Joan Laporta He saw them again, the Madridistas, but his second debut in a Clásico was not as fortunate as he could venture in Barcelona. The new / old Barça president did not want to see them again, but wanted to enjoy himself again as a visitor against Real Madrid, which he underwent torture during his first term. But football is not played in the box … And on the field his team did not react as he expected, as all of Barcelona did.
Zidane he hit the plate Koeman and when the Barça coach reacted at half time, the scoreboard already showed an alarming 2-0. Barça rebelled against the elements, went from timid to dominant, hit the draw, angrily protested a penalty kick against Braithwaite that the referee didn’t want to hear about, and even less the VAR, but it didn’t reach. And it failed again at peak time.
What was presented in September as a transition season in anticipation of better times, with the club busier in accounts than in titles, turned into inordinate euphoria in March thanks to an exceptional comeback, snapping points without a break from Atlético and leaving Madrid at a distance. held without paying. attention to the fact that the calendar provided as much alibi as the leader’s mistakes.
But the Barça who already lost the Classic of the first round at Camp Nou, who fell into the Metropolitan, which could not with Valencia and was collapsed in their own stadium by Juventus or PSG, stumbled again in a duel against a rival of Maximum demand for .
After 20 days, Barcelona lost again in the League and much of the charm of Koeman’s miracle disappeared. The Barça, who had made an impressive comeback and played the lead in remarkable games, again faced a rival of maximum demand. A week before the cup final, doubts were re-drawn in the area of Barça at the worst moment.
It took Madrid 15 minutes to reposition Barça’s shortcomings on the podium and just over half an hour to destroy their illusion. He did it without genius but with solvency, knowing how to defend, organize behind the ball, give up the initiative without any problems but bite him based on speed. Koeman’s team was even worth the draw, but Madrid, having to win yes or yes, more and more managed to read the argument of a maximum game, decided by the minimum.
In anticipation of Atlético’s response to Betis, the disappointment at Barça is as evident as that furious and euphoric fury drawn in a Madrid willing to repeat last season’s final stretch. The evening that Barcelona was able to bring the final blow to the table ended in disappointment.
It will be necessary to see how a team is able to react from here that, leaning on Messi (606 minutes without scoring a goal against Madrid), doesn’t quite find its own personality when it needs it most.