Beauty and the Beast
Last night Barcelona beat their arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-2 at the Nou Camp Stadium - to win the Spanish Super Cup - in another great victory for the Catalan club.
But the fixture is in danger of needing a name change - from El Clasico as it is currently known - to Beauty v The Beast - where it seems to be heading with Jose Mourinho in charge.
Now Mourinho's Madrilenos started well and dominated the early part of the match - playing Barcelona at their own game by defending high up the pitch and pressing every ball.
Yet as so often in the recent past they were undone by sublime skill - a weighted pass from Messi followed by a chip over the keeper by Iniesta for Barcelona's first goal.
Now Real Madrid have very gifted players of their own - but the tactics of last night were clear - the team in all white were out to play a muscle game - and at any sign of trouble they just hacked their opponents down.
At some points during the game it looked more like cage fighting than football - as elbows and kicks flew everywhere - skill snuffed out with cynical challenges by the Real Madrid defence.
In the end Messi settled the score - and a few personal scores into the bargain - when he slotted the ball home to win the game 3-2.
Yet the talking point of the night was an outrageous tackle by Marcello on Barcelona's latest signing Cesc Fabregas - who was simply kicked straight up in the air.
In the melee that followed Jose Mourinho sneaked up behind one of Barcelona's assistant coaches and deliberately tweaked his ear - but not in a friendly or playful way.
No, the Madrid manager intended to humiliate and hurt his victim - a fellow professional - which will presumably land him in trouble with the footballing authorities - and rightly so.
If it had happened on the street he would have been given - and deserved - a slap or worse.
Like so many of his players - Mourinho was a disgrace - and needs to get a grip fast.
Otherwise a once great fixture will need to be be renamed as Beauty v The Beast - for so long as the Special One remains in charge.
But the fixture is in danger of needing a name change - from El Clasico as it is currently known - to Beauty v The Beast - where it seems to be heading with Jose Mourinho in charge.
Now Mourinho's Madrilenos started well and dominated the early part of the match - playing Barcelona at their own game by defending high up the pitch and pressing every ball.
Yet as so often in the recent past they were undone by sublime skill - a weighted pass from Messi followed by a chip over the keeper by Iniesta for Barcelona's first goal.
Now Real Madrid have very gifted players of their own - but the tactics of last night were clear - the team in all white were out to play a muscle game - and at any sign of trouble they just hacked their opponents down.
At some points during the game it looked more like cage fighting than football - as elbows and kicks flew everywhere - skill snuffed out with cynical challenges by the Real Madrid defence.
In the end Messi settled the score - and a few personal scores into the bargain - when he slotted the ball home to win the game 3-2.
Yet the talking point of the night was an outrageous tackle by Marcello on Barcelona's latest signing Cesc Fabregas - who was simply kicked straight up in the air.
In the melee that followed Jose Mourinho sneaked up behind one of Barcelona's assistant coaches and deliberately tweaked his ear - but not in a friendly or playful way.
No, the Madrid manager intended to humiliate and hurt his victim - a fellow professional - which will presumably land him in trouble with the footballing authorities - and rightly so.
If it had happened on the street he would have been given - and deserved - a slap or worse.
Like so many of his players - Mourinho was a disgrace - and needs to get a grip fast.
Otherwise a once great fixture will need to be be renamed as Beauty v The Beast - for so long as the Special One remains in charge.
