream/110837792016-04-03T14:56:22+02:002016-04-03T14:56:22+02:003 takeaways
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<p>Do Los Blancos have what it takes to fight for the Champions League title?</p> <p><a href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Real Madrid</a> pulled off a surprising and impressive comeback against <a href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Barcelona</a>. Yes, Zidane's men were 10 points behind in the standings so there wasn't much at stake, but this win could be very important for the morale of the players down the road. All things considered, they've proven they can beat the reigning European champions at their own ground and down to 10 men.</p>
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<ol>
<li><span><b>As hard as it may sound, this team doesn't need Isco or James in the lineup</b>. Both of them can be useful coming off the bench because of their playmaking abilities. They can also play minutes to rotate Benzema, Bale, <span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span>, Modric or Kroos, and that's definitely valuable. However, with Casemiro and Kovacic playing deep Kroos has more freedom to operate alongside Modric and that benefits the team's structure.</span></li>
<li><span><b>Jesé is more than ready to be the team's first player off the bench</b>. His performance in limited minutes yesterday was excellent. Jesé changed the course of the game with his speed when he has the ball and his good reads on offense. If Benzema isn't available, Jesé has to be the man replacing him in the Starting XI.</span></li>
<li><span><b>Casemiro still needs to improve with the ball</b>. The Brazilian midfielder completed a solid defensive performance and did a good overall job. Nonetheless, he struggled a lot when Barcelona pressured him during the first half. If he is to be a starter for Madrid, Casemiro must improve his passing to become a reliable option. He's still 24 years old, so there's room for improvement.</span></li>
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https://www.managingmadrid.com/2016/4/3/11354924/3-things-we-learned-from-madrids-1-2-victory-against-fc-barcelonaLucas Navarrete2016-04-03T13:48:33+02:002016-04-03T13:48:33+02:00Cristiano requites Bale's disallowed winner
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<p>Cristiano Ronaldo's heroics propel Real Madrid past Barcelona in El Clásico</p> <p><span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span> eliminated 85 minutes of personal mediocrity in <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/el-clasico-barcelona-real-madrid" class="sbn-auto-link">El Clásico</a> with nine seconds of brilliance on the brink of full-time.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ronnnnnaaaaaallllddddddooooooo. Comes in clutch. Always.</p>
— Sydney Leroux Dwyer (@sydneyleroux) <a href="https://twitter.com/sydneyleroux/status/716358160248868864">April 2, 2016</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Real Madrid</a> never truly looked like winners until late in the second half. <a href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Barcelona</a> peppered <span>Keylor Navas</span> and forced Los Blancos' defense to prove their worthiness on numerous occasions. Whether it was Luis Suarez's blown opportunity 10 minutes in, the arguable foul Leo Messi drew on the edge of the box or the fingertip save Keylor Navas produced to deny La Pulga; it appeared Real Madrid was simply dodging the inevitable.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">In the end, it didn't matter how anything appeared. Cristiano lifted his club and rose to the occasion in a "big game" as Real Madrid emerged victorious. </span></p>
<p>While his finish was glorious to say the least, it's what Cristiano did before he corralled Gareth Bale's cross that set the stage for the wondrous conclusion.</p>
<p>Cristiano receives criticism at times for his lack of defensive effort however he never fails to showcase his pace and perserverance on the offensive end. While Dani Carvajal and Jesé attracted the attention of millions, including <span>Dani Alves</span>, Cristiano galloped down the seam. The Dark Invader was a blur as he bolted 40-yards to position himself perfectly to receive the rainbow pass from<span> Bale</span>.</p>
<p>Piqué stood oblivious to the far-post threat and Dani Alves simply found himself too far out of position. After chesting the ball down to his feet, Cristiano's plan never wavered: shoot.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">GOAAAAAL! It's in from <a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano">@Cristiano</a>. The Dark Invader has <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadrid">@RealMadrid</a> in the lead! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElClasico?src=hash">#ElClasico</a> <a href="https://t.co/HTIGRy0aT7">https://t.co/HTIGRy0aT7</a></p>
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/beINSPORTSUSA/status/716358653763190784">April 2, 2016</a>
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<p>Call him selfish or clutch, either way, moments like these are the reason why Real Madrid simply cannot offload the legendary No. 7. His confidence on the ball, his presence on the pitch and his ability to strike when the world least expects it earns him the right to pose nearly naked in the locker room with his teammates postgame.</p>
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<p lang="es" dir="ltr">VAAAAAAAMOOOSSSSS <a href="https://t.co/wonvTV3nug">pic.twitter.com/wonvTV3nug</a></p>
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) <a href="https://twitter.com/GarethBale11/status/716366668390350848">April 2, 2016</a>
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https://www.managingmadrid.com/2016/4/3/11354148/cristiano-ronaldo-requites-gareth-bales-disallowed-winnerJared Allen2016-04-03T05:30:02+02:002016-04-03T05:30:02+02:00El Clásico 2016: Player Ratings
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<figcaption>Alex Caparros/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Casemiro is the man of the match, followed closely by Ronaldo and Bale.</p> <h4>Defense:</h4>
<h5>
<span>Keylor Navas</span>: 8/10</h5>
<p>He may have conceded a goal, but Keylor Navas still put in a strong performance vs. a potent attacking force in Barcelona. He made a brilliant save on Rakitic's low drive in the 19th minute, and somehow topped that with a wonder save on Messi's lobbed effort in the 54th minute. Aside from that he was crucial for Madrid's defensive stability as he was extremely quick of his line to snuff out any danger that came near his goal. The only criticism I can aim at him is that he punched one cross that he could've caught.</p>
<h5>
<span>Dani Carvajal</span>: 7/10</h5>
<p>Carvajal didn't have one of his strongest games, as he was sloppy in possession (3 mis-controls and was dispossessed once), sometimes ruining Madrid's potential counter-attacks. He also didn't make too many defensive actions, as he failed to make a single tackle, but managed 1 interception and 2 clearances. Nevertheless, his defensive performance is not done proper justice by his statistics, for as the game grew, he shut-off passing lanes extremely well and marked Neymar out of the game. But his most important moment came when he made a spearing run through the heart of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com/">Barcelona's</a> midfield that led to a fantastic Real Madrid goal. Overall a mixed game from Carvajal, but considering how Neymar has tortured him in the past, this was a definite move in the right direction.</p>
<h5>Pepe: 7/10</h5>
<p>Some might feel this rating is too high, and some might feel it's too low, but Pepe deserves a 7/10 rating for having a very mixed performance. There were moments where he was simply brilliant, evidenced by his 2 tackles, 1 interception (the one where he acrobatically flicked the ball away from Suarez late into the second half) and 4 clearances, but there were also times where he just went absolutely berserk. The first was when he was marking Pique. Instead of focusing on his assignment he tried to engage in banter with the Spanish center back, leading him to totally lose his man when the ball was crossed into the box. Poor Keylor Navas was left helpless as Pique smashed an emphatic header into the back of the net. The second moment was in the second half, when Pepe thought it was a good idea to run out of defense with the ball at his feet. Of course it was a terrible idea, and Pepe lost the ball, nearly costing us a second goal. For those two moments, I can't give Pepe anything higher than a 7/10.</p>
<h5>
<span>Sergio Ramos</span>: 7/10</h5>
<p>Ramos gets the same rating as Pepe for a similarly mixed performance. The Real Madrid captain was mostly solid, completing 3 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 2 clearances. But in the first half he was shaky, as he was being drawn out of position by Suarez too easily. There was also the small matter of the red card. I don't dock points from Ramos for the first one, which was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen, but I do dock points for the second yellow. Yeah, Suarez milked the foul for all it was worth, but Ramos should know better than to go sliding in like that when he had <b>no</b> chance of winning the ball. It put Real Madrid under unnecessary pressure, and if it wasn't for a brilliant counter, and a frankly stunning finish by Ronaldo, Ramos may have been the villain at the end of it all.</p>
<h5>Marcelo: 8/10</h5>
<p>For all the fears about how Messi would destroy Marcelo coming into the Clásico, the Brazilian did spectacularly well. Ronaldo's defensive positioning did help Marcelo, but there were rarely any moments in the match where you felt Marcelo was leaving Madrid completely exposed. There were some smaller problems that showed itself in the beginning of the first half, where Marcelo was struggling to plug the space between him and Ramos, but that dissipated quickly. In the end, Marcelo showed that he could put in a disciplined performance, whilst still executing a magnificent offensive display (and oh was his offensive display magnificent). His dribble to create the first goal (interesting that both of Madrid's goals were created by their fullbacks eh?) was simply out of this world. He left Barcelona's defenders on their knees with his sly turns and shimmies, and he showed supreme decision making to lay the ball off to Kroos instead of going for the shot.</p>
<h4>Midfield:</h4>
<h5>Casemiro: 9/10 (MOTM)</h5>
<p>I said it before in my tactical review, but it's worth stating again: Casemiro was the best player of the match. He started off somewhat shaky positionally like the rest of his midfield, but as the minutes ticked by, Casemiro grew in confidence and form. Helped by the defensive positioning of Ronaldo and Bale, and by Messi's poor positioning, Casemiro dominated the congested space in the middle of the park and gave a particular Argentinian nightmares. He was simply a monster and his final defensive statistics represent this fully: 8 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 clearance, and 2 blocked shots. Well done Casemiro, you shut up the haters and proved your worth in the toughest match you could play all season.</p>
<h5>Luka Modric: 8/10</h5>
<p>The diminutive Croatian had a quietly good game, helping Casemiro ably in his defensive duties whilst providing the base for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid's</a> attacks down the right-hand side. He completed the match with an insane 97% pass accuracy and also registered some defensive actions and 2 key passes. Overall, it wasn't vintage Modric, but this wasn't a set-up made for him to thrive in. Modric loves a possession-based system, where he has more freedom to roam and pass the ball about. But today he showed his immense technical abilities and quality of character by getting on with it and setting up counter-attack after counter-attack.</p>
<h5>
<span>Toni Kroos</span>: 8/10</h5>
<p>Similar to Modric, this system is not the type of scheme you would think Kroos would thrive in. Nevertheless, Kroos also had a quietly good game. Perhaps not as quite defensively sound as Modric, Kroos still did well enough to form an effective block in front of his back-line, making it damn near impossible to penetrate Real Madrid's goal. Kroos also did well to connect with Ronaldo and Marcelo down the left-flank, helping facilitate counter-attacks in the same way Modric did down the right. Again, not vintage Kroos, but he did well in a system he has rarely ever played in.</p>
<h4>Attack:</h4>
<h5>
<span>Gareth Bale</span>: 8.5/10</h5>
<p><span>Jordi Alba's</span> worst nightmare would look a lot like Gareth Bale - big, imposing, a good dribbler, and fast as hell - after this performance from the Welshman, as he absolutely tore Barcelona's right-flank to shreds. His sheer pace, coupled with his newly improved close control this season, made him nigh impossible to stop, as Jordi Alba desperately tried to scramble back from advanced positions to help out his terrified center backs. Yet it was to no avail, as Bale brushed Alba aside and carried Madrid's attack along with Ronaldo. He eventually got his reward, after a stupidly disallowed goal, when he swung in a tantalizing cross with his right boot towards Ronaldo.</p>
<h5>
<span>Karim Benzema</span>: 7/10</h5>
<p>It seems harsh to give Benzema such an average grade, when he scored a stunning bicycle-kick goal, but he really wasn't present for Real Madrid this game. He was sloppy in the first half with 4 mis-controls, giving Barcelona the ball back in dangerous situations and preventing Madrid from countering. Things did improve in the second half, as Benzema drifted across the pitch and became a better foil, but his incisive link-up play and passing was always missing. It was telling that Madrid's counters became faster and more potent after Jese came on.</p>
<h5>
<span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span>: 8.5/10</h5>
<p>Let's be honest, besides that absolutely spectacular chest control and finish through the legs of Claudi Bravo, Ronaldo didn't do anything (except for being one of the two outlets in Madrid's attack, except for torturing <span>Dani Alves</span> with his dribbling and pace, except for planting a cross on Bale's head that should've been a goal, and except for defending brilliantly). Yup typical Ronaldo performance. Get's his teammates to do all the work and takes all the glory at the end of it.</p>
<h4>Substitutions</h4>
<h5>Jesé: N/A</h5>
<p>(not enough time spent on the pitch to grade fairly)</p>
<h5>Lucas Vazquez: N/A</h5>
<p>(not enough time spent on the pitch to grade fairly)</p>
<p><i>(All statistics taken from </i><a href="https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/985768/Live/Spain-La-Liga-2015-2016-Barcelona-Real-Madrid">whoscored.com</a><i>)</i></p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2016/4/3/11353802/el-clasico-2016-player-ratingsOm Arvind2016-04-03T01:20:03+02:002016-04-03T01:20:03+02:00El Clásico Tactical Review 2016: (FCB 1 - RM 2)
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<p>A step-by-step analysis of how Real Madrid beat Barcelona in a thrilling encounter at the Camp Nou.</p> <h4>
<a href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Real Madrid</a> Start Off Nervously</h4>
<p>With the 4-0 thrashing in the last Clásico still fresh in the club’s mind, you would’ve forgiven Zidane for instructing his side to be cautious, but the way Madrid went about it in the opening 25 minutes was too cautious. From the first second, Madrid refused to tread into <a href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Barcelona</a>’s half, not straying far from the 40 yard-line. Ronaldo, Benzema, and Bale looked to cut out passing lanes, while Modric, Kroos, and Casemiro, waited to snap at the heels of Barcelona’s midfielders (particularly Busquets, who was zonally marked by whoever was near him) and attackers. The formation was essentially a defensive 4-5-1, with the focus being on clogging the midfield in order to prevent Barcelona from playing through the middle. This was all well and good, but Real Madrid were so conservative, that they couldn’t even spark an attack until Ronaldo carried the ball up the field, taking on the entire Barcelona defense himself around 8 minutes 30 seconds (it resulted in a goal kick, but it <i>was</i> Real's first attack). But such a run couldn’t spark anything from Madrid, as BBC remained isolated and Barcelona’s press suffocated any passes attempting to be played from the midfield. Kroos called for more pressing from his teammates on 13 minutes, leading to some braver play that coincided with the applause for Johan Cruyff, which then led to Modric slipping in Bale on the counter on 15 minutes. But that was an isolated moment, as Madrid still struggled to create after that moment.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But perhaps, even more worrying than Madrid’s toothless play, was the fact that Barcelona were working their way around Madrid’s low block.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span>Suarez dragged Madrid's CB's out of position, leaving gaping holes for a Barcelona attacker to exploit at the heart of Madrid's defense.</span> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The movement of Suarez in particular, dragged Madrid’s center backs and midfielders all over the place, allowing Barcelona to dink balls over the top, which one of Barca’s forwards would then control, and then either switch play or link-up with a joining attacker. Barcelona had seemingly found Madrid’s weakness, Los Blancos were not positionally sound. Too often in the opening period did balls slip in behind Modric, Kroos and Casemiro, and too often were Pepe and Ramos charging up recklessly to try to win the ball. This left gaping holes in Madrid’s defense that Barca looked more ready to exploit as every second passed by. But then, something changed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A counter released Ronaldo down the right flank, who used some brilliant trickery to ease past his man and release Madrid’s first shot on goal. This seemed to give some belief to the rest of the team, as Madrid suddenly emerged from their shell.</p>
<h4>Real Madrid’s Change in Tactics Knocked Barcelona Off Their Rhythm</h4>
<p class="MsoNormal">After Ronaldo’s shot, Madrid began to institute a sporadic press, carefully started by either Modric or Kroos in select moments, so as not to constantly leave too many gaps behind them. This shift in tactics, possibly started by Zidane on the sidelines, disturbed Barca, as they became wary of Madrid’s threat on the counter. The release of pressure periodically also gave Madrid’s back-line their confidence back, as they began to shut-out MSN in one-vs-one situations, and made crucial interceptions on through balls. The offside trap also came into effect more consistently, as Luis Suarez was caught out in key moments.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Real Madrid also started to play the ball more effectively down the flanks. Players began to receive the ball with a purpose, as they immediately turned to switch the ball to Bale’s flank whenever they had the opportunity. Marcelo for his part, made sure that Ronaldo got his fair share of touches, and as Madrid began to attack, it soon became clear that Madrid’s explosive wingers had a handle on Barcelona’s fullbacks. Ronaldo in particular was on fire, completing a match high 3 dribbles and drawing 2 tackles in the first half. Yet as the first 45 minutes came to an end, Zidane must’ve known there was still a lot of work to do. BBC had only a combined for 45 touches between them, with all of Madrid’s 5 shots coming from them. BBC were still too isolated, and Madrid were relying on them to do everything in attack. Part of the problem was that Benzema was not on top form. His usual link-up play was missing, as he was sloppy on the ball, making 4 bad controls in the first half, and he skied a brilliant chance to give Madrid the lead. Yet there was reason for hope for Zidane going into the second half. Barcelona were rattled, and their penetrative play had disappeared into long balls or sideways passes. The match was there for Madrid’s taking, and boy did they take it (well, eventually).</p>
<h4>Real Madrid Perfected Their Counter-Attacking Scheme in the Second Half</h4>
<p class="MsoNormal">The second half started off shakily though for Madrid, as Pepe had a mad moment where he rushed out with the ball, only to lose it and give Barcelona a chance. But after that heart-stopping moment, Madrid recovered somewhat, and began to exploit space down the flanks more efficiently, as a Ronaldo challenge on Rakitic and a Casemiro challenge sparked two counters. But Madrid were still warming up, as Benzema and Ronaldo looked too isolated at times and The Whites’ attacks began to break down too easily. Barcelona got back into it because of this, and just like Ronaldo’s shot in the first half, Messi’s lobbed attempt on 54 minutes, which was denied brilliantly by Navas, sparked some belief back into Barcelona. Only a minute later, Pique scored from a corner, dancing easily past Pepe (who did a poor job marking his man), and therefore irritating every single Real Madrid fan across the globe to no end. I mean it’s sorta okay if MSN does it, but Pique?!! Why Pique?!!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thankfully though, the goal spurred Madrid into top gear as they replied only 8 minutes later. Marcelo started the counter-attack on a brilliant winding run, as he left defender after defender for dead, and just when he looked like he was going to shoot, he slipped in Kroos, who’s deflected cross arced into the air uncomfortably in front of Benzema. But without breaking a sweat, Benzema acrobatically lept into the air, and executed an astonishing bicycle kick that silenced the Camp Nou into submission. From then on Madrid were the dominant force.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They formed two banks of four, pushing Ronaldo slightly higher, and released BBC on devastating counter after counter. Aside from the occasional mistake by Real Madrid’s own personnel (that Benzema ball to Suarez was a horrific moment), Barcelona rarely threatened. Things got even better for Madrid when the ever-hungry Jese came on for Benzema in the 78<sup>th</sup> minute (aside from the goal, the Frenchman had been poor, and had really been unable to establish himself as Real Madrid’s fulcrum in attack). Only minutes later, Marcelo helped spark another counter, that Ronaldo turned into a chance when he picked out Bale smartly on the right-hand side of the box. Real Madrid thought they had scored as Bale dominated Alba in the air, but the referee made a poor decision in adjudging that the dimunitive fullback was fouled. But Real Madrid continued to push and push, as Ronaldo went close by nearly arrowing a goal into the top corner. Then Bale poked a ball through Bravo’s legs, which Alba cleared. It seemed inevitable that Real Madrid would score, but one other inevitable happened first.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ramos slid in rashly on Suarez, who milked it for all it was worth, giving no choice for the referee but to send Los Blancos’ captain off in the 83<sup>rd</sup> minute. But if you thought that would kill Real Madrid’s momentum you were wrong. One minute later, Carvajal sprinted up the center of the pitch, fed Jese, who in turn fed Bale, who then crossed it to Ronaldo. Without losing a single ounce of concentration, Ronaldo controlled the ball brilliantly off his chest and slammed the ball through <span>Claudio Bravo</span>’s legs. It was sheer footballing brilliance from everyone involved and the boos and whistles that had rung out resoundingly whenever Ronaldo touched the ball were utterly silenced. Calma, calma, Barcelona fans, your favorite player Ronaldo is here.</p>
<h4>Barcelona Were Set-Up to Fail On the Flanks</h4>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hindsight is 20/20, but I could see problems in Barcelona’s tactics well before the end of the match.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Barca don't look comfortable in defense. We can defo score. The problem is keeping a clean sheet. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElClasico?src=hash">#ElClasico</a></p>
— Om Arvind (@OmVArvind) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmVArvind/status/716345769834381313">April 2, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Messi also abandoning the right flank and Alves pushing high up. Bale is doing well, but CR needs to see more of the ball. Always open.</p>
— Om Arvind (@OmVArvind) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmVArvind/status/716346160558903296">April 2, 2016</a>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Unlike Madrid, who were disciplined in their defensive duties from Ronaldo to Pepe, Barcelona featured a top heavy side with no defensive commitment from MSN. Take a look at Barcelona’s shape on the flanks (it’s not pretty viewing for fans of La Blaugrana).</p>
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<img alt="Messi playing into Madrid's hands by drifting centrally." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VmOUIaGXM4YWh3MPnUfEw4XFGI0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6279877/Messi.0.png">
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p><i><span>Messi played into Madrid's hands by drifting centrally.</span> </i></p>
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<img alt="Neymar's positioning shows almost no movement in his own defensive third." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3LMiH6FFGsFBNTHFwwp3qcqBHcU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6279879/Neymar.0.png">
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<p class="caption"><i>Neymar's positioning shows almost no movement in his own defensive third.</i></p>
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<p class="caption"><i>Barca's fullbacks pushed up way too high.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Firstly, Messi’s forays into the center of the pitch, which was an attempt to help Barcelona in build-up, proved useless. He never found a scything ball across the floor, and instead had to resort to lobbed passes that really only came off once (in the 80<sup>th</sup> minute, where Suarez volleyed past the post). Instead, Messi’s positioning had a destabilizing affect on Barcelona’s shape, as he left Barcelona’s right flank completely open to Real Madrid’s most lethal player on the park, <span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span>. <span>Dani Alves</span> was also pushing up insanely high (as can be seen on the heatmap, is average positioning is above the halfway line), which is almost as bad as putting a neon sign on Cristiano Ronaldo’s forehead that says, "pass the ball to me, I am totally free."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But Messi’s positioning also did more than hurt Barcelona defensively. It arguably weakened Barca’s attacking options, as he refused to combine with Alves on the flank and provide width to Barcelona’s attack - which would’ve stretched Real Madrid’s back-line.</p>
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<p class="caption"><i>All of Messi's passing options were either cut off, or were useless back passes or sideways passes.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Instead, his central positioning played straight into the hands of Madrid, as Los Blancos’ defensive block could clog the center of the pitch. There is also the small matter of the fact that Messi’s positioning allowed Casemiro to hound him day and night.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall not a good night for the Argentinian genius. It remains to be seen whether Messi made these decisions himself, or whether Enrique instructed him to position himself that way. But based on these post-match quotes by Enrique on MSN, you’d have to guess that Messi decided things for himself.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"I don't do much,all I say to them before any game is abracadabra and the magic happens-<span>Luis Enrique</span> <a href="https://t.co/GvbKRaOtsH">pic.twitter.com/GvbKRaOtsH</a></p>
— sele okodugha (@selejoe69) <a href="https://twitter.com/selejoe69/status/716361976297947136">April 2, 2016</a><span> </span>
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<p class="MsoNormal">But let’s not let Neymar or <span>Jordi Alba</span> get away with it! Jordi Alba was also positioned insanely high, refusing to time his runs with Dani Alves, causing Barcelona to have a back tow instead of a back three at all times. The Spaniard’s positioning gave Bale total autonomy down the right flank, which was only exacerbated by Neymar’s total lack of defensive effort in shutting Bale down. With such poor preparation buy Enrique, and no defensive effort on Messi and Neymar’s part, it is easy to see how Ronaldo and Bale tore Barcelona to pieces down the flanks.</p>
<h4>Casemiro Was the Man of the Match</h4>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was a long time coming in this article, but Casemiro was brilliant. In the first half he was slightly shaky positionally, but that was no different from the rest of the team. He made 5 tackles in the first half and was Madrid’s strongest performer in the first 45 aside from Bale and Ronaldo. But in the second period of play, Casemiro took things to the next level. Zidane’s tactics of clogging the midfield and Messi’s unwillingness to use the flanks played straight into Casemiro’s hands, as he used his physicality to dominate Messi and others off the ball. Simply put, there was no route through the center (Barcelona’s main avenue of attack not only in this game, but in many others) because Casemiro was an absolute brick wall. This allowed Madrid to stifle Barcelona and win the ball with ease, allowing the likes of Modric and Kroos to release Ronaldo and Bale down the flanks. He ended the match with an eye-catching 8 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 clearance, and 2 blocked shots; proving Zidane right for choosing and possibly cementing himself as the centerpiece to any counter-attacking scheme Real Madrid plan in the future.</p>
<h4>Cristiano Ronaldo & Gareth Bale Were Also Brilliant</h4>
<p class="MsoNormal">The final mention must go out to my favorite winger-duo in world football. For all of Real Madrid’s heart and grit in midfield, the win would not have been possible without the stunning wing-play and discipline of the Flying Welshman and the Dark Invader. Firstly, Bale and Ronaldo were the outlet of pretty much every single Los Blancos attack.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">As you can see above, Kroos and Modric centered their passing around the flanks, as they dumped imagination into the dumpster and simply made the right decisions, as they pumped all of their attack-minded passes towards the flanks. This put a lot of pressure on Ronaldo and Bale, as Benzema was off-form and the only support they received was from their fullbacks. This meant that CR7 and Bale needed to carry the ball up the pitch themselves, which would not only have been exhausting but extremely difficult technically. Yet they carried out this duty with ease, and tortured Barcelona’s fullbacks with their pace and their invention (Ronaldo in particular). It all paid off in the end, as Bale got his assist and Ronaldo got his winning goal, to help a 10-man Madrid bury Barcelona.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But their unnoticed and possibly more important work, was what they did without the ball on defense, as they positioned themselves carefully to cut off passing lanes and prevent any attacking inroads down their flanks. This was crucial to Zidane’s scheme of compressing the pitch and clogging the midfield, as Barcelona was then forced to play the ball through the middle. The few times the ball was played down the flank, Bale and Ronaldo helped shut out the danger immediately, with Ronaldo’s tracking run on Jordi Alba in the 40<sup>th</sup> minute a particular highlight. Such commitment was just outstanding to see, and in hindsight you can see why our wingers were so important to Real Madrid’s victory.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">¡Hala Madrid!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>(All statistics and charts taken from </i><a href="https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/985768/Live/Spain-La-Liga-2015-2016-Barcelona-Real-Madrid">whoscored.com</a><i> and </i><a href="http://www.fourfourtwo.com/statszone/23-2015/matches/819967/summary#tabs-wrapper-anchor">FourFourTwo statszone</a><i>. Diagrams made on </i><a href="http://outsideoftheboot.com/tactics-creator/">Outsideoftheboot.com)</a></p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2016/4/3/11353706/el-clasico-tactical-review-2016-fc-barcelona-1-real-madrid-2Om Arvind2016-04-02T22:51:48+02:002016-04-02T22:51:48+02:00Zidane praises his team
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<p>The Brazilian midfielder played with composure.</p> <p><span>Zinedine Zidane</span> was visibly happy when he addressed the media after today's 1-2 win against <a href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Barcelona</a> at the Camp Nou. <a href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Real Madrid</a> clawed their way back into the game even after Piqué's opening goal off a corner-kick and players like Casemiro, Jesé, Marcelo, Modric or Bale proved they deserve the minutes they are getting.</p>
<p>"I am very happy about everything I saw today, not only about the outcome," said Zidane. "We struggled a bit during the first few minutes but it's normal, this is a tough ground. Casemiro has been a crucial player just like everyone else, I can't name one player above the rest of the team," added the manager.</p>
<p>Real Madrid are now seven points behind Barcelona in the Liga table with just seven games until the end of the season. It will be almost impossible for Los Blancos to overcome that deficit, but they have surely built some momentum for the Champions League games ahead. "We will keep working hard. Now we have to focus on the Champions League and then we will play in La Liga again," concluded Real's manager.</p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2016/4/2/11353380/zidane-praises-casemiros-performance-after-1-2-win-in-el-clasicoLucas Navarrete2016-04-02T22:26:18+02:002016-04-02T22:26:18+02:00Immediate Reaction: Barcelona 1 - 2 Real Madrid
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<figcaption>Paul Gilham/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>iHala Madrid Y Nada Mas!</p> <p>This article is a bit all over the place, so I apologize. The important thing is to have this post up immediately after the final whistle.<br><br>We're going to jump right into it.</p>
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<li><span>This was an unusually subdued Clasico. Entertaining? As always - but subdued, and friendlier in nature than what we're accustomed to. The circumstances of the league title - with the Champions League looming over it - surely played a huge factor in that.<br><br><a href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Real Madrid's</a> defensive shape was compact, and when defending, both Marcelo and Carvajal pinched centrally leaving <a href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Barcelona's</a> wing-men with space. This simply worked. Barcelona tend to carve their ways through the middle as much as they can, and anytime the ball swung to the wings, the whites shuffled timely enough to close Barcelona down.<br><br>It is interesting that of all ways to concede to Barcelona, it was from a set piece - one of Barcelona's weakest methods of attack. <br><br>Also interesting to note that whenever this game opened up, it actually benefited Real Madrid in the sense that, it gave <span>Gareth Bale</span> and <span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span> more room. Had Real Madrid's distribution to the flanks been a bit better, Bale and Ronaldo probably would've done more damage than they did. <br><br>I did enjoy though, the fact that Real Madrid grew as the game went on. And I'll be quite honest, it was insanely difficult writing this reaction given that the team was giving Barcelona all kinds of hell towards the end of this game. Bale's disallowed goal was a farce, and Real Madrid deserved much more from this match. Oh my God, as I type this, Cristiano Ronaldo scores, I'm going nuts, and I'm not even going to edit this article.<br><br></span></li>
<li><span>Right, moving on. Bravo Real Madrid - bravo!!<br><br></span></li>
<li><span><span>Sergio Ramos</span> had a valiant game, but his risk-taking almost cost Real Madrid three points. He should have been sent off long before he was.<br><br></span></li>
<li><span>Marcelo was absolutely superb. Not only was he reliable defensively, but he created Benzema's goal. Three cheers for our Brazilian stud.<br><br></span></li>
<li><span>Cristiano Ronaldo, balls bigger than Camp Nou's colossal arena. He was pretty well owned by <span>Dani Alves</span> all night, but man did he ever show up in clutch time as he has so many times in <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/el-clasico-barcelona-real-madrid" class="sbn-auto-link">El Clasico</a>.<br><br></span></li>
<li><span><span>Keylor Navas</span> was again, absolutely phenomenal. His saves throughout the match kept Real Madrid in this game throughout. MVP performance.<br><br></span></li>
<li><span>Absolutely massive result - not because it shakes the standings in any earth-shattering way, but because it's a psychological breakthrough. Thoroughly deserved three points here. Well done Zizou!<br><br></span></li>
</ol>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2016/4/2/11353248/immediate-reaction-barcelona-1-2-real-madridKiyan Sobhani2016-04-02T22:24:13+02:002016-04-02T22:24:13+02:00Watch Ronaldo score a massive goal
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<figcaption>Alex Caparros/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Leave it to <span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span> to come through when <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid</a> needed him most. After going down a man only a few minutes earlier when <span>Sergio Ramos</span> was shown a second yellow card, Madrid got a chance to counter-attack. <span>Gareth Bale</span> got it on the wing and sent in a looping cross to Ronaldo at the far post. <span>Dani Alves</span> somewhat mistimed his jump, Ronaldo deftly controlled it off his chest and then did what he's best at, finishing.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-video">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">GOAAAAAL! It's in from <a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano">@Cristiano</a>. The Dark Invader has <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadrid">@RealMadrid</a> in the lead! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElClasico?src=hash">#ElClasico</a> <a href="https://t.co/HTIGRy0aT7">https://t.co/HTIGRy0aT7</a></p>
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/beINSPORTSUSA/status/716358653763190784">April 2, 2016</a>
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<p>Ronaldo may not be having a season that is up to his normal standards, but this is about as big as goals get.</p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2016/4/2/11353272/down-a-man-cristiano-ronaldo-gives-real-madrid-late-leadJeremiah Oshan2016-04-02T22:03:53+02:002016-04-02T22:03:53+02:00Absolutely amazing equalizer from Benzema
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<figcaption>Paul Gilham/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com/">Barcelona</a> has had the run of play and most of the quality chances, but <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid</a> has managed to stay in <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/el-clasico-barcelona-real-madrid">El Clasico</a> long enough for <span>Karim Benzema</span> to grab an absolutely stunning equalizer. This 63rd minute bicycle kick was his sixth career goal against Barcelona, <a href="https://twitter.com/espnstatsinfo/status/716353844939198464">second most behind teammate</a> <span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span>.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This. is. a. G-O-L-A-Z-O! <a href="https://twitter.com/Benzema">@benzema</a> take a bow. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElClasico?src=hash">#ElClasico</a> <a href="https://t.co/jcStcYkQUA">https://t.co/jcStcYkQUA</a></p>
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/beINSPORTSUSA/status/716353262325071872">April 2, 2016</a>
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<p>What makes this goal even more impressive is that it comes in traffic, with defenders literally surrounding him. Let's see if it's enough.</p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2016/4/2/11353238/karim-benzema-bicycle-kickJeremiah Oshan