Los Blancos rose to the occasion despite the absence of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to thump the Catalan giants 2-1 and deservingly bag their first silverware of the season in a nerve-wracking contest.Real Madrid were off to a flyer courtesy Angel Di Maria who was set up brilliantly by one-touch passes from Gareth Bale & Karim Benzema. It was too little too late for Jordi Alba, who did well to track back as a tenuous shot from Di Maria was all it took to beat second choice goalkeeper Jose Pinto.The Blaugranas responded well in the first half, dictating the game and opening Los Blancos up on a few occasions, but Iker Casillas could go into half-time with a nice and clean Real Madrid shirt.The onus was on the experience of Xavi-Iniesta and the trickery of Neymar-Messi to produce the much needed magical moment for the Blaugranas but it was Marc Bartra who pulled a rabbit out of the hat with a thumping header from Xavis corner to make it all square.The fate of the match turned on its head and the Catalans werent far from an amazing comeback in the Copa del Rey final. But the tables turned once again owing to a blistering 50 meter run followed by a cool finish from Gareth Bale to make it 2-1 and put the final to bed.
#1 Tale of two halves
A tale of two halves it was at the Mestalla stadium where both teams enjoyed a fair share of the upper hand. The momentum see-sawed between the Spanish giants and the outcome remained unpredictable until the final whistle.
It was another day in the office for Barcelona in terms of dominating possession, composure on the ball, looking to find spaces in the Blancos defense while Real Madrid constantly seemed dangerous on the break. Los Blancos went off to a flyer but the momentum subsided gradually towards the Blaugranas, who gave them a real run for their money.
However, a stunner from the 100 million Welshman settled the cup final which was arguably the best Clasico of the season.
#2 100 million repaid
A brilliant performance from Gareth Bale has ended all doubts regarding his worth. The Welshman welcomed the challenge with both hands and raised to the occasion when the Blancos needed him the most. The stage was set for Bale to announce himself to the world, heading into a game with silverware at stake against their biggest rivals and more importantly, without their superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Welshman has shown the reason for his price in style with an exquisite piece of individual skill to take the Blancos home. However, in all fairness Bale’s winner shadowed the performances of Di Maria & Isco, who were nothing short of excellent throughout the game.
#3 Is Bartra the man?
Here’s another man who announced himself to the world, Marc Bartra. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that he is single-handedly brought the Catalans back into the game, when they were absolutely lacking motivation and spirit. Having given the medical green light only an hour before the game, Bartra showed tremendous composure on the ball, provided a good deal in the air and a decent performance overall.
It would be too harsh to wholly blame Bartra for letting Bale escape on the wing, as he couldn’t match the Welshman’s pace. The Blaugranas’ problems at the back have only become worse with Puyol’s departure and signing a centre back would be the first point on the “to-do” list of Barcelona.
Given Bartra’s potential, the defensive reinforcement is sure to receive stern competition from the Catalan in the coming years.
#4 Change the need of the hour at Barcelona
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Let’s face it; Barcelona is nowhere near the Barcelona of the Guardiola era. They have headed into their third straight loss and yet do not seem to learn from their defeats as predictable gameplay have let them down yet again.
Tata Martino wanted to add few of his Argentine flavours to the Tiki-Taka in order to keep the opponent guessing. In truth, he has failed to remove the predictability in gameplay. It’s simple – passing in the final third, diagonal ball to full back followed by a cross but the high crosses from the likes of Alves & Alba isn’t Barca’s cup of tea as aerial attacking isn’t their strong suit.
Yet, this constitutes a major portion of the attack and it is simply because Barca fail to realize the need for a plan B. However, off-the-pitch controversies, injuries and fatigue seem to have taken its toll on the team, for what is becoming a forgettable season for the Catalans.
#5 Real Madrid - All fired up
Carlo Ancelotti can breathe a sigh of relief, having bagged the first silverware of the season. A cup final victory over your bitter rivals despite missing out on your superstar – can it get any better? The Copa del Rey victory would set the platform for the remainder of the season, with Real Madrid very much alive in the hunt for the remaining trophies.
The Italian had a jittery start to his Bernabeu career but seems well settled with the squad gelling together at a near perfect time. However, Real Madrid’s defence remains suspicious and cannot afford to show any complacency before they face champions Bayern Munich.
But with Cristiano Ronaldo itching to be back and the rest in top form, the eye-brow raised manager will be looking to raise eyebrows with a potential treble hanging in the balance.
