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The first of three El Clasicos this month are now in the books and there's a lot to talk about after a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou which gives Real Madrid a slight edge heading into the second leg of the Copa Del Rey Semifinals.
With two teams looking for two different outcomes from the match, everything seemed to play well for Ernesto Valverde and Santiago Solari. Valverde wanted to assert pressure on Real Madrid by not allowing them to score and ending the first leg with a win but Solari just wanted redemption for his side who got pummeled the last time in the Camp Nou.
Also see : Womens World Cup Bracket, Copa America Standings, Gold Cup Standings
Let's now take a look at the five talking points of the match.
1) A night of firsts
It seemed as though fans and pundits alike thought Lucas Vasquez wouldn't score last night but he proved everyone wrong. Just six minutes into the match, Vasquez finished off a lovely sequence of play which started from Vinicius Junior from the left, who crossed to Karim Benzema before Vasquez tapped the ball past Marc Andre Ter Stegen despite immense pressure from Clement Lenglet.
On the other hand, Malcom, who started only for the sixth time for the Blaugranas, proved to be the difference against an aggressive Los Blancos. He knew Marcelo's experiencing a bit of a slump and he managed to capitalize on it.
In the second half, Malcom found an opening after Jordi Alba made a run from the left. Luis Suarez tried to lob the ball in but Sergio Ramos cleared it only as far as Malcom who then curved the ball past Navas and Ramos.
Both men stepped up on the plate when they were needed the most and provided a new spark in the El Clasico.
2) Valverde and Solari's decision making
With Messi feeling an injury after their match against Valencia, Valverde looked into the depth of his squad for a possible replacement for his free-roaming goalscorer. Though the Argentine will eventually be available, Valverde still opted to play a younger Malcom in place of the five-time Balon d'Or winner.
Though staple names like Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Busquets, Alba, Gerard Pique and Ter Stegen graced the starting line-up, it was Nelson Somedo and Malcom who made a name for themselves.
On the other hand, Solari opting to play Vinicius up front with Benzema instead of Gareth Bale and served its purpose as the Welshman's still trying to get the groove back on after a long lay-off due to his injuries.
Marcos Llorente and Vasquez's inclusion in the starting line-up seemed to be a surprise as well for the Merengues but they proved to work for the former Real Madrid Castilla gaffer.
Trying to close the match with a win, Solari pulled Marco Asencio out of the dugout but it was just too late for him to make an impact. Isco didn't feature in the match as well as Dani Ceballos who could've provided a difference for his squad but this will still be a welcome development for Solari.
3) Is Malcom really on the rise?
For players, they only need one strong performance to prove their worth. There is no bigger than the El Clasico, and this is where Malcom might have made a case for more playing time as he did show what he's capable of after that equalizer he produced on the 58th minute.
Normally lying deep in Barcelona's rotation, there are numerous reasons why Malcom's having a hard time making it as a regular for Barcelona. For one, he plays in the position where Messi usually plays and Malcom currently serves as an understudy. Two, Ousmane Dembele also plays there so it's tough for him to get much playing time at the moment.
Tonight, he provided what his gaffer needed and now gives Ernesto a much harder task in selecting the line-ups in their upcoming matches.
4) Is the magic of the El Clasico alive or fading?
After Messi's Clasico partner Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus, the natural hatred or spark amongst the squads and the fans seems to have been lost.
However, this El Clasico proved to be different. With fans filling the Camp Nou to the brim, the players lived up to its billing since the kick-off. End to end football was played and it kept the fans excited on what's going to happen next.
The Nou Camp was silenced by Vasquez after six minutes of play but was sent back to jubilation after Malcom's equalizer on the 58th minute. Of course, every time Messi warmed up on the bench, the fans got to their feet in anticipation of their mercurial player's arrival.
Despite seeing their team going a goal down against their bitter rivals, the fans kept on egging them on until they scored that equalizer. Messi might've started from the bench but it will always be lively in the Camp Nou whenever they play against Real Madrid.
5) Everything to play for in the second leg
With a draw under their belts, Real Madrid will look to use this to their advantage come the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, they will have to be cautious this time as they might see a fitter Lionel Messi coming back to haunt them.
Unless Valverde stresses out Messi and the rest of the squad in their UEFA Champions League match next week, they can still progress to the final and possibly win their fifth straight Copa del Rey title.
Solari can do some experimentation heading into the next round of El Clasicos but he needs to find the perfect formula right away if they want to prevent their rivals from marching to a fifth straight cup win as well as holding them off the league trophy. The next El Clasico will be pivotal for both teams and we'll definitely be in for more action and surprise come February 27.
