Sekulić settles a Clásico that never caught fire
Barcelona edge Real Madrid FC at the Camp Nou, but the old boys' reunion fails to spark.
The ball was still fizzing in the net when Danijel Sekulić wheeled away, arms spread wide, and for a moment the old place sounded like itself again. Eighteen minutes in, the winger had taken Sergio Mouriño's pass, turned inside Eliot Nicholas-French and thumped a shot past Hasitha Mohamed Risvi. The Camp Nou roared. In my day, it would have been the start of something. Last night, it was almost the end of it.
Barcelona won this Clásico 1-0, and the scoreline tells you everything and nothing. They had the ball, the chances, the one clear-cut opening of the night – and they had Sekulić. Real Madrid FC had two shots all evening, one on target, and no way through a home defence that looked comfortable without ever being spectacular.
Our preview expected the old boys to decide it. Ronaldinho, back at the club where he made his name, lasted 68 minutes and did little but collect a booking. José, the man who crossed the divide the other way, was missing altogether – a sprained ankle ligament ruling him out and leaving Giulio Roventini to lead the line. The reunion never materialised.
The game was won in the wide areas, just as the preview suggested. Sekulić tormented Nicholas-French all night, finishing with five shots, three on target, four tackles won and a goal that moves Barcelona up the table. Andreu Mariño on the other side was just as lively, and the home side's midfield ran the match through Javier Iglesias and Götz Pauls.
Real Madrid FC arrived with five draws in a row and left with a sixth defeat of the season. Their five-man defence in the second half only made them harder to beat, not better. They had one half-chance and a couple of long shots; Enzo Alba had one save to make.
The oddest sight of the night? Barcelona finishing with Luis Cabrera at centre-back and Samuel Maldonado at right-back – two players swapping roles mid-game. It worked, but it felt like a throwback to the days when a Clásico was settled by a moment of magic. Sekulić provided it. The rest was noise.