Is the magic over, ask the Catalan media after the once magical Barcelona literally fell apart in two games.
Milan (2:0), and especially Real Madrid (3:1), shook the myth of the best team of all time in seven days. Suddenly, nothing works at Barcelona: Messi seems tired and unkillable, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and Fabregas et al have become predictable (and boring) with endless passes in the middle, the defense is incredibly slow and vulnerable.
Such a Barcelona was first "broken" by Milan, and finished off by Real, in the semi-finals of the Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo and company welcomed the wounded rival as a treat to redeem all the sufferings of the past in one match. Admittedly, Jose Mourinho must have been the first to find the recipe for Barca, since Real have lost only once in the last seven games. And on the Barcelona bench, Pep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova and Jordi Roura changed...
Whether the Catalan club just fell into a deeper crisis or whether the second half of February 2013 definitely marked the end of a great era, the second leg of the Champions League round of 12 against Milan on March XNUMX will partially answer.
Great analyst and Barcelona fan Branislav Milačić believes that the crisis is only momentary, but it could have a deeper impact if some things do not change.
"Every year, Barcelona has a crisis period, which is quite normal even for the best teams. The problem is that this crisis came at the worst possible time this year, when the season is breaking on two fronts, in the Champions League and in the Cup," Milacic believes. and states the main problem: the lack of coaches.
This type of problem was paid little attention by the Catalan media in their endless analyses. This summer, Guardiola left the team to his assistant Vilanova, who, due to health problems and frequent therapy in New York, had to leave the management of the team to the "assistant assistant" Roura, and that in the most important part of the season.
"I think this is a case of misjudgment of the club's management. And after Guardiola, who set high standards, Barcelona got a rather anonymous coach in Tito Vilanova. Nevertheless, he started well, continuing the streak from previous seasons. And when Vilanova had to retire, even for a short time, the team was left to the assistant assistant, which is not serious even for a much smaller club. I believe that the management of Barcelona has now learned a lesson - the team cannot play without a coach, no matter what kind of footballers they are. In Barcelona, they are not respected the role of the coach and it paid off," Milačić underlines.
The season for Barcelona will be over already at the beginning of March if Milan at the "Nou Camp" preserves 2:0 from the first game. The Spanish championship title, which the Catalans have already won (they have 12 points more than Atlético, 16 more than Real) would be considered in that case only - a consolation prize.
Are Barca's masters fed up with so many successes and victories, is the audience in Catalonia these days watching a classic example of material fatigue? Milacic states that there is also that, but that it is not the main problem.
All things that last for a long time and take place in the same way, such as the Barcelona game, have to stop sometime, because they become predictable. Barcelona need an upgrade in their game, but not too much of an upgrade. It is easy to implement it with such footballers.
Milan and Real allowed the Catalans possession, but "Blaugrana" did not even create a chance from that possession. One way to upgrade against such strong defensive blocks could be to introduce strikers.
"Barcelona does not have an alternative game like Real has. Madrid can defend and win, while Barcelona is used to playing only one way. The game without a classic striker is only productive when the opponent wants to outplay, but when defending, which is often the case against Barcelona, then it becomes too difficult," Milacic concludes.
The answers to many questions can only be guessed at the moment. The rematch with Milan remained, as the judgment day of Barca's season. Players who played so powerfully until just a month ago deserve at least one more chance.
Euphoria in Real as doping before Manchester
"Revolcon" (craziness), stretched "Marka" on the front page a day after Real's biggest slap to Barcelona in the last five years. Unfortunately for Jose Mourinho, the masterful game on the most favorite stage, the "Nou Camp" stadium, was only a pregame, and not the crown of the season. Pregame for the most important - the second leg of the round of XNUMX of the Champions League against Manchester United next Tuesday. Nevertheless, they are convinced in Madrid - this kind of victory over Barcelona was all that Real needed before the game of the season... "Euphoria after the victory over Barcelona becomes doping for Old Trafford", wrote "Marka".
"In Manchester, we are playing the game of the season," Real director Emilio Butragenho said last night at the "Nou Camp". And in the box of the Barcelona stadium - head and chin, Sir Alex Ferguson, who watched a stronger Real than the one from the first leg of the round of XNUMX of the Champions League against his team. He saw that Real's players were once again acting as a harmonious community and that he was in for a hellish rematch against his old friend, Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho did not make any announcements after the game, but rather sent the injured captain, Iker Casillas, to the journalists.
"We decided that I, as the captain, would go out in public and share the celebration with the Real fans. After everything that happened to us in Primera, this is a great victory. Mourinho set the tactics brilliantly, we played very seriously and celebrated thanks to excellent tactics. Out of 12 goals which he scored against Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo scored as many as eight at the "Nou Camp".
"We played great and scored three goals against Barcelona, which is not easy," said the Portuguese and already announced that Real will play the first "el clasico" on Saturday at 14 p.m.
"It's always a big motivation to play against Barcelona, but the league game is not that important to us because they are far ahead of us."
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