Last nights game at the Camp Nou was simply breathtaking. The standard of football shown by Barcelona in particular was magnificent and at the final whistle Real Madrid would have been hoping to get out of Catalonia as quickly as possible. Even Jose Mourinho was powerless to stop Iniesta, Messi, Xavi and Villa tearing his new team apart.
The game started at an incredible pace and Barcelona just oozed quality. This team has been compared to some of the great club sides in the past but as far as I am concerned this is the greatest side the world has ever seen. Last night there were 10 Ballon d’Or nominees and 15 World Cup winners on the pitch which is astonishing. The way Barcelona moved the ball and retained possession was an example to anyone who has ever played the game; one or two touches in almost every instance and all impeccable. Last night Xavi completed 110 successful passes which is a Spanish League record; Barca also completed 684 passes to Madrid’s 331.
This defeat was incredibly significant for Mourinho; it was the first time in his managerial career that his team have conceded more than 4 goals. The Madrid side is still relatively inexperienced and will recover from this but the gulf in class was easy to see last night and remedying this could be Jose’s biggest challenge.
The night belonged to Barcelona though and the way they destroyed their biggest rivals will be etched on many memories for a long time. The poise, balance and expertise demonstrated last night was at a higher level than any other club side can come close to and they will now be even more feared across Europe.
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