Another clásico, another tactical change by Mourinho, and another victory for Barcelona.
This time, Mourinho attempted to confound his sworn rival by crowding the midfield alleys and springing the counterattacks as fast as humanly possible, like a bag of potato chips that reads "Now 20% more crispy!" The counterattacks paid dividends with Ronaldo's opener but most of the time Madrid simply gave the ball away trying to advance a counterattack that was not yet ready. Their passes completed statistic must have been abysmal.
Meanwhile, for Barcelona the center of the pitch was difficult (except when Messi had the ball, because he didn't seem to mind) but the wings were wide open. Iniesta was a terror on the left with serene control and an ability to cut inside or outside to beat his defender. Barca created corner after corner from the flank, leading to the first goal and to an earlier header from Alexis that quite miraculously found its way to the upright.
There was a general sense of joy in the street after the match, cars blaring their horns as they screeched by. Like the first league clásico earlier in the season, this one hurt for Madrid because in Spain you can't wear the belt until you beat the people's champ, and Madrid is not over the hump however gaudy their league resume appears.
After the match, a friend of mine said he was now certain this was the best Barça in history. I know football fans hate to count their chickens before they hatch, I told him, but the signs have been evident for some time.
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