Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid won the first Clasico of the 2021/22 season to go top of the league as David Alaba scored his first goal for Los Blancos in a well earned win at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona huffed and puffed but didn’t have a cutting edge until Sergio Aguero got his opening goal for the Catalans in the 97th minute, three minutes after Lucas Vazquez had made it 0-2. After a poor start to their La Liga season and Champions League campaign the Blaugrana are under pressure to turn things around, but Carlo Ancelotti’s Real are going along quite nicely thank you.
Highlights of the game
Aguero’s recent appearances in a Barca shirt has lifted the club, but the former Manchester City star was on the bench again as Ronald Koeman started with top scorer Memphis Depay and Ansu Fati up front. But neither troubled Los Blancos’ keeper Thibaut Courtois in the opening 45 minutes. Sergino Dest had the hosts’ best chance, racing on to a through ball from Depay but with only the keeper to beat he blazed his shot way over the crossbar.
And it was a Madrid defender who showed Dest how to shoot when Alaba robbed Depay deep in the visitors’ half before breaking at pace, and eventually latching on to a ball from Rodrygo before smashing it across Ter Stegen and into the far corner. It was a stunning strike by the utility man on his first El Clasico.
Alaba then returned to his main job when made a brilliant block to deny Fati in the final minute of the first half. The young striker then had Barca’s first shot on target, early in the second half, but it was an easy save for Courtois. Then the hosts were screaming for a penalty when the ball hit Toni Kroos on the arm, but the ref blew for a foul by Frenkie de Jong on the German midfielder.
Los Blancos’ top scorer Karim Benzema was inches away from doubling the lead, on 72 minutes, when he met Ferland Mendy’s cross with a clever back heel, and that prompted Koeman to make his changes, bringing Aguero on to replace Fati and Sergi Roberto in place of De Jong.
Aguero had his first chance on 84 minutes when he met a Depay cross but his header was too high and the Catalans’ hopes faded. And a tight game had a more comfortable look about the score-line when Lucas Vazquez doubled the lead deep into injury time, but Barca finally got their goal with virtually the last kick of the game when Aguero clinically converted a Dest cross.
Barcelona’s La Liga 2021 results quite simply haven’t been good enough and I’d start Aguero, and surely Koeman will soon enough.
Key statistics
In a tight first half possession was shared, though the Blaugrana had more shots at six to three, but Real had the only shot on target in the first 45, Alaba’s goal.
The second half saw more shots from Barca, but only two on target while Real Madrid had five. It was a clinical display by the title favourites and a toothless performance by the Catalans, until Aguero made an appearance.
At 17 years and 80 days, Barcelona midfielder Gavi became the youngest player to start in the Clasico in the 21st century. But there was little he, or his team-mates, could smile about after Los Blancos recorded their fourth consecutive Clasico victory.
This was Barca’s first home loss of the season having won four and drawn one of the first five.
What’s next?
The La Liga 2021 betting odds have Los Blancos are priced at 1.90 here at SBOTOP while Barcelona are drifting rapidly.
Next up, Real Madrid have a midweek date with in form Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu. The visitors were on a winning run of three league games before drawing with Granada on Friday and their early season form has put them in the hunt for a Europa League place. Then, next weekend, Los Blancos are away to lower mid-table Elche.
Barcelona are away to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday night before they return to Camp Nou to host Alaves next weekend. Vallecano have started well and won four of the last five, while Alaves are struggling at the wrong end of the table. The Blaugrana need to win both to make the progress they need.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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