SPANISH LA LIGA: TITLE RACE: Real Madrid 1 Barcelona 1:JOSE MOURINHO'S premonition came to pass. He said Real Madrid would prepare for El Clasico with 10 men because "my teams always get red cards against Barcelona", and so it proved.
Raul Albiol was sent off for hauling down David Villa and Madrid improved after his departure, recovering to clinch a draw which provided them with a boost for Wednesday’s Copa del Rey final and the Champions league semi-final, despite effectively making Barcelona the league champions. Now he has made an appeal for the chance to face the Catalans with 11 players – and accused Barcelona of “controlling” football in Europe.
Rarely has a league title been so ignored. This draw left Barcelona eight points clear, with an unassailable advantage in goal difference, with six games remaining. Madrid, who must still travel to Valencia, Villarreal and Sevilla, would have to win every game and hope that Barcelona lose three times.
Mourinho did not mention the title but Alvaro Arbeloa described it as “practically over”. And yet there was no depression. Instead this match and the reaction to it appeared to be all about setting the tone for the other two trophies in play.
Madrid’s late reaction, fighting back in the final 10 minutes with a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty, left many declaring this a draw that “tasted like a victory”. According to Mourinho, they had completed a “mission impossible”.
Madrid had been down to 10 men, and a goal down through Leo Messi’s penalty, since the 51st minute. But despite Barcelona’s dominance, they created chances and equalised, the penalty following a debated foul by Dani Alves on Marcelo nine minutes from time. Alves, who had earlier received a yellow card, was not given a second.
For the Portuguese it was a familiar scenario. He has had men sent off against Barcelona while coach at Chelsea, Inter Milan and earlier this season for Madrid. And although he did not evaluate the central question of whether those decisions were just, he did speak out in an attempt to apply pressure on the match officials taking charge of the games that may define his first season at Real Madrid.
Mourinho, who refused to answer questions from certain journalists after a media protest and walkout the day before, also described the “different treatment” meted out to teams as “absolutely incredible”.
“I would like to play one day against Barcelona with 11 men,” Mourinho said. “I would really like to but I know that in Spain and in Europe that is mission impossible. They are a team that controls every situation that surrounds the game. When we got off the bench (to protest), we were told to sit back down; when they did it, they could do whatever they like. I would love to have the control of football that they do. I do not understand why they dominate the situation but they do.
“It should be the same for everyone. If it is a foul, it is a foul; if it is a card, it is a card. But there is a difference in criteria that is absolutely incredible. Why does Alves not get the second yellow card? We played well with 10 men because we had prepared for it and we know what we had to do but (with a view on Wednesday) we have played for 47 minutes with 10 men in which they had control and we had to chase.”
Asked how he saw the next three games going, Mourinho gave another pointed, if slightly more subtle, response. “I hope,” he said, “that all three teams play well.”
Despite needing all three points to reignite their title challenge on Saturday, Mourinho opted for an unusually defensive line-up, with German playmaker Mesut Ozil relegated to the bench and centre back Pepe deployed as one of three defensive midfielders alongside Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira.
Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola steered clear of any controversy in the aftermath of the game, but was delighted to take the point back to the Nou Camp.
“Coming to the Bernabeu and drawing is a very good result,” said Guardiola. “At 1-0 we perhaps should have put more pressure on Real’s goal. We’ll try to continue in the same vein so we can be champions.”
Guardian Service
REAL MADRID:Casillas; Ramos, Marcelo, Albiol, Carvalho, Pepe, Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Di Maria, Ronaldo, Benzema. Subs: Dudek, Arbeloa, Garay, Kaka, Adebayor, Higuain, Ozil.
BARCELONA:Valdes; Alves, Adriano, Pique, Puyol, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Messi, Villa. Subs: Pinto, Maxwell, Milito, Afellay, Thiago, Fontas, Keita.
Attendance: 80,354
