[Sport] Messi, shivers in Valdebebas and a curse that does not stop

[SougarLord]

 

Leo Messi began to shiver. Soaked to the bone, he had no choice but to approach the band and change his shirt. Messi was already murmuring with the crooked gesture. He had spent the night running from one place to another. He even looked for his forbidden goal from him, the Olympian. But he was always too lonely in his fight against goal. The Argentine, the top scorer of the classics (26), has not scored against Real Madrid since May 6, 2018. Who knows if there will be more opportunities.

 

There are nights that could well be summarized in a single scene. For its significance. For the incoherence of the new times. Kroos had to bounce a free kick in the front of the area after Vinicius started a free-kick from Araujo. Certain. You know, the defensive barriers have turned into a grim spectacle. A three-ring circus. This time no one threw himself to the ground behind the butts of the footballers. But the plan hatched to defend the free coup was equally grotesque.

Before Toni Kroos hit the ball, Jordi Alba, the smallest of the barrier, started to run towards his own goal to get under the crossbar. That is, to prevent Ter Stegen from having any room for maneuver to the right of him. The nonsense continued. Sergiño Dest, instead of facing the shot, opted to turn around, thus causing the ball to change its trajectory. And Alba? He was already on the line. Waiting for the ball to arrive. But with my eyes closed. Who knows why. As he did not see what was coming on top of him, the ball hit his head and slipped hopelessly into his goal. It was 2-0. It was the second shot on goal for Real Madrid in the game.

 

THE PRIDE OF MINGUEZA

Koeman erred in the initial approach of the night. Not so much because of the insistence on the scheme of the three centrals, corrected after the break, but because of allowing that defense, without the leadership of Piqué, to defend 40 meters from the goal against a Real Madrid so definitive in the transition to the field open. Mingueza, at the speed of Vinicius, could not help but run looking at the ground. As if it was the only way to reach him. Forget the world and concentrate on leaving your lungs. Mingueza's pride was perhaps the only Barça blessing. Araujo, who had not been a starter for two months, had to decipher a brilliantly indecipherable forward like Benzema, who welcomed the Uruguayan with his high heel goal. Lenglet did not correct anything. Whereas Dest never knew what to do, whether to attack Mendy - he never did - or to focus on defending Vinicius - he didn't.

 

At 1-0, by the way, Alba also appeared to make a mistake. He is a disconcerting footballer, the main offensive weapon, and in fact an assistant in Mingueza's goal, but turulat in defense. He left the lane his position to go in search of Valverde, without taking into account that the powerful stride of the midfielder would turn his recklessness into a cardinal sin. That's how it went. Valverde passed Alba like a thunderbolt, leaving Lucas alone and Benzema took out the cue.

 

ERRATIC DEMBÉLÉ

He also suffered Barcelona in the static attack, without Real Madrid penalizing the absence of Sergio Ramos or the subsequent injury of Lucas Vázquez after a tackle by Sergio Busquets.

 

But nothing emerged from the combinative game, with De Jong, this time in the center of the field, unable to escape the precipitation and Pedri finding himself outmatched before the white office. Nor was there anyone in that first act to end the plays. Because Barça, yes, went to Valdebebas with Dembélé as nine. And it is already known. French, as the only reference and without spaces, is a torment.

 

Koeman corrected himself by going back to 4-3-3. Barcelona locked up Madrid. Sergi Roberto reappeared. He also wound up Griezmann, as a substitute as in the classic of the first round. But the one who revitalized Barça was La Masia. Mingueza scored with the tibia. Ilaix intimidated, with a dramatic shot to the crossbar. And Messi stayed, who knows, with one last foul. She hiked up her pants, but his loose finish absorbed the frustration.