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La Liga preview - Real Madrid vs. Barcelona 2009/10
Away from Manchester and the Premier League, the main talking point in Europe is whether the edge in the age-old rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona might shift towards the capital once again. A Different League investigates how the 2009/10 season might go for the two Spanish behemoths.
While English football fans have spent the summer discussing Michael Owen and Joleon Lescott, their Spanish counterparts have bore witness to months of unrelenting drama and excitement as Spain’s great giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid, prepare to do battle once more. Spanish football entertains no notion of a ‘top four’, instead relying on these two footballing powerhouses to provide the flair and entertainment which has seen La Liga return to the pinnacle of world football.
So at the dawn of the 2009/10 season, the question being asked across Europe is which of these great rivals will be victorious and crowned as the first Spanish champions of the new decade?
Real Madrid’s summer has been shaped by the second coming of President Florentino Pérez. Since his return, events at the Bernabéu have dominated the world of football. Brazilian playmaker and 2008 World Player of the Year, Kaká, arrived from AC Milan - his £56m world record fee obliterated just weeks later by the long-awaited £80m transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United. Lyon forward Karim Benzema was next to join for a somewhat handsome £36m before the arrival of defensive pairing Raúl Albiol (Valencia, £12m) and Álvaro Arbeloa (Liverpool, £3.5m). A deal to bring Xabi Alonso to the Bernabéu for a fee in the region of £30m has been agreed in principal with Liverpool, taking Madrid’s summer spending far in excess of £200m.
Understandably, there are a number of uncertainties surrounding Madrid’s 2009/10 campaign. Primarily, the side’s strongest line-up is yet to be determined. The places of Kaká, Ronaldo, and Benzema look assured, but the rest of the team sheet is a perpetual minefield. A minefield yet to be explored by new Coach Manuel Pellegrini as he attempts to gel a group of the world’s finest individual players into a solid, attacking unit.
Pellegrini will most probably line-up with two strikers, pairing Benzema with club captain Raúl or Gonzalo Higuaín - both of whom scored 24 goals during the last campaign. If this is the case, Kaká is likely to spearhead a diamond midfield, with Ronaldo and Arjen Robben acting as interchanging wingers while Xabi Alonso plays the role of defensive anchor. However, Pellegrini could deploy Benzema (or even Raúl) as a lone striker, widening his options in midfield. Both Kaká and Ronaldo (whose most effective position is an anomaly in itself) have the ability to act as advanced support strikers, whilst Wesley Sneijder, Lassana Diarra, Guti, Fernando Gago and Royston Drenthe are all possible options should Pellegrini wish to strengthen central midfield.
Defensively, Pellegrini faces much of the same uncertainty. His side will start the season without the services of Fabio Cannavaro, Gabriel Heinze and Míchel Salgado, and will instead field a back four consisting of new arrivals Albiol and Arbeloa, with existing central pairing Sergio Ramos and Pepe. Despite summer investment, Madrid’s defence looks, at best, sub-standard, and much of the defensive responsibility will be shouldered by Xabi Alonso, who will look to emulate the success, albeit short-lived, of the superb Claude Makélélé during the first Galáctico era.
Formations and tactics aside, the outcome of Madrid’s season rests with the ability of their new arrivals to swiftly adapt to the challenges of La Liga and, more importantly, playing alongside each other. The attacking trio of Kaká, Ronaldo and Benzema, brought to the Bernabéu at a combined cost of £172m, are yet to play in the same league, let alone as components of the same team, and their ability to gel into a cohesive unit will be integral to the side’s success. Great responsibility rests also with the relatively inexperienced Pellegrini and his aptitude to control a side of world-class pedigree.
Likely Real Madrid first XI
1 Casillas
2 Ramos - 18 Albiol - 3 Pepe - 2 Arbeloa
Alonso
9 Ronaldo - 11 Robben
8 Kaká
19 Benzema -7 Raúl
While the circus came to town in Madrid, Barcelona took a somewhat understated approach to their preparations for the new season. Highly-rated Brazilian youngster Keirrison was their first arrival of the summer, signing from Palmeiras for £12m before being sent out on a season-long loan to Benfica. His compatriot Maxwell was next to join from Inter Milan, the £4.2m signing expected to fill the team’s long-term void at left-back.
The biggest headlines of Barca’s summer were reserved for the arrival of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. His £40m transfer from Inter broke the club’s record fee, in a deal which included the services of Samuel Eto’o, who, after a long and tumultuous period at the club, will exchange the Camp Nou for the San Siro.
Therein lies arguably the only question surrounding Barca’s oncoming campaign. While the mesmeric interplay of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi is almost guaranteed, it remains to be seen whether Ibrahimovic - proven only in Serie A - will adapt to the speed and intensity of La Liga. His touch and skill are admittedly unquestionable, but the Swede’s constant fumblings in the Champions League, most notably against quicker opposition, demonstrate an alarming lack of versatility for a player valued at over £60m.
Aside from the lingering Ibrahimovic issue, Barca must also face up to the loss of Samuel Eto’o. Although Coach Pep Guardiola will be relieved to bring the Eto’o saga to a close, he knows that the Cameroon striker was integral to his side’s success last season, scoring 36 goals in all competitions, including the opener against Manchester United in the Champions League final. His speed, agility and sublime link-up play complemented Barca’s slick, attacking style, thus adding to the heightened sense that his presence - although at times unsettling - will be greatly missed.
Likely Barcelona first XI
1 Valdés
2 Alves - 3 Piqué - 5 Puyol - Maxwell
24 Yaya Touré
6 Xavi - 8 Iniesta
10 Messi - 9 Ibrahimovic – 14 Henry
But with the meteoric rise of Madrid’s new Galácticos and Barca’s brand of Cruyffian football set to shine once more, Spain, Europe and the world holds its breath in anticipation of the commencement of football’s oldest and fiercest rivalry, set against a backdrop of what promises to be one of the most exhilarating and entertaining La Liga campaigns to date.
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