El Clasico: A Review

              On March 22, 2015, the top two teams in Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid, faced off in a match to determine the new front runner in La Liga and Europe.  The score of this "El Clasico" was 2-1 in Barcelona's favor.  A match up between Real Madrid and Barcelona is always going to be exciting and it is almost a guarantee to have goals.  This match was no exception as both teams played 90 minutes of attacking play.  Going into the match, the favorites were FC Barcelona.  They had begun 2015 playing at an extraordinarily high level and have not stopped.  Real Madrid, meanwhile, have slowed down. Their last few months have been dotted with losses, and their free flow attack has been stalled.  Both teams are characterized by their attacking tridents  In the past three months, Madrid's Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo have been outshined by the red and blue attack of Neymar, Luis Suarez, and Lionel Messi.  Another subplot going into the big game was the battle for world supremacy between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.  This time around,Messi is unquestionably the player in better form.  The stats speak for themselves as Messi has consistently outscored and out assisted his rival in 2015.  However, one lesson often learned in El Clasico is that there are no favorites when these two titans of soccer clash.
         The starting lineups did not contain surprises as each manager put out their best possible team.  The Barcelona players seemed shocked to see the powerful attack of Real.  Madrid looked better than they have in months as they charged toward goal time and time again.  However, it was Barcelona who scored first.  Real Madrid conceded a free kick far from their goal, but distance can not stop Lionel Messi's magic as he swerved the ball directly on Jeremy Mathieu's head, from the free kick, who emphatically placed it beyond Iker Casillas.  However, Real Madrid equalized with a brilliant attack culminating in a Benzema backheel and a sliding Ronaldo finish.  The scores were level at half and Barcelona came out firing, and the attack was led by the Brazilian, Neymar.  Neymar, who had missed easy chances in the first half seemed determined to redeem himself.  He almost found the net with some brilliant dribbles, but it was not his night to score.  It was Luis Suarez's night. Suarez had made his debut in a Clasico and had been heavily criticized for his performance.  Now months later, he scored the winner.  A Dani Alves long pass was controlled by Suarez in between two defenders with a brilliant first touch and his finishing did not let him down as he jaw-droppingly slid the ball by Casillas.  From then on, Barcelona controlled the game by retaining possession and almost scored several more times as Real faded out of the game. Barcelona's manager  Luis Enrique deserves credit for two excellent substitutions in bringing on Xavi Hernandez  and Setgio Busquets to control the game. It was a milestone for Xavi Hernandez who played in what will likely be his last Clasico after his debut more than fifteen years ago.  It was a key victory for Barcelona, and it puts them four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.