Jude Bellingham, a soloist who at the age of 20 acts like an orchestra player, such that he was the reincarnation of Di Stéfano, in one moment ruined the long spring party that Barça had in Montjuïc with the Rollings. The Blaugrana ended up with their mouths open and their tongues hanging out after the emergence of the Madrid figure to the astonishment of Mick Jagger and Ron Wood. Bellingham’s impact was overwhelming after a laborious and interesting exercise for Barcelona led by Gavi. At the end, no one remembered Barça or the Rollings, but at the Olympic Stadium they heard it without the bell ringing. Hey Jude of the Beatles.
1
Ter Stegen, Ronald Araújo, Íñigo Martínez, A. Christensen, Alex Balde, Gündogan, Gavi, Cancelo (Lamine Yamal, min. 76), Ferrán Torres (Lewandowski, min. 61), João Félix (Raphinha, min. 76) and Fermin Lopez
2
Arrizabalaga, Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy (Camavinga, min. 51), Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Kroos (Modric, min. 63), Vinicius Junior (Lucas Vázquez, min. 95) and Rodrygo ( Joselu, min. 63)
Goals 1-0 min. 6: Gundogan. 1-1 min. 68: Jude Bellingham. 1-2 min. 91: Jude Bellingham.
Referee Jesus Gil Manzano
Yellow cards Fermín López (min. 17), Ferrán Torres (min. 46) and Dani Carvajal (min. 60)
Madrid, and by extension the classic, was summed up in Bellingham. The rise and the white leadership, as well as the cruelty that a defeat in added time meant for the Blaugrana, can be explained by a player who already has 13 goals in 13 games, ten in the League. Bellingham’s protagonism turned the predictable plan envisioned by Ancelotti and Xavi’s interventionism into an anecdote. The Madrid player simply opted for Mendy rather than Camavinga, surely so that the team had more symmetry and defensive order, vulnerable as it had been on the sides in recent games, reduced in Seville. Whoever plays, however, Madrid usually concedes a goal at the start, also in Montjuïc. Gündogan wanted to throw a wall with Ferran, he didn’t manage to cut Tchouameni, Alaba wasn’t good either with Rüdiger out of place and the German ended up shooting into the net: 1-0
Gündogan is a good reacher and passer, indisputable for Xavi, who is busy instead with the center midfielder, a position that does not quite work in the absence of De Jong. So the coach chose to sacrifice Oriol Romeu in exchange for gaining a third central defender who is very fit like Iñigo Martínez while the dispersed Cancelo opened the field like a classic 7. The classic admits many gestures to generate expectations until the ball is puts into play; So jokes are not worth it, much less with the injured, who are many at Barça—Raphinha and Lewandowski remained on the bench.
The excellent dynamics of Gavi, Gündongan and Fermín in the midfield validated Xavi’s bet. Barça was a compact team, very concentrated in defense and as selective as it was direct in its arrivals, as was demonstrated shortly after Gündogan’s goal with a shot against Fermín’s post after a recovery by Gavi. The midfielder ruled the field while Madrid filled the ball with the ball and only breathed from time to time on Vinicius’ side, watched by Araujo, and later on Carvajal’s side, striker against Balde. The winger was the only Real Madrid player who won his duels after 1-0.
Madrid, relaxed and contemplative, without aggression or nerve, could not find Ter Stegen’s goal and did not know how to close Kepa’s goal either. Barça seemed more energetic, strengthened by Gavi and Fermín, and stretched by João Félix. The only Barça concern was the card that Fermín took. Gil Manzano imposed his refereeing without any further trouble than the administration of cards and a possible penalty from Tchouameni for grabbing Araujo after a corner that ended with a yellow for Ferran Torres.
Barça, tender and lazy in retreats, was obsessed with not losing the ball so as not to facilitate Madrid’s counterattacks, so they often indulged in a containment exercise that little by little led to Madrid’s command. The best chances, however, continued to fall to the Barça side: Iñigo Martínez hit the post and Kepa later rejected Araujo’s shot while Cancelo failed to score on goal in an action poorly defended by Camavinga, Mendy’s substitute. The Portuguese began to find field and ball in a team reinforced offensively with the entry of Lewandowski.
Ancelotti responded without further ado, player by player, Modric and Joselu for Kroos and Rodrygo. Madrid, however, began to shoot and found themselves with a great goal from Bellingham. The Real Madrid player hooked a rebound outside the area and beat Ter Stegen, who was weak in his hands and more vulnerable than in the last League. The goal confirmed Barça’s exhaustion personified in Fermín. The Blaugrana lost the ball and control due to the impatience of the dedicated fans: there was a record number of spectators in Montjuïc (50,112). The stands sighed when the referee did not see a penalty in a challenge by Araujo to Camavinga.
The changeover seemed to help Barça balance the match, which was increasingly open, especially because the Blaugrana left their court in exchange for encouraging Madrid’s counterattacks. The Barça fan is already accustomed in any case to his team winning in the final stages of League and Champions League matches. The difference is that Madrid was in front, improved with Modric and Camavinga, and especially Bellingham. In added time, the Englishman finished off a Carvajal cross that was fortunately touched by Modric to the despair of the tired Barça, surpassed by a Madrid with more physicality, more punch, more maturity and more points – four – with the permission of sir Bellingham.
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