Second half of Clasico too much for Barca

Real Madrid didn't deserve to win, but Los Blancos have a player who is in a state of grace and who clearly makes the difference. Jude Bellingham scored a stunning goal with a stunning shot, and he tapped in a cross deflected in by Modric with his shin. Los Blancos did little else. Indeed, from what they saw in the first half, the Blaugranas should have taken all three points. However, Madrid never gave up and competed for the win.

Overall it was frustrating for the Blaugranas who had played an excellent first 45 minutes. During that period, Xavi's men were able to maintain their concentration and without putting too much pressure on Los Blancos, they prevented any approach from Vinicius and Bellingham himself by providing help between their players. Xavi was right in his approach in the first half, but the team did not resist in the second.

So they went in at half-time with the Rolling Stones smiling in the box and the Culés filling every seat in Montjuic. Everyone there was aware that this could be a match to remember and it would have been a different story if the Blaugranas had kept up the pace of the first half. In fact, Xavi's side created more chances than Madrid, but in the second half they clearly felt the physical strain. A draw would have been a fairer result, but as Xavi said: 'That's football. Barça needed six chances to score a goal, and Madrid managed to score two goals with three'. Well, that's a story we've lived through countless times before. Whoever lets Madrid off the hook runs the risk of being overtaken. In short. Barça still can't win the big games. But with Kounde, De Jong and Lewandowski in top form, the Blaugranas would have offered more resistance and perhaps avoided defeat. It was frustrating for the Cules. Yes, but there is still a lot of La Liga left.