The next big game for the weekend took place in Barcelona’s
Camp Nou, and the La Liga leaders took on Real Madrid in El Clasico. Right now,
it’s a very close race for the title, and a win for either team would have been
a major boost to the top of the table. It’s later in the season, and a win
against the other title contender could be potentially decisive in the long
run. To begin, Suarez truly showed his value today, scoring a decisive goal in
a game that holds a lot of weight in the league. While he has had good
performances throughout the season and has been a good player for Barcelona, he
has only recently began to become a key role in the team’s attack, and this
game begins to seal this position. His goal against Real Madrid gave a glimpse
at his confidence and scoring ability that Barcelona bought him for, and if he
can continue this growth, Barcelona will benefit greatly.
The game also was a show of the contrast (and conflict)
between the two teams relative superstars. Messi has proven to be at his best
this season in all parts of the game, reaffirming this by adding another assist
to his record through one of his famous free kicks. Ronaldo, criticized as
being old and losing his edge, again proved his finishing skills with a goal
for Real Madrid. I would agree that Messi is playing his finest soccer to date,
and Barcelona really has something going for them in the attacking third.
However, no matter what kind of criticism Ronaldo receives, he obviously is
still an amazing footballer and he gets the job done.
Despite recent weeks for Real Madrid, they were finally
able to show some of their skill and efficiency. Losing 3 games recently and
falling behind to Barcelona in the table, Real Madrid needed to regain
confidence and show a good performance to get back on their feet. This is
exactly what they did, playing confidently and working the ball throughout. There
were times when Real Madrid took complete control over the game, and it looked
as if they could still be in the game until the final whistle. Even with the
game’s outcome giving Barcelona a four point lead in the table, I don’t think
that this decides the league winner. Real Madrid showed strength today, and
Barcelona will have to work to keep up their performances and stay ahead of
Madrid.
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