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| AFP Yonhap News |
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| ReutersYonhap News |
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| ReutersYonhap News |
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Only one coach has changed, but FC Barcelona has changed 180 degrees. Hopes are rising that Lionel Messi can return to the days when he enjoyed power.
Barcelona, led by head coach Han Ji-Flick, won a 4-0 victory in the 9th round of the Spanish Primera Liga and the first El Clasico of the season against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain, on the 27th (Korea time).
Barcelona, which swept away its losing jinx against Munich for the first time in nine years with a 4-1 win at home in the third round of the European Champions League (UCL) phase against Bayern Munich last week, crushed its 'forever rival' with momentum.
Barcelona, which finished 0-0 in the first half, took the lead in the 9th minute of the second half with the first goal of the main gun Robert Lewandowski. Lewandowski scored his 14th goal of the season two minutes later, and his attacking partners Ramin Yamal and Hafinya scored in the 32nd and 39th minutes of the second half to win a historic 4-0 victory.
Director Flick is at the center. Barcelona had a disastrous season of losing both El Clasico and losing the La Liga trophy to Real under coach Chavi Hernandez in the 2023-2024 season.
Coach Flick, who took the helm of Barcelona this season, raised his team's level in four months, if short. Barcelona players, who were small in El Clasico, showed off their firepower with four goals in the enemy territory. Barcelona has won five consecutive games, including the Cup, since losing 2-4 to Osasuna at the end of last month. In those five games, he boasted an overwhelming performance, scoring 21 goals per game, more than four, and conceding only two goals.
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| El Clasico offside map. The sky blue is Real Madrid. |
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Coach Flick induced eight offside traps in the first half of the Real match alone. The number of offside fouls has increased to 73 this season. It is an overwhelming No. 1 record in the top five European leagues. Kylian Mbappe, who joined Real this season and played his first El Clasico, suffered the humiliation of wearing the offside trap No. 8, the most in his career. Coach Flick's strategy to tie the feet of Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, who are strategically penetrating, worked perfectly. Coach Flick said "We've been training hard to raise the defensive line. (Our) offside trap looks like a big risk, but it's not."
Coach Flick brought offensive midfielder Fermin López to the bench and put in central midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has good control, as the game did not go as he said in the offense during the 45th minute. In the second half, De Jong, Marc Casado and Pedri Srimidl overcame a fight against the opposing midfield. It's just the way he showed it in the match against Munich. Barcelona, which was revived in a frustrating midfield, won the victory with the overwhelming scoring power of the three-top showing off its peak form.
Flick made his El Clasico debut at the Bernabeu, Barcelona, 40 years after Terry Venables in September 1984, and became the winning coach. It is the first time in 29 years that he has won his El Clasico debut by more than four goals since Jorge Valdano of Real in January 1995 (5-0).
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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| ReutersYonhap News |
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Lewandowski and Yamal respectively focused on El Clasico's record of scoring the oldest (36 years and 66 days) and youngest (17 years and 105 days), respectively. Lewandowski broke the record of Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), who left Cam Nouw two years ago. He has already scored 14 goals in the league alone. He is the top scorer in the top five European leagues, three more than Elling Holan (11 goals).
Barcelona scored 30 points in 11 games, beating second-place Real (24 points) by six points to lead the game alone. Above all, Real's unbeaten run in La Liga stopped in 42 games with the victory. As a result, Barcelona maintained its unbeaten record of 43 games.
Flick said: "I work for Barcelona, and I enjoy my time at Barcelona"He did not hide his great satisfaction with his new job. Barcelona fans are cheering 'new father'
Reporter Yoon Jin-man yoonjinman@sportschosun.com
yoonjinman@sportschosun.com
