El Clasico should guarantee football fireworks. This time, it fizzled

Neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona were willing to take a risk, writes Tom Kershaw – even the great Lionel Messi faded into the periphery

Messi looks dejected during his Barcelona side's defeat (EPA)

Hours before El Clasico kicked off on Sunday evening, hordes of fans had flocked, in the pouring rain, to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. The atmosphere was febrile, a faint banging of drums lingering constantly in the background.

Despite a recent plateau in form, most wouldn’t hesitate to call Real Madrid vs Barcelona – a decades-long rivalry, underwritten by a deep political division, between Spain’s two sporting superpowers – the greatest club game football has to offer.

Even as a journalist, it’s impossible not to get swept up in such an occasion. After all, they offer the kinds of moments that made us want to be sports journalists in the first place. Sat high above it all, it would be fair to say there were few fireworks on the pitch, but many on the stands. Madrid’s “white wall”, situated behind the goal in the south stand, sang throughout the 90 minutes.

The game itself was desperately short of quality. Just two points separated the two sides at the top of La Liga ahead of kick-off, but in a tired first half, neither was willing to throw caution to the wind and take a risk. Rarely has either team played as if they had more to lose than gain; even the great Lionel Messi faded into the periphery. The dazzle of these giants’ ageing squads, it seems, is fading.

In the end, the result came down to desire as much as anything else. Vinicius Jr, a 19-year-old who grew up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, was rewarded for his tireless effort by a shot that deflected in off Gerard Pique, Barca’s centre-half stalwart.

Then, with almost the final kick of the match, Mariano Diaz, making his first league appearance of the season, scuffed a shot into the bottom corner to seal victory and Madrid’s position at the top of the table. It was the first time they had defeated Barca at the Bernabeu for almost 2,000 days.

Outside the ground, as the rain continued to lash down, supporters spilled onto the street. Some gathered by the exit where players’ buses wouldn’t depart for hours; others filtered towards the neighbouring bars. When you’ve the rare luxury of an extra few hours before your match report deadline, it’s best to go with them, and soak it all in.

Yours,

Tom Kershaw

Sports writer