When FC Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu last December, it appeared that Pep Guardiola’s men would continue to dominate both La Liga and the Champions League, in spite of the constant pressure from their eternal rivals.
Fast forward to round 22 of the Spanish Primera Liga, and it is Madrid that has the chance to clinch the league title for the first time since 2007-2008.
With Barcelona suffering a 3-2 away loss to Osasuna, Madrid now has the opportunity to extend its lead atop the La Liga table to ten points.
In a league as one-sided as the Spanish Primera, Jose Mourinho’s men should rightfully fancy their chances of becoming kings of Spain once again if they manage to defeat Levante.
Barcelona, on the other hand, have been playing like a disjointed unit for several weeks now, and are looking more vulnerable with each passing game.
In their loss to Osasuna this morning, Barcelona were comatose from the get go, squandering possession at will against a very determined rival, led brilliantly by performances from Raul Garcia and Dejan Lekic.
At one stage, Barcelona found themselves 3-1 down against Osasuna.
Although they managed to peg a goal back, the Catalan side looked out of ideas while in possession. For various stages throughout the second half, Guardiola’s men threw their meticulous build-up play out the window in favour of a cross-and-hope approach that did little to break down Osasuna’s stern defence.
Barcelona’s performance yesterday pretty much sums up their away form at the moment, having won just four out of 11 matches played outside the Camp Nou.
Madrid, on the other hand, have been ruthless on the road, winning nine out of 11 thus far.
While their away form is a worry, Barcelona’s primary concern at this stage remains Lionel Messi.
Since winning his third consecutive Ballon d’Or in January, the Argentine has failed to sparkle for Barcelona, with his performance against Osasuna well below the high standards expected of the 24-year-old.
To their credit, Osasuna have become the latest team to take a leaf out of Madrid’s book, playing a high-pressure game that saw their defenders stick to Messi like glue every time the Argentine attempted to show off his dribbling skills.
Given that Barcelona pride themselves on playing a brand of football aimed at monopolising possession, the high-intensity approach assumed by most teams against the Catalan side appears to be paying dividends.
With Barcelona set to host German outfit Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League round of 16 clash on Wednesday, expect Guardiola’s men to be under the pump early as the Bundesliga side aim to take advantage of the European champions’ dip in form.
If Leverkusen can manage to get a draw at the Camp Nou, then on form the German outfit are a significant chance of knocking Barcelona out of the competition when they meet in Germany for the second leg.
Although the prospect of Barcelona going trophyless for the 2011-2012 season is well on the cards, the Spanish giants remain a champion team and are capable of turning things around.
Often considered to be one of the greatest football outfits ever assembled, it will be interesting to see if Barcelona can recapture their mojo at a time where they now appear to be at the mercy of their great rivals.
The Catalan kings will certainly need to get their act together soon if they hope to prolong an era which has seen them dominate both domestically and at an international level.
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