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Real Madrid have won just once in six games – and if it's the end for Julen Lopetegui, it's painful, leaving his team in ninth place, seven points behind Barcelona. It was not just the score. it was also the sensations. In the first 45 minutes, Madrid simply did not exist, it was downright horrible. Just not there. And although they reacted in the second half, while they were doing part, while they rebelled, it was insufficient. Lionel Messi was not there, but Suárez was there. He feared that the opportunity would be lost and they made sure that was not the case, adding two more goals to do with his penalty in the first half – both superb.
Suárez had his head in his hands, whispering for himself at half-time. Looking at the dashboard, it seemed strange, but the reaction was only a reflection of a reality that had unfolded here and on the ground, 95,000 abutments felt the same thing. Barcelona led 2-0 and yet Suárez knew, like everyone else, that it should have been more. And not only because of what had happened just a few seconds ago.
In the last minute of the half-time, he was pausing: four Barcelona players suddenly ran in the middle of the field against only two Madrid players, a huge space in front of them, but that's only for that Uruguayen let pass the opportunity. knife again. Released slightly to the right but tiring running, his pass was horribly hit and the time was up, the movement ending at the very moment when it seemed that the match might go too.
The whistle sounded shortly after and when Suárez left, the Madrid players went to his side, their eyes lost. They stopped at the eleventh minute and never really seemed to recover afterwards. The goal would be a portrait of the half: Barcelona played thirty passes before delivering the ball that pierced, a long diagonal traveling over Nacho to Jordi Alba. He ran forward and when Suárez entered the penalty area, with Madrid players at his side, Alba pulled the ball back to allow Philippe Coutinho to finish tied.
Camp Nou broke out; Madrid has barely reacted. Coutinho had blocked the shot, Arthur Melo pulled a decisive stop Thibaut Courtois, but it is not the luck that defined that. In truth, there were not many, in truth; what there was, however, was an overwhelming sense of superiority. It was almost felt that Barcelona could have put an end to this situation earlier had they sought to accelerate, to seize the Madrid Gorge – and that of their manager, Lopetegui , alone on the sideline, the near end.
The ball was in Barcelona and alone, Ivan Rakitic, Arthur and Sergio Busquets exercising control, Alba leaving Nacho feeling exposed and vulnerable. On the rare occasions when Madrid had the ball, most of them gave it back. There was no reaction, no resistance, and soon the lead was doubled.
Raphaël Varane, who was going to retire at half-time, brought Suárez around, cut off his heel and spilled on his back. It took a while and a video recovery, but Sánchez Martínez finally left the sideline where he watched it on TV and pointed to where Suárez had beat Courtois. Toni Kroos, Marcelo and Isco observed: it was about as complicated as they had been.
Alba almost found Suárez soon after; then, the Uruguayan sent a deep pass to Gerard Piqué, who could not quite guide him towards the goals; and then Rafinha bent a blow right next to it. While the check seemed complete, there is still this doubt, and Suárez's disappointment intensifies when Madrid manages to return five minutes into the second half. Lucas Vázquez and Isco were successful and, when the ball fell, Marcelo scored at close range.
Lucas had replaced Varane at halftime. Madrid went three behind, width added, and the impact had been immediate. Here is finally a reaction. After all, there was a game – a real game. Madrid existed. Luka Modric too. They were revived, rebelled and played. Barcelona was shaken. Suárez may have planned it, but he was still amazed at how much it had changed. Sergio Ramos dived to steer, then Modric hit the post. Madrid was breaking now, Barcelona wanted to stop them, desperate to get the ball back, to find a way to get through the storm.
They did it and they could have done 3-1 when a magnificent move involving Rakitic and Sergi Roberto was over on an acrobatic strike from Suárez against the post. Then Coutinho delivered to Alba to hit just off. Barcelona was back in the match but that match was no longer just theirs; It was open and uncertain and as Lucas passed to the right, Karim Benzema would probably have had to move (no more) from nine meters. There was an intention in Madrid that had been absent before and whenever they showed up, the threat was palpable, fast in the tackle and faster.
Barcelona also has this in its arsenal – and in Suárez, there was a unique outlet. Alba was also very sibilant. And changes to make, all of which worked perfectly. Ousmane Dembele was sent and ran almost immediately to Barcelona. He widely dismissed Sergi Roberto, he entered midfield when Nelson Semedo was introduced, who threw a center. Suarez's neck was tense and shattered, and his handsome head, intent, flew powerfully beyond Courtois.
He was not finished yet. Sergi Roberto fought with Ramos and released him. Running, he plunged the ball beautifully on Courtois. And there was more, Dembélé sneaking and crossing, to allow the third substitute of Barcelona, Arturo Vidal, to leap forward. "He who does not bounce is a Madridista!" Chanted the stadium. Lopetegui just watched, lost and long gone.
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