MIRROR PERMUTATIONS
How can you pass up the opportunity to see the first El Clásico of the year? Furthermore, the teams played the first title in 2023 in a head-to-head encounter. Yes, not the most prestigious, but Xavi needs to show that he is running the team in the right way, and the early nature of this encounter left no doubt that the battle would be serious.
Both teams did not have the best semifinals, because they defeated their rivals of much lower status only in a penalty shootout, that is, they ran another half hour and then survived another ten exciting minutes. That made it more interesting to see if the coaches would resort to more rotations than usual.
In fact, both managers made three mirror substitutions, two on the flanks and one in midfield with the midfielder going on the attack. Carlo Ancelotti released more status to Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy than to Lucas Vázquez and Nacho, and sent Luka Modric to the midfield, pushing Valverde forward. Xavi, instead of Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba, released Ronald Araujo and Alex Balde, and changed the structure in midfield for the second defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets to replace winger Rafinha.
Xavi beat Ancelotti
Xavi’s permutations showed greater efficiency. The Catalans, at the expense of the second defender, blocked the zones in front of their own penalty area, seized the ball, did not allow the opponent to make counterattacks and almost opened the scoring in the debut – Thibault Courtois transferred Robert Lewandowski’s shot to the post with the tips of his fingers, and Balde, who came running, shoots at point blank range near the angle.
The culés maintained a point of support in the center of the field during all the time and periodically disturbed the rival by the flanks. Mendy had a hard time in the fight with Ousmane Dembele, and Gavi completely destroyed Carvajal. It was he, along with Lewandowski, who intervened in the two goals in the first half. In the first case, he completed a clear multi-movement Ousmane Dembele – Pedri – Lewandowski.
And at the end of the half, he ran towards the goal and put the ball on Lewandowski’s leg, returning the favor for the first scoring episode. However, it should be noted that the decisive episode of the scoring attack came earlier, when Frenkie de Jong took advantage of the fact that Eder Militao and Carvajal rushed into midfield late and pushed the ball past Gavi into the area. free zone. Antonio Rüdiger was left against two rivals and could not help.
GAVI PARTY GENIUS
Ancelotti has always been a noted psychologist – they call him Papa Carlo for a reason – but he was never noted for subtle tactical delights. Federico Valverde himself in the right-back position has always looked an order of magnitude weaker than in midfield, but the Italian regularly resorts to this option, leaving Brazilian footballer Rodrigo in reserve. And he often corrects the mistake during the match. So it was this time. At the break, Rodrigo replaced Eduardo Camavinga and Valverde moved to the midfield.
Part of the game has changed. In the part in which ‘Real’ kept the ball in the other half. However, the blaugrana had even more possession of the ball and even better counterattacks. Even at the beginning of the half, Dembélé was able to close all the questions, but he lost to Courtois in a full-time duel. But Gavi, 20 minutes from time, was unstoppable, opened from the left, picked up the ball and shot an accurate shot at the far post, where Pedri ran to score on an empty goal.
According to such a game, Barcelona would not have missed a victory, even if 15 players played simultaneously in the opponent’s team. He played the game in one go and deservedly beat Madrid, who only reached him for a goal in the 93rd minute. It was a very technical victory. And who?! Xavi, who won only the first trophy with Barça as coach, over the experienced Ancelotti, who had already lost the final in 2010.
Spain Supercup. The end
“Real” – “Barcelona” – 1:3 (0:2)
Goals: Gavi, 33 – 0:1. Lewandowski, 45 – 0:2. Pedri, 69 – 0:3. Benzema, 90+3 – 1:3.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal (Nacho 72), Militao, Rudiger, F. Mendy, Camavinga (Rodrigo 46), Modric (Ceballos 65), Kroos (Asensio 72), Valverde, Vinicius, Benzema.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Araujo (Eric Garcia 87), Kunde, Christensen, A. Balde, Busquets, F. de Jong (Kessier 86), Dembele (Rafinha 78), Gavi (Fati 90), Pedri (Roberto, 90), Lewandowski.
Yellow cards: F. Mendy, 32. Christensen, 49. Araujo, 68. Valverde, 82.
Referee: Bengoechea.
