Fantastic performance from Real last night. Really, really great. Jose had a gameplan and stuck to it, and I think this is the blue print for success against Barcelona. The only way to beat Barcelona if they play their possession pressing game, is to know that when you have those 2 or 3 chances in the game on the counter, that you have runners ready to support the counter attack, these may be your only chances of the game, and Real exploited it superbly. The 2 or 3 counter chances they had they looked like scoring, in fact late second half they had a 4 on 3, and could have been the score-line bigger.
I have been these El Classico's absolutely enthralling the last couple of years, and now it seems that Pep has to forge a new plan.
But isn't football an absolutely amazing game. Tactics, strategies, implementation of strategies, player responsibility, space and the use of space.
As a Chelsea fan said last week - 'Barcelona had 75% of the possession; but we had 100% of the goals'!
The modern game has moved on at an outstanding pace I believe, especially in regards to tactics and tactical discipline. Watch QPR v Spurs yesterday, and QPR denied space by defending areas and zones aggressively, but leaving Spurs 2/3 of the pitch vacant.
Teams are so defensively adept now in terms of not conceding from 'possession phases' that the counter attack has become one of THE most potent tactical weapons along with set plays. For all it's intricate passing glory last night in El Classico, the main chances for Madrid were two headers from corners, and counter attacks. Barcelona treat corners as just a way to get the game started so there's no threat there, and have most of the ball in at attacking possessive way in the opposition's third, so there's limited chance of player a counter game. Players are faster, more agile, have more acceleration and speed than ever before, and so teams are getting used to having no possession for long periods against them. The only enemy to teams playing Barcelona now it seems, is concentration and backing yourself to take those rare few chances.
This may not be crisis point for Barcelona yet, but they looked far from special last night I must confess.
EDIT - And PS, the referee was absolutely amazing last night. He could have come down more heavy on the Madrid diving in the second half and running the clock down, but he didn't bottle any Barce decisions. Makes a big difference when Barce aren't given massive home advantage biased referring.