Thirteen years later, José Mourinho led Real Madrid into the Camp Nou as one team and them out again as another having secured the kind of late victory he loves and which opens up a whole new world. With just three minutes and the final reserves of energy remaining, a wonderful moment of skill from Jude Bellingham found Eduardo Camavinga and set them on one last run. Camavinga sprinted free, skilfully slipped Pau Cubarsí and pulled back for Kylian Mbappé to provide the finish, a little bit of history written.
It had been an intense, breathless ride, a proper battle, and it was his team who won it. Arriving right on time, Mbappé scored his second to make it 2-1, the Camp Nou falling quiet and their team given no time to react. They had drawn level after Mbappé’s opener, Raphinha scoring, but could not do it again.
In the corner, Madrid’s players piled on. This was the Frenchman’s 10th goal against Barcelona but none felt quite like this. Not only was this the first time Barcelona failed to win in the league this season, their record-equalling run halted at nine; it was the first time they had failed to win any game since returning here a year ago.
So much for a struggling side heading to an inevitable fall; so much for Barcelona going nine points clear, the title race run before November. There is life in Madrid and in this league. Life in their manager too: this was expertly planned and executed, the rivals who were running at 4.3 goals per game reduced to just one.
Those certainties, misplaced, seemed a long way away now; a season starts here instead. In the beginning, the ball was all Barcelona’s but no sooner had they lost it than the first shot was Madrid’s, Pedri’s startlingly loose pass allowing Arda Guler to break and fire over on four minutes. That felt like a pattern set, a portrait of the way both teams would likely approach this.
So too did the way that Marc Cucurella went for Lamine Yamal, the Madrid full-back seeking a way under the winger’s skin – a task in which, it had to be concluded, he was successful. The impression though was deceptive, Madrid willing to step on to the front foot and apply a pressure with which Barcelona were not comfortable, Pedri and Rodri unable to fully settle. Where they could they played too, Bernardo Silva included alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
