Barca's defense keeps Real at bay
Source: Agencies |
December 1, 2009, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
BARCELONA usually wins praise for its free-flowing attack-minded football but it was its stubborn defense that was lauded by Spanish media after the La Liga champion defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in Sunday's 'clasico'.
Billed as a clash of styles, the results-orientated Real taking on the entertainers of Barcelona, the pulsating encounter produced a bizarre role-reversal, El Pais wrote.
"The best thing for Barca was the result, for their opponents the performance," they said.
Real successfully closed down Barcelona's creative department in midfield, with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi, all on the shortlist to win the 2009 Ballon d'Or award, kept largely under wraps, and caused the European champion plenty of problems with its swift breaks.
"In the absence of the violins, the three praetorians of the defence (Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique and Victor Valdes) kept Madrid out with an excellent defensive display," El Pais added. It was a victory won "from the trenches of La Masia (the Barca youth system)."
The Madrid-based media championed Real's battling display.
"It feels like a victory," said sports daily Marca, while AS led with a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo holding his head in his hands, after missing a gilt-edged chance in the first half.
"Madrid found a way of playing but lost it's cutting edge," AS said.
Mocked
The Barcelona-based press mocked Ronaldo and heralded Zlatan Ibrahimovic's winning volley.
"They said Ibrahimovic wasn't a player for the big games. Yesterday he was carrying an injury, came on the pitch in the second half, and scored the second time he touched the ball," Sport wrote.
If the Swedish striker was the only Ballon d'Or candidate to have enhanced his reputation with a winner in his first 'clasico', Real at least earned praise for its resolve.
But the jury remained out on coach Manuel Pellegrini, who has been heavily criticized for failing to get the most out of an expensive array of stars.
"Despite putting on a good performance it remains a poorly put-together team," Marca wrote. "The fact that Barcelona didn't score half a dozen against Real doesn't mean its problems have been resolved."
Real enjoyed a man advantage for nearly 30 minutes after Pedro Busquets was shown a red card in the 63rd, but couldn't equalize, with Benzema's strike ballooning over the goal from two-yard out near the end.
Atletico Madrid climbed out of the relegation zone by beating Espanyol 4-0 with two goals from Sergio Aguero.
Deportivo de La Coruna jumped to fifth place with 22 points with a 1-0 win at Racing Santander, while Athletic Bilbao maintained its recent strong form with a 4-1 win over Almeria 4-1. Also, Roberto Soldado scored his second hat-trick of the season to lead Getafe 5-1 over Xerez, Tenerife hit back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 against Valladolid and Osasuna beat Zaragoza 1-0.
Billed as a clash of styles, the results-orientated Real taking on the entertainers of Barcelona, the pulsating encounter produced a bizarre role-reversal, El Pais wrote.
"The best thing for Barca was the result, for their opponents the performance," they said.
Real successfully closed down Barcelona's creative department in midfield, with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi, all on the shortlist to win the 2009 Ballon d'Or award, kept largely under wraps, and caused the European champion plenty of problems with its swift breaks.
"In the absence of the violins, the three praetorians of the defence (Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique and Victor Valdes) kept Madrid out with an excellent defensive display," El Pais added. It was a victory won "from the trenches of La Masia (the Barca youth system)."
The Madrid-based media championed Real's battling display.
"It feels like a victory," said sports daily Marca, while AS led with a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo holding his head in his hands, after missing a gilt-edged chance in the first half.
"Madrid found a way of playing but lost it's cutting edge," AS said.
Mocked
The Barcelona-based press mocked Ronaldo and heralded Zlatan Ibrahimovic's winning volley.
"They said Ibrahimovic wasn't a player for the big games. Yesterday he was carrying an injury, came on the pitch in the second half, and scored the second time he touched the ball," Sport wrote.
If the Swedish striker was the only Ballon d'Or candidate to have enhanced his reputation with a winner in his first 'clasico', Real at least earned praise for its resolve.
But the jury remained out on coach Manuel Pellegrini, who has been heavily criticized for failing to get the most out of an expensive array of stars.
"Despite putting on a good performance it remains a poorly put-together team," Marca wrote. "The fact that Barcelona didn't score half a dozen against Real doesn't mean its problems have been resolved."
Real enjoyed a man advantage for nearly 30 minutes after Pedro Busquets was shown a red card in the 63rd, but couldn't equalize, with Benzema's strike ballooning over the goal from two-yard out near the end.
Atletico Madrid climbed out of the relegation zone by beating Espanyol 4-0 with two goals from Sergio Aguero.
Deportivo de La Coruna jumped to fifth place with 22 points with a 1-0 win at Racing Santander, while Athletic Bilbao maintained its recent strong form with a 4-1 win over Almeria 4-1. Also, Roberto Soldado scored his second hat-trick of the season to lead Getafe 5-1 over Xerez, Tenerife hit back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 against Valladolid and Osasuna beat Zaragoza 1-0.
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