The rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona would fill a library if all its episodes were brought together. Two teams from the two largest cities in Spain collide every few weeks. Two ways of understanding football and, sometimes, what goes beyond it. Two antagonistic projects that are fed by this rivalry, but in which one must always be above the other. A rivalry that goes from the cradle to the drawer.
A certain sportsmanship within the tension of the match is usually the prevailing tone in the matches between the two clubs, although there are a good number of less exemplary episodes in the memories of the most veteran fans. Celebrations, tickets at the wrong time, tanganas, aggressions… That other football that also marks these matches.
Clásico number 252 had more clashes and tension than shots on goal, which were conspicuous by their absence, or great plays. Not even the goal, from a rebound after a shot by Kessié and awarded Militao’s own goal, covered up this series of controversies the day after. Some that were considered buried since the Clásico series between Real Madrid and Barcelona when Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola occupied the benches.
In the preview, Xavi Hernández, a player in the aforementioned Clásicos and now the Barcelona coach, wanted to distance himself from what was happening a little over ten years ago. “They have nothing to do with it. Unnecessary tension was generated. There is an atmosphere of fair play, respect and values. We can’t set a bad example from that stage”, the former midfielder stated a few hours before Munuera Montero whistled the start of the match. Nothing happened as Xavi anticipated.
Vini jumped
Barça knew how to stop Vinicius again with Ronald Araujo as the main Kryptonite and various aids from the midfield from Busquets and De Jong. The Brazilian was the main objective of the culés fouls (7 for him, for 13 for the rest of Real Madrid) to stop him. In the culé dressing room they prepared to also play with the psychology of the Brazilian. Vini ended up unhinged and the play that proved it was a hitch with De Jong that went on for several meters after a fight for the ball. The Brazilian knocked down the Dutchman, who also grabbed and collaborated, with a key between judo and wrestling. Munuera Montero, a match official, showed him the yellow card and Vinicius left laughing and making a fuss about the card seen.
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The other football for the Brazilian did not end there. Gavi looked for him before taking a corner kick and cost the Andalusian a yellow card, with whom he once again had another verbal clash.
Once the match was over, Vinicius was caught along with Benzema and Carvajal protesting to Munuera Montero for how he refereed the action with De Jong. “If he is needed first. Always the same! You! Always the same! ”, He told the referee as captured by the Movistar cameras while the winger pointed at him with his left hand. His screams could cost him the red.
Gavi, beyond the limit
At 18 years old, Gavi demonstrated a mastery of other football worthy of a veteran hardened in a thousand battles. The midfielder, not for that reason lacking in talent for the game itself, handles the dark arts. This was the focus of several fires.
On the 6th of Barcelona he insulted Vinicius after a conversation (according to Movistar he called him a ‘son of a bitch’), he tried to provoke him, costing him the yellow card. This only in the plane of ‘trash talking’, the ‘trash talks’ a term created in the NBA to define these talks to try to destabilize the rival.
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Juanjo MartinEFE
As if he were a tough pivot in the North American league itself, the man from Los Palacios pulled his elbows in two disputes with Camavinga and Militao in what seemed like two actions beyond the limit of the regulation with some intention. The midfielder was also able to leave the game early if Munuera Montero had considered that the action was sufficient.
Hot benches: Xavi, yellow and insults
On the benches, the game was also hot. Both protested to Munuera Montero, but it was Xavi who saw the yellow card in the final moments of the game for facing Dani Carvajal. The man from Leganés had a snag in the last plays of the match after a duel with Balde near Xavi’s technical area. Both ended up caught and the Real Madrid winger claimed a card for the culé defender. Xavi did not hesitate to intervene from the band. “You are very smart,” he snapped at him, as captured by Movistar. Immediately afterwards he made a gesture as if to indicate that the Spanish spoke a lot. Carvajal answered and Xavi, too. “Silly, you’re a fool,” snapped the coach, who expected a Clásico with more fair play.
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His interventions did not end there. The coach vehemently protested to the referees. Through the fourth referee, he claimed from all the referees a supposed fear when making decisions during the second half of El Clásico. “The entire second part screwed up. You are screwed up, ”he said from the bench as the cameras of El Chiringuito captured. In these images, Andrés Martín, physical trainer of the first team, also appears, assuring that the refereeing was being “a fucking shame.”
Overall, both teams applied hard. Several hard sets were seen between both rivals in addition to piques during the 90 minutes. A classic of the Classics from more than a decade ago was once again fully topical.