Xavi is the new king of the Clasico! He’s been owning Ancelotti like it’s his side job. With four out of six wins under his belt, anyone saying Xavi needs more experience can take a seat. Wait till you hear how he pulled it off:
Xavi had to face Real Madrid without his main warriors Lewandowski, Dembele, and Pedri due to injury. But fear not, because the unlikeliest of players emerged as the game's most important player: Marcos Alonso.
In the midst of all the madness, Alonso was the guy who frustrated Madrid the most. I know Cules have a hard time coming to terms with this, and rightly so, since his shock start over Christensen against Man Utd in the Europa, but let's take a look at how he was key last night.
It wasn't the first time Alonso had played in the centre-back position this season - he's actually spent more time in the middle than at his usual spot on the left. This particular challenge seemed to play to his strengths better than any other game so far.
What was the big secret to the success? When Alonso played 40 yards from his goal, he seemed like a liability. But when he played 10 yards from his own goal, he felt like a 5-star general. It's like he went from a baby giraffe to a silverback gorilla in just a few yards!
When it comes to playing in a four-man defense, Alonso tends to struggle a bit with his defensive abilities. He can often be found wandering out of position leaving his teammates scrambling to cover his tracks.
However, put him in his natural wing-back position and he's a totally different player! But that spot is usually reserved for Balde. Alonso's talent was honed during his time at Fiorentina, where he played in a 3-5-2 formation.
It wasn't until Antonio Conte brought him on board at Chelsea that he truly found his calling as a specialist wing-back. And when Conte switched to a 3-4-3 formation, that's when Alonso finally shined. Chelsea ended up winning the Premier League!
Anyways, back to Alonso the center-back. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows when the match started because Barcelona were holding their usual high line.
Alonso seemed to be struggling. He was uncertain in his positioning and it didn't take long for Benzema to take advantage of this, making a run right past Alonso, who tracked him deeper. Luka Modric ran forward into his zone and Carvajal played the through ball to Modric.
Close call as Modric ended up missing the mark and the flag went up for offside so it wouldn't have counted even if he had scored. But this was just the beginning of Barcelona's tactical troubles.
Just four minutes later, Alonso found himself in almost the exact same situation. Benzema once again positioned himself down that side, luring Alonso upfield and leaving Modric with the opportunity to make a run in behind. Did Alonso learn from his mistake? Nope, not at all.
But then came the second half and that brought some serious changes to the game! Barcelona, who were up 1-0, did something we haven't seen from them in years - they parked the bus! Yes, you heard that right, Barcelona was suddenly all about defense.
Alonso, who specialises in aerial battles, suddenly found himself in his element. As Real Madrid launched hopeful crosses into the box, Alonso became Barcelona's strongest defender, always there to clear the ball away and protect his team's lead.
In the 88th minute, Carvajal scuffed a low cross into the box, and Alonso went in for the clearance but ended up slicing the ball badly into the air. It was a total mess - but - Alonso suddenly sprang into action.
He jumped up high, off-balance, and managed to win the header and clear the danger. It was a heart-stopping moment, but Alonso's header would make even Superman jealous.
Barcelona's possession was at a mere 35%, which was their lowest since 2013-14. Real Madrid failed to register a single shot on target, their second time this season. The first one was in the preseason El Clasico against Barcelona.
Xavi's low block played to Alonso's strengths:
• 59/68 Accurate Passes
• 6 Passes into Final Third
• 1/2 Dribbles
• 4/9 Long Balls
• 1/2 Tackles Won
• 1 Block
• 10 Clearances
• 1 Interceptions
• 8 Recoveries
• 3/6 Ground Duels Won
• 4/5 Aerial Duels Won
• 0 Fouls
• 59/68 Accurate Passes
• 6 Passes into Final Third
• 1/2 Dribbles
• 4/9 Long Balls
• 1/2 Tackles Won
• 1 Block
• 10 Clearances
• 1 Interceptions
• 8 Recoveries
• 3/6 Ground Duels Won
• 4/5 Aerial Duels Won
• 0 Fouls
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