MADRID — The rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona
has spanned nearly 90 years and more than 220 games. It has seen, at
various times, pregame intimidation tactics from a Franco general, a
severed pig’s head being used as a projectile from the stands, and more
red cards than a poker game. Its worldwide viewing totals are often
estimated at 400 million for any given match.
All
of which is to say that while Luis Suárez’s return from a four-month
suspension for biting an opponent during the World Cup was certainly an
attraction on Saturday night, precious little will ever overshadow the
basic premise of the showdown known as el Clásico. Madrid against
Barcelona, la Blaugrana against los Blancos, has always been a
bottom-line affair: When these teams meet, nothing is ever bigger than
the final score.
And
so it was again. Suárez played 69 minutes for Barcelona in his first
official game for the club, and while he was effective in creating
opportunities — including one that led to the game’s opening goal — he
was not the showstopper. That honor went to a Madrid collective that
produced a breathtaking goal early in the second half, capping a
thrilling 3-1 victory for los Blancos, who cut their deficit in the
Spanish league to just a point behind Barcelona.
Karim
Benzema provided an inch-perfect shot on that goal in the 61st minute,
but its buildup was just as glorious. Real Madrid prides itself on its
explosive counterattacking style, and this connect-the-dots was vintage.
The sequence began in Madrid’s own end with Barcelona, at least
hypothetically, on the attack, since it had a corner kick.
It
turned out the danger was in the other direction. Barcelona scuffed the
corner kick, the ball broke free on the left side and, after a mix-up
between Andrés Iniesta and Javier Mascherano, Madrid’s players took off
as if they had heard a starter’s gun.
The
passing was dizzying: Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodríguez,
Benzema. The ball was in the back of the net in seconds, and Suárez was
one of several Barcelona players who raised hands in desperation while
the Madrid fans threw theirs up in jubilation.
“It’s hard to say who was the best because everyone was playing at such a high level,” Madrid Coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
As
it turned out, Suárez’s night ended about 10 minutes later, an
unsurprising substitution from Barcelona Coach Luis Enrique, since
Suárez will surely need more time before he is in shape to run for 90
minutes. Suárez, a Uruguayan striker, was jeered as he jogged off, but
his play was solid, with a few clear moments of the magic that has made
him a global enigma.
No
one ever doubts his play. His incisiveness around the penalty area is
what coaches crave from all their attackers, and his powerful crosses
inevitably find their way into the crook of the opposing defense. For
the past three seasons, he did it for Liverpool and, before his bite, he
had done it for Uruguay at the World Cup. It is difficult to imagine he
will not show the same skill set in Spain.
The
question with Suárez, though, is always about what potential meltdown
may lie just around the corner. His chomp on an Italian defender in
Brazil was the third such instance of his biting another player, and
disbelief over that reality — yes, it has really happened three times —
will last far longer than his suspension did.
Suárez
looked chipper when he ran on to the field Saturday, grinning and
laughing during warm-ups as he soaked in the trappings at Santiago
Bernabéu stadium. Suárez started well, too, taking his first touch
inside the first minute and then bursting forward down the wing before
sliding a pass across to Neymar, who cut back inside and buried a shot
past Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Inside four minutes, Suárez had
helped give Barcelona the lead.
“I’m
happy to be back playing, it’s a big relief and I’m happy that the time
has passed,” Suárez said. “It’s a bittersweet feeling because of the
result, but this side has come back many a time.”
He
added: “It is very difficult to play here, but I did things that were
in the reach of my hands. Everyone knows how Clásicos are played.”
This
edition was no different. The lively opening was representative; the
game was played mostly at a blistering pace. In the first 10 minutes,
there were a goal from Neymar, a rare (but deserved) caution for Lionel
Messi and a shot off the crossbar from Benzema.
The
turning point, though — at least from a Barcelona perspective — may
have come after just 23 minutes. Suárez was involved again, this time
playing in another tantalizing cross that sat up for Messi right in
front of goal.
Somehow,
Messi — known by many as the greatest scorer in the world — missed.
Casillas deserves some credit for making a save, but it was difficult
not to think Barcelona should have been two goals ahead.
Instead,
the margin stayed tight, and soon enough, Madrid had leveled after
Gerard Piqué was called for a hand ball near the end line. Ronaldo
coolly slid his penalty kick into the corner of the net for his 16th
league goal this season and the first conceded by Barcelona in 776
minutes of La Liga play.
A
header from Pepe six minutes after halftime put Madrid ahead, and then,
with a half-hour still remaining, came Madrid’s sizzling jailbreak.
Benzema celebrated. Suárez stared. The fans roared. Even the world’s
most notorious biter is not bigger than the sport’s most celebrated
battle.
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