Camp Nou, Barcelona
Iniesta 15, Messi 45, 88 – Ronaldo 20, Benzema 82
Marcelo sent off 90
Barcelona’s Gerard Pique slammed Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho by claiming he is ‘destroying Spanish football’.
The centre-back criticised the Portuguese Coach for being most responsible for the string of incidents that have marred recent Clasicos. Barcelona and Real Madrid players from the pitch and bench clashed in the closing stages of last night’s Supercopa de Espana, in light of a poor challenge on Cesc Fabregas by Marcelo, who received a red card.
In the resulting melee, David Villa and Mesut Ozil were also shown reds from the bench, as television cameras picked up Mourinho pinching the ear of Barcelona assistant Coach Tito Vilanova.
It is the latest meeting between the sides to have produced a high-tempered affair, red cards and clashes between the players. Last season’s Champions League semi-final first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu saw a brawl break out as the players were leaving the pitch for half-time. Barcelona players have also been highly critical of Real’s tactics in recent games that have seen them pick up a total of five red cards in the last seven encounters, whilst Los Blancos claim reputation is preceding and influencing officiating decisions.
Mourinho received a five-game ban – reduced to three on appeal – for comments made after the Champions League semi-final clash, where he incited that Barca are receiving preferential treatment from UEFA, and that the European Cup Pep Guardiola won in 2009, and was set to in 2011, were ‘shameless cups’.
In the aftermath of last night’s game – that Barcelona won 3-2 to pick up the Supercopa 5-4 on aggregate – Pique blasted: “I don’t blame either set of players. I’ve played against them when we won 6-2 at their ground and it did not end up like this. Now they are under orders from a person who is destroying Spanish football.
They accuse the Catalans, but the culprits are with them in Madrid. We must do something because this is going to end badly.”
Teammate Dani Alves followed this up: “Mourinho should lead by example, but instead of transmitting positive things, he does negative things. Pep tells us to go out and play.
“Mourinho always says that Real Madrid finish games [against Barcelona] with 10 men, but he does not tell his players to act with more care. One dismissal may support this, but when it is two, three, four times…you run out of arguments.”
Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes; Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Abidal; Xavi, Busquets (Keita 85), Iniesta; Pedro (Fabregas 82), Messi, Villa (Adriano 73)
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Casillas; Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Coentrao; Alonso, Khedira (Marcelo 45); Di Maria (Higuain 64), Ozil (Kaka 78), Ronaldo; Benzema
Did you know…Pep Guardiola equals Johan Cruyff’s record 11 trophies won for Barcelona [via various]
Lionel Messi is now the record goalscorer in the Supercopa de Espana with eight goals, overtaking Raul Gonzalez’ record of 7 [via @messistats]
Messi’s 13th goal against Real Madrid – from his 15th appearance – is one shy of Cesar Rodriguez’ club-record goal-tally against Los Merengues [via @messistats]
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