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Merengue chaos sparks suspicion… and calm in the Catalan stronghold
Next Sunday’s Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be a defining moment, where the present meets history, crisis meets ambition, and the ancient past meets the unknown future. Real Madrid arrive at their rivals’ stronghold armed with the weight of their history, the burden of two title-less seasons and a major crisis that three managers have failed to resolve.
As for Barcelona, they will welcome their rivals at home and a draw is all it takes for them to become champions in dramatic and unforgettable fashion, which could rewrite another chapter in La Liga history after nearly a century of waiting.
The new Camp Nou.. the main character in the story of El Clasico
The new Spotify Camp Nou stadium, which has been rebuilt as part of the Espai Barça project at a cost of more than one billion euros, will open its records with a great reception against the historic rivals.
Every great stadium wears its first founding number, and next Sunday evening the new Camp Nou will open its first page, and then the question will be who will win the title, but what will be written on the walls of this stadium in the first Clasico?
Arbeloa’s protest… Does it pave the way for loss?
Following last Sunday’s win over Espanyol, Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has revealed some of his thoughts ahead of the upcoming El Clasico.
“It really hurts me to see other teams outrunning us and that’s something we have to focus on. When we are in possession, we need more flexibility and quicker and smarter attacking movements.
It sounded like the complaint of a “reckless” man, which added to the tension in the atmosphere at Real Madrid, which did not need much more than 72 hours before the epic game.
Ahead of El Clasico, Real Madrid are plagued by historic injuries and an unprecedented defensive collapse. The numbers are stark: more than 118 injuries spread over two seasons (about 55-57 this season).
Of the 24 players on the roster, only four survived the injury. At the height of the defensive crisis, the team had to try dozens of different defenders in the league.
But the worst thing is that Merengue enter their rival’s stadium without a trophy for the second season in a row, something that hasn’t happened in 16 years.
Three coaches, one result.
More confusingly at Real, this collapse was not linked to a specific coach. The story started with Ancelotti’s last season when signs of crisis appeared, then Alonso arrived in a different style, so things got complicated in the dressing room and the problems shifted to Arbeloa, who could not cope with the heavy inheritance and slipped, letting the whole season slip away from him.
Three coaches from three different schools of thought and the result is the same. When this pattern repeats itself regardless of who sits on the sidelines, it becomes clear that the flaw is structural and not just tactical.
Mbappe… out of the context of the novel.
In this context, Arbeloa’s statements added a rare layer of complexity. It was noted that Mbappe was “out of the team” not only due to injuries, but also the situation in the dressing room and the trip to Italy, showing a difference, albeit slight, in solidarity with Vinicius, who was widely praised after the game against Espanyol.
As for Mbappé, Arbeloa did not publicly justify him and contented himself with a value speech that forces each listener to decide for themselves. This comes before the biggest game of the season.
Camp Nou hell. 17 wins…no draws or losses.
Barcelona, on the other hand, come into this clásico with a lot of confidence, which mainly stems from Hansi Flick’s amazing record against Real Madrid. The German coach has 5 wins and only 1 defeat in 6 games against Real Madrid (83% win percentage), which is the best record of any Barca manager against Real Madrid in the last 26 years.
This confidence is bolstered by the team’s home record at the new Camp Nou this La Liga season: 17 matches, 17 wins, no draws or defeats, with sheer attacking superiority.
100 years of debt!
In the 1931-32 season, “Real” Madrid won the title of La Liga in a direct confrontation with “Barcelona”. This precedent remained an orphan in the records of the Spanish league for nearly a century (94 years to be exact).
According to AS newspaper. “In the final round of an 18-game tournament featuring just 10 teams, Real Madrid traveled to Las Cortes looking to clinch the title against third-placed Barcelona. They were closely pursued by Athletic Bilbao. The team, then known as Madrid CF, after the name Real Madrid was associated with the supermarket republic. Zamora, “El Divino”, alongside fierce rivals such as Chiriaco, Jacinto Quincosis and Luis Reguero.
A draw was enough after a tough game, with goals from Real Madrid’s Lascano and Reguero in a tense game overshadowed by controversy. The referee Insausti’s game caused so much anger that he threw a knife onto the field, which was then taken away by assistant referee Santokhar. A sarcastic report by El Mundo Deportivo commented at the time: “It’s a great knife. I will keep it, it will be useful in the mountains.”
Real Madrid finished that season three points ahead of Athletic Bilbao and four ahead of Barcelona to win the title.
Next Sunday, in El Clasico number 264, the second page can be written as a draw at the new Camp Nou is enough for Barcelona to win a championship that will be remembered for decades.
