The Mastermind of the Smallest of Margins?
The Mastermind of the Smallest of Margins?
By Joe Milord
With La Liga having resumed, Jose Mourinho finds himself in a familiar situation. After all, in some ways, he has been here before; back against the wall, protecting a lead, against the same opposition as well, but in a much different context. It’s not too long ago that Inter Milan, under the tutelage of “The "Special One,” traveled to Barcelona in search of a first European Cup final birth since their 1972 defeat at the hands of Ajax.
Playing with 10 men for a majority of the match, the Nerazzuri faced an onslaught the likes of which, for all the great displays from Barcelona in recent years, have seldom been seen at Camp Nou. Wave of attack after wave of attack came at Inter’s final third, but Barca were staved off by a show of discipline that screamed implications of military-like drilling on the Milan club’s training ground. Offensive players bore resemblance to defensive stalwarts, bodies were put on the line, but in the end Inter came out as survivors with a final in Madrid serving as the reward for their herculean effort. While that second leg will memorably stand alone, in lore for Inter, in infamy for Barca, those efforts would have been futile had it not been for a 3-1 win at the San Siro a week before, a victory that gave Mourinho and his team room for error, and most importantly, a foundation on which to stand for the second half of their semi-final endeavors.
Much like Inter after their first leg in Milan, Real Madrid earned themselves a comfortable lead at the top of La Liga ahead of the season’s first meeting with the Blaugrana. They’d won 11 games on the bounce and had established a 6 point gap at the top, while Barcelona stumbled against the likes of Athletic Bilbao and Getafe. But with Real Madrid having lost to their rivals again, what seems to have developed is an undeniable sense of inevitability that comes with Spain’s greatest footballing rivalry. It’s the feeling that no matter what Madrid try, they will never have enough to topple Barca. In this sense, the Clásicos of the Mourinho-Pep era serve as a metaphor for the struggle between the two clubs vying for the league title. But for all the inevitability that is felt when Real Madrid go toe-to-toe with Barca that does not and, thus far, has not translated to both teams’ league play. It is with this notion in mind that we can draw the lesson of greatest relevance from that famous night when Mourinho ruled Camp Nou.
If there’s one thing that Jose Mourinho proved in that cup tie it is that he is a man ready and able to play from ahead, a tactician who will do whatever it takes to win by the slimmest of leads. While humiliation may prove an unshakeable feeling for Madridista fans when Real is upended by Barca, because of the vast improvement of Mourinho’s squad, their battle with the Catalans is not of its usually enormous importance this year. In truth, when all is said and done, Madrid may not have to beat Barca in order to win the league title, a luxury afforded to them by their pre and post-Clasico exploits.
On the pitch it’s clear that Barcelona have the advantage, if not so much in competitive terms then most certainly in psychological terms, as made evident by Madrid frantic style of play when matched against their biggest rivals. The league however is a whole other animal, a point of which we were reminded by Real’s trip to Andalusia before their winter break. A 6-2 win away to a usually tough Sevilla side was the perfect response to a demoralizing defeat, one that bore a clear message: this is the same Real Madrid. Standing three points clear at the top of the table, the same Real Madrid that was cruising through La Liga before El Clasico is the same that will be starting the new year against Granada on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho was hired to topple Pep Guardiola. The Copa Del Rey was all the Portuguese manager could show for his efforts last year. Moving into this campaign, improvement was expected, and while Pep still seems to have Madrid’s number, it appears that Mourinho has brought forth a new metric for progress. Real Madrid this year are stronger, have more chemistry, and have displayed the type of flexibility has always been useful for any strong squad. All of this, the detailing of Real’s improvements of the past year, is not to say that Barcelona face a task beyond their capabilities, they have earned their crown as the best team in the world and doubting their quality has never proved to be a rewarding endeavor. But if there’s anything that the current course of the league campaign has shown us it’s that, despite Barcelona’s Clasico dominance, there is a case to be made for Real Madrid finally taking the title, more so than ever in recent year. That case is predicated on league form, and it is what has left the table with Real Madrid leading the two-horse race in La Liga.
On that night in Barcelona, Mourinho directed a team to victory. “Clinging on to a lead” does not even begin to do the performance justice. Madrid may well be far off from besting their rivals, and perhaps embarrassment could be awaiting yet again. For now, however, Real have an opportunity to protect a league lead, to play from ahead, and to continue being the team that they were during the first half of the league year. Barcelona have yet to be toppled, and will indeed come stronger, but the fact is that Madrid are in such a position to express themselves as the true manifestation of the progress they’ve made. Their hopes for such progression can only be bolstered by the knowledge of one simple fact; their manager has proved himself able to defend the smallest of margins.
