Barça are back to being Barça again

On May 13 it will be 120 years since the first Clasico. The rivalry is eternal, the biggest in football history. With successful eras for one team and then another. But overall, equality. 100 wins for Real Madrid and 96 for Barcelona. Yesterday, on a stage equally exotic and incomprehensble, the 248th game between these two giant, majestic clubs was played. Ryiadh housed the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, the first Clasico of 2022, and Madrid were big favourites. Not in vain, having won the last four Clasicos, with Barcelona a team under construction and trying to crawl out from a triple crisis.

Xavi said it can be a turning point. There would be nothing better than beating Madrid to start the team’s take off. He gave Ferran Torres his debut as a declaration of intention. Of course, he lacked rhythm and connection with his new team-mates, so he was taken off at the break. Logical. He needs to find form again and adapt, and he will, quickly.

Pedri and Ansu Fati came back from injury in the second half. Pedri showed his huge talent, much better than the anonymous Frenkie de Jong, and Ansu got fans excited again with his goal. However, Madrid had too much for Barcelona, in part because Vinicius and Benzema are in a state of grace. This game arrived a little too soon.

But Barcelona left some very hopeful details, showing they are coming back. And they can compete. They were better than Madrid in the second half and faithful to their style with some brilliant football. They did not win the Clasico, but their morale is sky high. Barca are Barca again.