El Clasico ICC 2017: Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona - 5 Talking Points

Barcelona were crowned the International Champions Cup 2017 champions after they recorded a 3-2 win over arch-rivals Real Madrid in new manager Ernesto Valverde's first ever El Clasico.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring within the first 3 minutes, with Ivan Rakitic adding to the tally only 4 minutes later. The Camp Nou outfit could have added a couple more to their tally if not for some poor finishing by Messi and Neymar.

Real Madrid pulled one back through Mateo Kovacic, while Marco Asensio equalised soon after to see the two sides remain level at the break. Gerard Pique scored almost immediately after the restart and despite the best efforts of the Santiago Bernabeu outfit, they could not come up with another equaliser.

Here are the biggest talking points from the first El Clasico of the season:

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#1 Real Madrid's new arrivals need time to settle

New signings will come good but they need time

Real Madrid have shunned their quest to sign the biggest names in the world of football and have opted for a more intelligent approach to transfers under Zinedine Zidane.

Los Blancos have stopped spending insane amounts of money on some of the biggest superstars, who more often than not, didn't help with the team balance and ended up leaving the team exposed in key areas. Instead, the Santiago Bernabeu outfit now recruit the players, they need to address the key concerns in their squad.

To this effect, Madrid have so far signed Dani Ceballos and Theo Hernandez from Real Betis and Atletico Madrid respectively, while a couple of other players have joined the squad after their loan spells ended. Almost all the new arrivals played some role in the loss to Barcelona but there is nothing to worry about, not yet.

Ceballos, Borja Mayoral, Jesus Vallejo and Marcos Llorente were all part of Spain's UEFA European Under-21 Championship side which lost to France in the final and as such didn't have sufficient time to join pre-season in time and bond with their new team members.

While the quality is definitely there, it will take time for the new arrivals to find their footing in the star-studded squad and as such it will be in the best interest of the club if they do not read too much into the pre-season performance of the team.

#2 Real Madrid have strength in depth, Barcelona not so much

Will squad depth prove to be the difference between the two teams once again?

Barcelona may have come out victors on the night but they were up against a Real Madrid side without their talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo, and that was not all.

As we witnessed last season, the Catalan outfit may have one of the best teams on the planet but they do not have the one thing that the Santiago Bernabeu outfit have - strength in depth. It was this bench strength, that allowed manager Zinedine Zidane to rest key members of his squad in crucial time, while also allowing him to juggle with the available resources in a bid to make the most out of their opportunities.

The results were not bad. Real Madrid became the first team in the Champions League era to win the prestigious title in successive years. Not only that, they also lifted the La Liga for the first time since 2011/12. And going by the recruitment done so far, it appears that the club plan to stick to their new found philosophy.

Barcelona, on the other hand, boast of an awe-inspiring starting XI but beyond that they just don't have the required quality in their squad to stand up in crunch times or during the hour of need. If the Catalan giants don't address this issue in the transfer window, they will once again be left to rue their fate come the end of the season.

#3 Shortcomings in the starting line-up

What do both teams need?

Real Madrid have allowed the departure of Alvaro Morata, James Rodriguez and Pepe, so far since the end of last season.

Los Blancos have handed Pepe's jersey to Jesus Vallejo and are hopeful that the youngster will be able to fill up the huge void left by the Portuguese veteran. While Borja Mayoral is so far seen as the person to fill in the boots of Morata, although it is believed that the club will sign a striker before the end of the window.

While there is no denying that the talent and potential is there in the youngsters at Madrid, the defence didn't give a good account of themselves in the first El Clasico of the season - with Messi and company having a pop at Keylor Navas' goal at will.

It wasn't just about the loss to Barcelona. Zinedine Zidane's side were annihilated by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in their last game, as they went on to lose the game 4-1. Before that, the Madrid outfit were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester United.

Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane are undoubtedly an excellent first choice central defensive pairing but beyond that they only have Nacho to cover for them. Vallejo is there in the squad but some might argue that he still isn't ready for the first-team, as has been visible in the games so far.

On the other hand, the scenario is slightly but not completely different at Camp Nou. While Barcelona have a bloated squad with a good amount of dead wood, they also lack quality at some of the key positions - namely, defence and midfield.

While the Catalan giants addressed one of their biggest shortcomings of last season by the capture of Nelson Semedo, Ernesto Valverde's team still find themselves ill equipped in central defence and central midfield.

Barcelona have been heavily linked with moves for Marco Verratti and Paulinho over the course of the transfer window so far, which goes on to show that the club want to strengthen in that position, however, there have been no such reports regarding central defenders.

The Camp Nou outfit currently have Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, and Javier Mascherano as the first-choice central defenders, while Thomas Vermaelen has returned from his loan at Roma and Marlon has joined on a permanent deal. Despite having the numbers, Valverde's side need a world-class addition to their defence, given the age of Mascherano and the eventual decline of Gerard Pique - who has already reached the 30-year landmark.

#4 Neymar is ready to take the center stage at Barcelona

Will Neymar help usher in a new era at the club?

You thought there will be an article like this and Neymar won't be addressed at all?

The Brazilian has the club sweating over his future at Camp Nou with PSG reportedly extremely keen on signing the 25-year-old. A concrete conclusion to the Neymar saga is still someway off and if reports are to be believed, he is more than likely on his way to the Parc des Princes outfit.

However, with the entire transfer saga reportedly based on Neymar's unhappiness at being unable to win the Ballon d'Or living in the shadow of Lionel Messi, probably he won't need to move to France if he continues his pre-season form.

The Brazilian was Barcelona's best player at the International Champions Cup 2017, leading the goalscoring charts with three goals to his name, along with a few assists. It is not just his stats that make a compelling argument, the 25-year-old has shown a new found hunger in his game, which wasn't present in recent years.

Neymar was full of energy in the Clasico as he bamboozled opposition defences with his speed, trickery and a penchant for the spectacular. The 25-year-old has given enough proof so far in the pre-season that he is ready to pounce on the opportunity, allowing him to step out of the shadow of Lionel Messi and thus embarking on a journey to become the best in the world.

The Brazilian was still let down by his decision making, which was evident during the game as his overzealousness to score, cost his side a couple of good opportunities.

Neymar is ready to take the mantle at Barcelona and usher in a new era at the club. BUT.........

#5 Was it Neymar's last El Clasico?

Was this the last El Clasico of Neymar's career?

An El Clasico happening in the month of July, outside of Spain, is already extremely rare and as such, unforgettable.

It was only the second ever Clasico, which was held outside Spain, and it was the first of new Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde's managerial career.

However, come the end of August, it might be remembered as the last El Clasico of Neymar. The Brazilian has been linked with a move to PSG and while the Barcelona hierarchy and players have categorically denied that the 25-year-old is leaving, there is no smoke without fire.

And as such, there is a growing concern within the Barcelona faithful that might be Neymar's last El Clasico.

It has been a weird transfer window so far, and a very strange season lies ahead of us. Barcelona and Real Madrid are - so far - scheduled to play at least 4 more El Clasicos this season, with the first one to be played on the 13th of August.

2 weeks is a long time in football, and anything can happen during this time. Maybe Neymar will dazzle the Real Madrid defenders once again in a fortnight with his silky skills and outrageous maneuvers, or maybe, he will be seen plying his trade in France alongside his friend Dani Alves.

No one knows, what will happen in two weeks time and we will have to wait and watch to see how this transfer saga pans out...