Three questions and three answers from Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona

Real Madrid continued their preparations for the 2024/25 campaign with the now traditional pre-season friendly against FC Barcelona, this time at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA. The game, which was interrupted by lightning, ended with a 2-1 win for the Catalans, as Nico Paz’s late header wasn’t enough to cancel out Pau Víctor’s two goals either side of half-time.

Three answers

1. How much of a Clásico would this be?

With no Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé or Dani Carvajal, and with the likes of Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo Goes and Éder Militão getting their first minutes of pre-season, this was far from a full-strength Real Madrid side, and the same goes for Barcelona, who were without several of their own key players. It was the first time that Hansi Flick sat in the dugout for a Clásico, and the huge crowd in the stands of the MetLife Stadium made a raucous atmosphere, which helped to add to the sense of occasion, but it was evident that this was not as intense or important as one of the battles that we will likely see a number of times over the course of the campaign ahead. The only change to the starting line-up was the return of Militão, although it’s true that the changes off the bench were an improvement from the side put out against AC Milan.

2. Would Arda Güler play in midfield or attack?

In the build up to play this week, Arda Güler was tested in midfield by Carlo Ancelotti, having put him in the front three for the game against AC Milan with great success as the Turkish teenager produced a fine display. However, his role was definitely one of those more offensive roles in the front line, again repeating the attacking role he had against Milan earlier in the week. He was once again a live spark though, claiming an assist for Nico Paz’s goal with a smart corner delivery and creating three other chances. Barcelona looked to mark him heavily, but still couldn’t keep him quiet when the ball made it to the Turkish international, who also worked hard defensively and tracked back effectively.

3. Would we see more of Joan Martínez?

If there’s been one player who has surpassed expectations this pre-season, it’s been 16-year-old defender Joan Martínez. The Juvenil A player was called up to the squad to travel to the US amid speculation over the fitness of Jesús Vallejo, and has looked very composed in a cameo against AC Milan and in training. At only 16, his performances show a maturity far beyond his years, and there was hope that he would feature again against Barcelona. He came on around the hour mark in New Jersey and looked calm in possession and didn’t seem out of place in such a high-profile fixture. He was not tested too much defensively, but he certainly didn’t look like a downgrade on Éder Militão when called upon.

Three questions

1. Does the pre-season Clásico have any influence on the season?

Recent years show that the answer is a resounding no. This is the third consecutive year in which the two giants of Spanish soccer have come head to head in pre-season, with Real Madrid yet to win any of their meetings. Only once have Barcelona gone on to win La Liga in the season to follow. In fact, this was an improvement on the previous two for Real Madrid, as they failed to score in either of the two last meetings. The last time Real Madrid won a pre-season exhibition game against Barcelona was in 1959, when Puskás, Gento and Di Stéfano were on the scoresheet in a 4-3 win. Ironically, it was preparation for one of only two seasons between 1955 and 1965 in which Real Madrid did not win La Liga.

2. How important could this pre-season be for Éder Militão?

This pre-season is an unusual one for Éder Militão, coming a year after an anterior cruciate ligament injury effectively wrote off his 2023/24 campaign. When he did return at the end of the domestic season, he looked understandably rusty and shaky and struggled to hit his usual heights. Despite that, he went to the Copa América with Brazil and is now continuing to rebuild fitness with Real Madrid during pre-season. He was not afraid to start this game, ahead of his international team-mates who started on the bench. Militão looked in good shape, but knows the importance of getting a strong pre-season under his belt before the campaign kicks off competitively.

3. How much was this game influenced by the weather?

After concerns that kick-off may be delayed due to a storm, with initial suggestions suggesting that there could be as much as a two-hour postponement to the start of the game, the match did begin at the scheduled time. However, it lasted only 11 minutes before referee Armando Villarreal was left with no choice but to activate the lightning delay protocol which meant that the game was suspended for 30 minutes. The subsequent delay of almost 90 minutes disrupted the flow of a game where Real Madrid had looked dangerous on the counter and were threatening Barcelona’s goal. In truth, it took both teams most of the first half to truly get going again and find their momentum.