An El Clasico defeat will always upset your fans, of course it will, but when they are already frustrated, even before suffering a defeat to your fiercest rivals, then emotions can run high.
And so they did in Catalonia after Barcelona fell to a 2-1 Clasico defeat to Real Madrid at the Camp Nou. Some angry Barca fans targeted head coach Ronald Koeman’s car as he drove away from the stadium and the club has since denounced the fans for their ‘violent and contemptuous’ behaviour after they were seen banging on the car as it exited the arena.
The Barcelona vs Real Madrid game is the biggest in La Liga, if not in Europe, and with the eyes of the world watching Los Blancos eased to victory thanks to goals from David Alaba and Lucas Vazquez. The Madrid club celebrated their fourth Clasico win in succession, for the first time since 1965, while Koeman was targeted because he was the first Barca manager to lose three consecutive Clasicos in over 85 years!
The result has left the Blaugrana in ninth place, five points behind Real and six off the top and, despite assurances from club president Joan Laporta that he would stay on for the 2021/22 campaign, the Dutchman’s position is coming under increasing scrutiny. There is a similar story unfolding in the Premier League where Manchester United playing legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under serious pressure, having just led the Red Devils to a catastrophic 5-0 home defeat to their biggest rivals, Liverpool. Koeman too was idolised by his current club as a player, but maybe his time is running out as a head coach.
The only bright moment on a miserable night for Barca fans was the goal scored by Sergio Aguero. The Argentine ace made his third cameo appearance since returning from injury and he fired home a late consolation. The former Manchester City man did in a matter of minutes what the starting 11 failed to do for 90.
Hot shot Suarez
What Barcelona would do to have an in-form striker in their ranks! The Catalans’ hopes rest on the experienced shoulders of Aguero, having lost their talisman, Lionel Messi, to Paris St-Germain in the summer. But there was another departure in the summer of 2020 which is particularly annoying to Barca fans right now, and that was when Uruguayan hitman Luis Suarez left the building. He was frozen out by Koeman on his arrival as boss, and Suarez says he was told by the new manager he was not part of his plans in a 40-second phone call. The striker felt this was not the way to say goodbye to a club legend and he has a point; He scored 198 goals and made 97 assists in 283 games for the Blaugrana to become the club’s third-highest scorer of all time.
But since leaving Catalonia Suarez has made a new home in Madrid, helping Atletico to the 2021 league title and he’s writing the La Liga 2021 news headlines again this term, scoring a second-half brace for Los Rojiblancos as they came back from a two-goal deficit to draw with leaders Real Sociedad on Sunday night. The double takes Suarez’ tally up to six for the season, and only Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema has more (nine) in the early race for the Golden Boot.
Sociedad had taken an early lead when Alexander Isak set up Alexander Sorloth, and Isak bagged a goal himself soon after the halftime break with a cool finish. But Suarez dragged Atleti back into the game when he headed home a cross from Joao Felix and when he was fouled in the penalty area late in the game; he climbed to his feet to slam the spot kick home. Sociedad stays top, one point ahead of Real Madrid, with Sevilla in third and Atletico three points adrift in fourth.
In his six seasons at Barcelona Suarez won a total of four La Liga medals, but the La Liga 2021 betting odds suggest the current crop of players are a distance away from winning the Primera Division at the moment.
Midweek action
There’s a full set of La Liga fixtures during the next three days; a chance for Barcelona to make amends and for Real Madrid to build on their Clasico victory. The Blaugrana has a tricky match away to seventh-placed Rayo Vallecano and are at an SBOTOP price of 1.68 to get a much needed three points. Meanwhile, Los Blancos host the in-form Osasuna who have picked up ten points from the last four games.
Leaders Sociedad take a trip to play Celta Vigo, while Sevilla visit Mallorca and Atletico Madrid have an away fixture against struggling Levante.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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