A delegation from Real Madrid is heading to Paris this Monday, and they will then have every reason to announce a new world record attempt in champagne cork popping. The reason for the trip is the awarding of the balloon d’or, the prize for the best footballer of the year, which will be awarded in the evening. The designated winner: Karim Benzema, striker at Real.
Since late Sunday afternoon there is another reason to reduce the supply of high-priced sparkling wine: the victory against arch-rivals FC Barcelona, after the virtual knockout. in this year’s Champions League could only hide with difficulty that they had arrived in a deep crisis of meaning. Real Madrid won 3-1 in the 250th Clasico in history. And Real was so superior to Barça in this traditional duel for a long time that the Catalans looked sadder than Heidi on Mother’s Day.
Perhaps nothing was more emblematic than the huge opportunity missed by Barça’s most expensive acquisition, Robert Lewandowski, in the 26th minute of his first Clásico. Winger Raphinha had established himself on the right and made a sharp pass inside. First Frenkie de Jong missed in the middle, then Lewandowski slipped into the ball – and in a physically almost inexplicable way managed to chase it over the crossbar. From three meters. At the 0-1 score that Benzema had scored – on the eve of the greatest personal tribute of his career.
The emergence of this 1-0 made Barça’s German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen rage. For good reasons. On the halfway line, Barça captain Sergio Busquets had left no stone unturned to knock down Ter Stegen’s compatriot Toni Kroos. He succeeded too.
The celebration continues: in all likelihood, goalscorer Karim Benzema will be awarded the Ballon d’Or
(Photo: Thomas Coex/AFP)
Only: The spectacular performance of Kroos was able to play the ball with his left foot and the last of his strength precisely into the path of Vinícius Júnior, who hurried away as if someone had installed a Vespa engine in him. Vinícius lost the personal duel with Ter Stegen: The German national goalkeeper saved his shot from close range. Barcelona’s defenders, who had rushed back, all moved onto the line. But no one thought that Benzema was still in the backcourt. And the Frenchman didn’t have the slightest effort to slide in – to the chagrin of ter Stegens.
What followed was a demonstration. Real ruled with sovereignty, defending deeply and not caring that the Catalans sterilely pushed the ball to themselves, without being able to shake off the uncertainty that was noticeable from the start. It was particularly noticeable in Baldé, the young left-back who got red ears every time Federico Valverde shouted “Boo!” shouted.
Federico Valverde once called them “Pajarito”, little bird. The striker has become a hawk
Of course, the fact that Madrid scored their second goal through this same Valverde only had something to do with Baldé. Instead, central defender Eric García threw his own central defense into chaos by heading in from a harmless cross from Benzema that his colleague Jules Koundé would have intercepted. The ball landed at Vinícius, and via Aurélien Tchouameni and Benjamin Mendy at Valverde. They recently called him “Pajarito”, meaning “little bird”. But the Uruguayan offensive power has long since become a hawk. He shot precisely and flat from 17 meters, Ter Stegen had no chance. And FC Barcelona was allowed to be technically knockout. to be viewed as.
The impression was not corrected even after the break. Barça were a team that couldn’t get their knees off the ground. She was lucky that another goal (by Benzema, who else?) was ruled out for offside. And she, in turn, exerted no pressure against a Madrid side that displayed a fabulous, ever-alert defence. The ball relays of the Madrilenians got longer and longer until they were accompanied by long-drawn “Olé” shouts from the audience. That only changed when Barça coach Xavi reacted after just over an hour – and Ferrán Torres, Jordi Alba, Gavi and above all the fantastic Ansu Fati came on. And even that took some time.
Then Lewandowski still had a noteworthy appearance. He fell to the ground after dribbling in the penalty area – a borderline case, but in the eyes of the referee it wasn’t enough for a penalty (75th). Three minutes later, Ansu Fati noticed, but his shot from 18 meters went just wide of the target. All of this was a harbinger of the goal that came in the 85th minute: Fati rushed through on the left-hand side of the attack and fitted into the penalty area.
Lewandwoski let the ball pass, and Ferran Torres only had to insert it behind him. Seconds later, Barcelona almost equalised: Fati’s scissors from ten meters out went just wide of the right post, although he failed to hit the ball properly. But then a counterattack by Madrid led to the 3-1 final score.
Eric García stepped on Rodrygo, who came on for Benzema, the video referee ordered the referee to the screen, after which all doubts were cleared: Penalty! Rodrygo converted safely – and let the Madrilenians reach for the cold bottles. “Xavi, quédate”, shouted the audience at the Bernabéu Stadium, “Xavi, stay!” But the debates about a possible replacement of the club legend are beginning to sprout in Barcelona.