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NEW DELHI: “Madrid… Saluda Al Campeon (Madrid… Say hello to the Champions)” read the front page of Barcelona-based daily SPORT. “A lo Campeon! (Like champions)”, said Mundo Deportivo, the other big sports daily in Barcelona. “Barca abraza la liga (Barcelona hug La Liga)” flashed Madrid-based AS. “Barca ‘gana’ la 28 (Barcelona win their 28th)” stated Marca.Mathematically, Barcelona have not won the Spanish league, but the writing is on the wall. With three matches remaining, they’re seven points clear of arch rivals Real Madrid.Barca have built a five-match winning streak and been unbeaten in 16 league games, going back to December, when Real Madrid were two points ahead of Barcelona. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Over the following period, Real Madrid have collected 35 points, thanks to 11 wins, four defeats, and two draws. Barcelona, meanwhile, have racked up 44 points, owing to 14 wins and two draws.The clincher, the proverbial nail in the coffin for Real Madrid, came on Sunday as Barcelona won 4-3.Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick, including two goals in the first 14 minutes. He took his tally this season to 39 goals and broke the record for the most goals scored in a debut season at Real Madrid, going past Ivan Zamorano, who had netted 37 times in 1992-93. Yet, Madrid lost and are on the cusp of finishing the season without a trophy.What’s worse from a Real Madrid perspective? Barcelona are on course to doing a domestic double, having beaten Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final as well. The trophy count reads three if you also include the Spanish Super Cup, where, too, they beat Real Madrid in the title clash.Like the Spanish Super Cup final, the Copa del Rey final and much of the league season, Real Madrid’s defensive frailties were exposed at the Olympic Stadium. And much like recent fixtures, Barcelona came from behind to win.
The Catalans trailed 2-0 against Atletico Madrid and won 4-2. They were 1-3 behind versus Celta Vigo and won 4-3. They trailed 0-1 at Valladolid and won 2-1. In the Copa del Rey final, they were 1-2 down and won 3-2 in extra time. In the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg, they trailed Inter 0-2 to stand 3-3 at full time. And in the second leg, they were 0-2 down to make it 3-2 before the Italians triumphed in extra time.These come-from-behind wins expose Barcelona’s defensive issues, which didn’t please Flick, but also pinpoint the massive turn in attacking structure and confidence compared to last season.Last season, Barcelona lost 1-2, 2-3 and 1-4 to Real Madrid in the league and Spanish Super Cup. This season, they triumphed in all four of the fixtures between these two — 4-0, 4-3, 5-0 and 3-2.On Sunday, as Mbappe carried Los Blancos single-handedly, goals from Eric Garcia, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha denied him and Real Madrid a late chance in the title race.For Barcelona, despite conceding goals aplenty recently and bowing out of Europe in heartbreaking fashion, this season has seen huge progress. A team that lacked cohesion last season has found a new breath of life under Yamal, Pedri, Ferran, Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski.“They can’t handle us this season,” said Yamal two weeks ago. “Don’t forget to ‘like’ this too,” he mockingly posted on social media after this win, seemingly aimed at Jude Bellingham and former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, who had taken pleasure in Barcelona’s Champions League exit.Except for a run of four losses in seven matches in November and December, Barcelona have been the best team in Spain this season, and few can argue against them being deserved champions. For Real Madrid, it is time to wipe the slate clean. Sure, they had their entire first-choice defensive lineup, with Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy missing for this Clasico. Real’s meek defence was summed up most brutally when makeshift full-back Lucas Vazquez was brushed off by Raphinha, went on to exchange passes with Ferran Torres before scoring to make it 4-2.
Despite pushing the title this far into the season, Real Madrid haven’t looked like a complete package this year. From back to front, Carlo Ancelotti has struggled to find a structure for this team. Mbappe, Vinicius Jr. and Bellingham have not combined well, and the team has looked devoid of ideas — none more than in their laboured exit against Arsenal in Europe.From back to midfield, the gaps created by the goodbyes to Toni Kroos and Nacho Fernandez were not filled in the transfer window and it resulted in large gaps that have been brutally exposed by the opposition teams.With Ancelotti confirmed as the Brazil manager and Xabi Alonso strongly tipped to take over, as soon as next week, the challenge will be in building a better structure with Trent Alexander-Arnold a near certainty to bolster the defence/wings. Because despite scoring 39 and shattering the club’s goalscoring record, Mbappe, who has been Real’s best player this year, has had a disappointing season — much like the club.
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