White Hot Barca Melt Madrid...

Well, when last nights El Clasico ended, it reminded me of the Indiana Jones film, Raiders of The Lost Ark. In the film the Nazi baddies spent the first three quarters of the film beating back Indiana Jones and his side kicks, just like Real Madrid have been "mwuhahahaing" their way around La Liga crushing all comers led by their malevolent leader Jose. But last night it was their turn to get to their holy grail, and just like the villains in the Spielberg picture they got more than they bargained for and were melted away in a light show of epic proportions.

There were no surprises in the Real Madrid line up. Gonzalo Higuain wasn't in the squad due to injury. One tactical change was that Madrid chose to start play without their usual inverted wingers, choosing to play them on the sides of their stronger feet.

There was only one surprise in the Barca line up with Eric Abidal being selected ahead of Maxwell, I think this may have been done for defensive security more than anything else.

When the teams came out the atmosphere was electric. Both sides looked a bit nervous when defending but Madrid were snapping into tackles and the referee was letting most things go. It looked like it was shaping up to be an interesting evening. But slowly Barcelona started to take control of the game, zipping the ball at an immense pace Madrid started chasing shadows. And before you could say 1-0, Xavi, it was 1-0 and it was Xavi...



Once they conceded unless Madrid got one back quickly the game was in risk of running away from them, which it eventually did. In the first half Angel Di Maria was made to play as a second left back by Pedro and Messi who were imperious. What impressed me with Barcelona was the fluidity of their team. They were playing two formations with the same players.

Going forward Dani Alves was near enough a right winger, when this happened the back three of Abidal, Pique and Puyol shuffled across into a conventional back three and I think this is why they chose Abidal who Guardiola has played as a centre half in past games. This Real Madrid side isn't designed to handle this kind of attacking overload.

This shape that the Barcelona side took when attacking has a ridiculous amount of attacking options when they're going forward. But they are also covered defensively, with Busquets, Abidal, Pique and Puyol knowing their roles to ensure they team isn't left exposed to counter attacks.

The thing with this Barcelona side is that tactical chalkboards cannot give a good description of how they operate. The chalkboard only catches a still of the game, unlike other sides in which most players have a fixed position, Barcelona's players are constantly switching roles. Pedro, Villa and Messi all played the "false nine" at some point in the game. Alves played as a right back and right winger, Abidal was both a centre back and a left back. They had Iniesta and Xavi who both played as attacking midfielders and deep lying playmakers. Unlike most sides they come up against they have all come through the same system and have played together most of their footballing lives. They all know each others habits, strengths, weaknesses and next moves at an almost telepathic level. Real Madrid don't have this consistency and were overrun by the pass and move "tiki taka" of the Catalan side, they were outfootballed rather than tactically beaten. I think that this game showed regardless of the side Mourinho started with, there was only going to be one winner.

Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid (Full Highlights)

Mourinho Invents A New Level Of Pragmatic Football?

Jose Mourinho courting controversy... Yes not a very original overview to this story, it could be a description of half a million events at Porto, Chelsea, Inter or Madrid. But this time time its a darker tale, not one of negative football or jibes towards opponents but one of cheating the system.

Would Mourinho be devious enough to order his own players to get themselves sent off? Well, he is a manager known for his pragmatic approach to football. He is so pragmatic he will  want his team to kill all the entertainment off in a game to ensure his side are victorious (please try find highlights of Barcelona V Inter at the Nou Camp... I can assure you, you won't be able to.) Why not ask his players to get sent off to ensure they are free of the threat of suspension in the latter stages of Europe's premier club competition?

This isn't a new idea. Now ex-Premier League referee Steve Bennet has said publicly that players have approached him and asked to be booked... And all this so they could have Christmas off. Even David Beckham at that time England's golden boy admitted getting himself booked deliberately. He said after a booking in a Euro 2006 Qualifier against Wales, "I could feel the injury. So I fouled Thatcher. It was deliberate. I knew straight away I had broken my ribs. I have done it before. I knew I will be out for a few weeks, so I thought: 'Let's get the yellow card out of the way'." Everyone seems to have forgotten that classic...

Anyway everyone's making a big "hoohaa" about this, Uefa are demanding meetings about meetings. There will be an investigation, into all the hear say, but who can prove Real are guilty apart from their own players? No-one. Will there be a punishment against Europe's top manager and most successful club based on no solid proof? I dont think so...

Why Real Madrid Will Be European Champions This Season...

Yes I know its a bit early to hand out the trophies this season but I couldn't help myself. This season the Real Madrid hierarchy have done what most successful football clubs do... hire a top manager and let him to the job. In the past Madrid have been accused of hiring "yes men" people who are so pleased to be there they wouldn't dare speak out against the people who've put them there (please see Roy Hodgson at Liverpool). For references please see Carlos Queiroz, Juan Ramon Lopez Caro and Juande Ramos.

Mourinho is nothing like the jellyfish mentioned above, a perfect example of this is when he stormed out of a press conference. When the press questioned his decision to drop Pedro Leon from his Champions League squad he explained "Pedro Leon isn't Maradona, he isn't Zidane or Di Stefano, he was just playing for Getafe last season" before storming out and refusing to answer any further questions. This is a man who isn't someone the board can control.

Sergio Ramos can also play at right back and Fernando Gago and Lassana Diarra are also options in the holding midfield position. With Kaka and Benzema waiting in the wings there is also adequate cover in the attacking positions. But most importantly with Raul Albiol and Ezequiel Garay on the bench there isn't a shortage of defensive cover.

With the new manager came new signings Ricardo Carvalho, Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil. The first two I feel gave Madrid a backbone and some steel, too many times in Europe they were caught against less talented but more organized rivals last year it was against Lyon and the year before Liverpool. The solid and sometimes cynical Carvalho forms a tidy partnership with the more technically gift and attacking Pepe and the industrious Khedira is the perfect fold for classy deep lying play-maker Xabi Alonso. Ozil on the other hand is a selfless creator to replace the inconsistent and injury-prone Kaka, to support Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain.

So far this season after a slow start they are looking impressive in the league and in Europe. They have scored 18 goals in four games including a comfortable 2-0 win against AC Milan and a 6-1 win against Deportivo La Coruna. Mourinho I feel is starting to get the best from Ronaldo who is definitely key to any success they may have so far this season he has scored 10 goals and provided 4 assists in only 8 games this season. That is an amazing return rate even for Ronaldo and even if your compare it to Leo Messi who's scored 5 and provided 1 in six games.

Real Madrid are no longer a collection of Galacticos but a well organised side which is very efficient in defence as well as attack which is the reason I think that Real Madrid C.F will be European Champions in May.