Zinedine Zidane and his well organised team gave FC Barcelona a Reality-Check when they defeated Barca by two goals to one on Saturday evening at the Nou Camp, proving practically to the rest teams that afterall the Star Studded Barcelona team headed by Luis Enrique, can be beaten and beaten well even at home.
No excuse is tenable, Real edged it out when it matters the most. From the blast of the whistle, it was not the rampaging and rocketing Barca team we are all used to, Real defence line played a disciplined game, keeping the Trident in check. The midfield curtail so aptly the expertise coming from the blaugranas fantastic and fleet footed midfielders, most especially Casemiro whom I subtly opined should be accorded the Man of the Match for a brilliant and resolute game. The BBC trio acted and played like the ever threatening BBC trio we were used to before the Benitez's era in the El-Classico, full of intent, charisma, trickery, pace and precision.
Perhaps, there was complacency from the blue and red striped team, maybe jet-lagged coming in from the international break, but nothing is credible enough to
justify losing an El-Classico match and letting slip painfully the 39th game unbeaten streak. Luis Enrique side should be grateful this game didn't cause them anything expensive like being knocked out of the UCL or falling down the pecking order in the League, it just sent them a
serious warning that though they might be having it all rosy, but this is the thickest part of the Campaign were every game must be taking with utmost importance, be it a middle-placed team or an highly ranked team.
A valuable and painful reality check to swallow, learn from it and celebrate gallantly at the end of the season, ignore it and all efforts being built from the beginning of the season would just prove futile.
Every celebration from the Real Squad is worth it, big credit to Zinedine Zidane who has recorded a landmark achievement in his coaching career.
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