The Canvas

Only in a thousand years, when the moons align, the stars collaborate does one get to watch or ‘follow’ great derbies on a weekend. Lets get the road on the show:

Il Classico: is probably the biggest game in European Club football world. Two giants lock horns and egos are put on the line. Barcelona versus Real Madrid. Now even a few of the most avid football fans would hardly have a clue why these two cites 600 miles apart come to stand still twice a year. The story begins not so long ago, in the previous century. Spain was in turmoil, and regions in Spain were at war; The Spanish Civil War. For reasons irrelevant, the regions of Catalonia and Madrid were adversaries. When the war on the battle fields ended, it was re-enacted on the football fields.

Real Madrid (crest) are the most successful club in Europe, and the world. They have vast finances and a huge following. Their signings are always high profile and expensive. They import the best players to their club. Names like Zidane, Raul, Alfredo Di Stéfano, and Fenerc Puskas. They embody the nationalistic spirit in Spain, and hence are favoured amongst a huge fraction in Spain. Madrid is the capital of Spain, from where the aristocracy reins its powers, hence the crown on the logo.

Barcelona (crest) on the other hand had have a lower more humbler profile than their counterparts. They are by no means an ‘under-dog’ club, as their success in continent and country speaks for it’s self. With the leverage of huge financial support, Barcelona too make expensive signings, primarily based upon the player’s talent. Names like Messi, Ronaldo, Deco, Hristo Stoitchkov and Ricardo Quaresma. They play the best attack to say the least! With a rebelious flavour to their hatred towards RM, they have one of the most colorful fans in Europe.

The game on the night of 10 March begun with Barcelona taking the kick off. Real Madrid had no chance of winning at the Camp Nou. Not only the histroy was against it, but the 12th man too. But the game took an unexpected u-turn when Ruud van Nistlerooy opened the scoring for Real Madrid, from a howler by Lilian Thuram, which left the Camp shell shocked and silent. So much so that the Real Madrid players thought the referee had whistled for an infringement and dis-allowed the goal. Real Madrid 1, Barcelona 0. Had we got a game on our hands.

Real Mardid were playing a conservative 4-2-3-1 formation, where as Frank Riijkard of FC Barcelona gambled with a 3-4-3.

It was only 9 mins after that Barcelona found Lionel Messi (pictured on the left) free and unmarked on the right. He trapped the ball beautifully, and curled it around Iker Cassillas for the reply, Real Madrid 1 Barcelona 1. Few minutes in, Emerson from Madrid’s side was subbed by Guti, to give Real more attacking options. Oleguer fowled Guti in the penalty area and gave away a penalty to Real. Ruud rarely misses from the spot. Real 2 Barca 1. The Catalans were hard done. But Messi was not. He scored another just a few minutes in, due to some really slack defending that saw the ball being shot by Ronaldinho, fall to Eto’o for a shot, and then finally Messi, who buried it in the top of the net to bring Barca to level terms. I had not seen a better game before. At least this was worthy of being called a ‘Classic’. I was a neutral, but I sided with Real Madrid most of the time. Then it was half time. A short while into the second half scored through Sergio Ramos’s head, and soon after Oleguer received his second red card and it was almost game over for FC Barcelona. Not until the wonder kid Messi come to his team’s rescue in the dying moments to save them from a loss, and score his third goal of the game, to end the match 3-3.

I was awestruck at the entire spectacle. What a show by both teams, and especially Messi who scored a hat-trick against one of the greatest clubs in the world. He will certainly go far, and is already dubbed as the next Maradonna. Real Madrid might have been hard done, but Barcelona upped their ante for a match they didn’t want to lose.

This was about Real Madrid and Barcelona, later I will be talking about the Milan Derby, what changes should be made, what is wrong, and how it can be fixed. To say the least, Milan sadly lost 1-2 to Inter, even after taking the lead with a goal from the star signing, Ronaldo.