Despite winning accolades such as the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid has not had a great run of form in domestic competitions. Not only Real lost to its arch-nemesis Barcelona in the Supercopa de España Final, Los Blancos also trail the Calatan Giants in the Spanish La Liga and Copa del Rey Semifinal, and yesterday’s El Clásico defeat against Xavi’s side in the league certainly will not do them any good in pursuing local glories.
The match was going to end as a draw, but Franck Kessié’s last minute strike meant Barcelona had extended its superior point difference to 12 points, with only 12 games left to be played.
Xavi’s Men Put on a Four-Game Winning Streak
Barcelona welcomed its rival to Camp Nou by making only one change to its starting line-up that beat Athletic Club in the previous La Liga encounter, whereas Ancelotti was contented to field an unchanged squad that saw off English Premier League’s Liverpool in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 mid-week.
Los Blancos got off to a good start in the game and opened the scoring within the initial ten minutes. Vinícius Júnior was dancing in the penalty box, before Barca’s captain Sergio Busquets forced him to go wide. The Brazilian forward then whipped in a cross to the middle and the ball was met by Uruguayan centre-back Ronald Araújo. The 24-year-old could not get out of the way and had to watch his deflection ended in the back of his own net. He then made up for his blunder during the final moments of the first period, after his cross found Frenkie de Jong in the penalty box, before the Dutchman set up Raphinha for a left-footed shot. The Brazilian winger’s strike was blocked but the rebound fell nicely for Sergi Roberto to equalise right before half time.
The second half witnessed a five-minute added time, in which the home side Barcelona capitalised on to complete its comeback victory over the team in white. Poland national team captain Robert Lewandowski’s cheeky backheel pass found the unmarked Alejandro Balde on the left flank, who then played a decent ground pass for substitute Kessié to score Catalan Giants’ second goal of the evening. The Ivorian midfielder’s strike proved to be the winner in this all-important La Liga clash, sending Barcelona 12 points clear of Real Madrid in the league table.
BARCELONA GO 1️⃣2️⃣ POINTS CLEAR IN THE DYING SECONDS 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/1BGARrDJ8u
— 433 (@433) March 19, 2023
La Liga Title Race All But Over?
Barcelona has not won the Spanish La Liga since the 2018/2019 Season, but with a monumental victory against its closest contender in yesterday’s fixture meant it is ever closer to regain its supremacy in domestic competitions in Spain. Head coach of the Catalan Giants Xavi had this to say during the post-match conference: “We dominated, we generated more chances. I am leaving satisfied. The team emptied itself and worked in defence and attack. It is a very important victory for us. I think we have been good. I think we had more control. I think we have been superior in general.”
The losing manager from Italy, Ancelotti believed that his team should have won the game, if it was not a video assistant referee (VAR) decision that influence the result of the match. “You have to accept [the decision]. But I’m left with doubt. Surely there is nothing. We have the right to have that doubt. We played a good game, we deserved to win, it was won. Then there is the question of this goal that was disallowed. We tried everything at the end, we lost a bit of balance and they scored. The game was very good, we leave with the confidence that we can finish the season well” was his response.
Barcelona and Real Madrid will meet again in early April for the fifth El Clásico this season. After winning the first match-up in La Liga in October, Los Blancos had been unable to register another win over their nemesis in the next three clashes. The next encounter between both sides at Camp Nou will determine which team will reach this season’s Copa del Rey Final, with the Catalan Giants now leading with a 1-0 score line.
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