Although there was wind and rain during the game, the rain was not heavy. In addition, Camp Nou's drainage system was very good. The technical teams also paid attention to this, so Real Madrid and Barcelona were not affected by the weather and the venue.
However, Barcelona was eight points ahead of Real Madrid in terms of points, so they were not in a hurry from a psychological point of view.
Therefore, their attitude in the game was exceptionally calm.
They began to pass the ball as if they were going to pass the ball endlessly to the end!
Vertically, horizontally, repeatedly using short passes, medium and long-distance passes to tear apart Real Madrid's defense.
Real Madrid appeared to be a little paranoid, which made the game extremely tense. As long as the opponent's pass entered the danger zone, then the defensive players would take a foul. In order to make the referee "the law does not punish the majority," even against Barcelona's most threatening player, Messi, Real Madrid's defensive players took turns and did not allow one player to commit consecutive fouls.
Barcelona's number of shots gradually increased.
In the sixth minute of the game, Abidal's long shot from outside the penalty area was wide.
Three minutes later, Alves' long shot was directly confiscated by Casillas.
Barcelona seemed to be going all out, but it did not give the impression that they were cutting off all means of retreat.
Because they suppressed Real Madrid's formation into the narrow space in the middle and backfield.
After all, their passing was too skillful.
They frequently kicked the ball out. If Real Madrid's formation did not shrink, they might not be able to block the opponent's sudden acceleration of the pass and cut offensive!
Real Madrid's offense was very difficult to play. Barcelona's high pressing made Real Madrid's passing demands more demanding after they switched from defense to offense.
The distance between their teammates was too close to each other. Barcelona's aggressiveness was also high. If Real Madrid's players hesitated when they passed the ball out, it was possible to lose the ball in the middle and backfield and cause a disaster. In the end, the quality of the ball selection was not high. It became frequent mistakes or a direct big kick to clear the siege and return the ball to Barcelona.
Even though Qin Xiong had analyzed many of Barcelona's games this season, he could only personally experience the strength of Barcelona's skills and tactics when he played against them in person!
A football term that was not unfamiliar to the Spanish football world was spreading to the whole world: TIKI-TAKA!
Barcelona was like a bullfighter in Spain, constantly teasing the angry bull, waiting for the bull to be exhausted before cutting its throat!
Barcelona's third-string players actively and effectively ran to open up gaps, carrying out skilled and tacit quick short passes. Even if they immediately pressed for the ball after losing it, they suppressed Real Madrid in their own half of the field and could not move forward!
The Barcelona fans at Camp Nou are proud!
They watched the "Catalan army" play "Madrid's nobles" on the pitch. What else did they need?
Of course, it was a goal!
In the 18th minute of the game, Messi cut into the middle from the right flank. After shaking off Van Der Vaart, he stopped in front of Guti and pulled the ball back to shake off Guti's pressing. Immediately after, he passed the ball across the middle. Iniesta's running position shook Gago, and Xavi, who plugged in from behind, touched the ball and directly stuffed it!
Iniesta cut diagonally into the penalty area and took the opportunity to shoot!
Casillas, who blocked the near corner of the goal, blocked the ball out of the end line with one palm.
Barcelona did not grasp this good opportunity!
But looking back at Real Madrid's overall defense, it was already a little chaotic.
Qin Xiong actively participated in the defense, but he could not run faster than the opponent while being passive. The main problem was the timing.
Barcelona's imagination in passing exceeded his expectations.
Because the whole team was actively running positions, the options for the ball would naturally increase, and then their offensive shifts would become unpredictable!
This was a Barcelona team that was completely different from the Rijkaard era!
Rijkaard's era only played the energy of the star players to the extreme, and when the star players could not play a role, the team's record would decline significantly.
Guardiola's Barcelona would stimulate the potential of the whole team and play their talents as the core strength, and finally burst out with immeasurable fighting power!
Although the role of the star players and the overall strength of the team could not be said to have the upper hand or a black and white relationship, but from a long-term perspective.
The previous Rijkaard's Barcelona was only for a moment, but this generation of Guardiola's Barcelona was for eternity!
This was also the reason why Barcelona's Godfather, Cruyff, supported Guardiola. His direct disciple was realizing his great dream!
Qin Xiong was no longer like a shadow forward. He often returned to the back waistline to stand between Gago and Guti to defend. Otherwise, Barcelona's frequent lateral attacks would leave too much space in the middle. One Iniesta and one Xavi were enough to make Real Madrid nervous. If Messi, who was arranged by Guardiola to occasionally pose a threat in the middle, it would be strange if Guti and Gago were not blown to pieces!
Barcelona used quick short passes to shape the offensive situation, forcing Real Madrid's attacking players to be very far back even if they got the chance to charge forward. This way, they could shoot long shots without restraint. In addition, the players cut inside the penalty area to form an anti-offside position, and play an exquisite coordination with their teammates.
It was not until the 24th minute of the game that Real Madrid got their first shot in the game!
It was hard to imagine that the White Army, who had the best offensive firepower in Europe last season, would fall into such a bleak situation after half a year.
And the shot came from Van Der Vaart's long shot from the outside. It was very difficult, and the football rolled directly out of the end line.
Qin Xiong paid attention to the details of Barcelona's offense as he constantly ran to defend.
In the 27th minute of the game, Messi forced his way through the middle and was blocked by Qin Xiong, but the football was still under his control. Messi swung his leg and volleyed under Qin Xiong and Gago's pincer defense.
The football hit Metzelder's back and bounced out of the end line.
Barcelona got a chance to attack from the corner.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qin Xiong called Robben, Raúl, and Van Der Vaart in front of him and whispered to them, "The player who touches the ball the most in the Barcelona midfield is Xavi. He is the core of the organization. Concentrate your forces and surround him!"
When the three heard this, they immediately nodded and agreed.
They were all smart players and had a high ball quotient.
Qin Xiong said to concentrate their forces to surround Xavi, so it would certainly not be two or three players directly next to Xavi. Naturally, they would do what they had to do. But when the time was right, they would risk everything to surround and suppress Xavi.
Barcelona's corner kick was launched. It was a tactical corner kick. Alves received the pass at a 45-degree angle and the football was cleared by Metzelder's header. Qin Xiong passed the header to Raúl in the middle.
But just as Raúl stopped the ball with his chest, Puyol behind him came up and stretched out his leg to poke the ball forward. Xavi ran back to receive, and Barcelona continued to control the ball.
The game had been going on for less than 30 minutes, and Barcelona's possession rate was more than 70%!
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