Julen Lopetegui set for axe while Luis Suarez grabs spotlight in El Clasico

Andy West 00:14 29/10/2018
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  • Barcelona surged seven points clear of hapless Real Madrid with a 5-1 thrashing at the Camp Nou, but that scoreline does not tell the full story of a game which the visitors should have levelled in the second half.

    The fact they didn’t probably means that Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui will be relieved of his duties, and he will be forgiven for ruefully wondering what might have been on a highly eventful afternoon.

    Here we look back at the three biggest stories to emerge from El Clasico.

    LOPETEGUI’S LUCK RUNS OUT

    Julen Lopetegui’s brief reign as Real Madrid manager will almost certainly come to an end after this Camp Nou mauling, with the ill-fated former Spain coach strongly expected to be replaced – probably by Antonio Conte – in the next few days.

    His first and probably last Clasico demonstrated the bad fortune Lopetegui has suffered throughout his time in charge. Firstly, his team shot themselves in the foot during the first half by conceding an easily fashioned opener and then handing Luis Suarez his first goal from the spot through a poor challenge by Raphael Varane, even though it needed a VAR review to confirm the decision.

    Lopetegui acted decisively at half-time by removing the apparently injured Varane and switching to a 3-5-2 formation, and that change made a world of difference as his team pulled one back and squandered several chances for an equaliser, including a shot against the inside of the post by Luka Modric.

    Then, just when they seemed to be getting back in the game, they went further behind to a brilliant header from Suarez and that was the point of no return, with Lopetegui’s team – just like his managerial reign – falling apart in the final stages. But if their chances had been taken, it could have been a very different outcome.

    ON-FIRE SUAREZ RISES TO THE OCCASION

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    Luis Suarez has faced plenty of criticism over the last 12 months, with many frustrated Barca fans vehemently arguing that the veteran Uruguayan should be phased out of the team. And it’s certainly true that Suarez has regularly been well below the standards he has set over the course of his outstanding career.

    But not this time. Suarez was magnificent in this Clasico demolition job and stole the headlines from his usual partner in crime Lionel Messi with a barnstorming hat-trick and an overall display which saw him seize the team’s vacant leadership role. He earned the first goal for himself, making a determined run in front of Varane to draw a clumsy challenge for a penalty which he dispatched clinically into the bottom left corner.

    His second and third goals, clinching the victory in the latter stages, were special. Firstly he met a curled lateral cross from Sergi Roberto with a very difficult header, somehow swivelling his body from a standing position to impart incredible power and accuracy on the ball. And then came his hat-trick strike, running onto Roberto’s pass and lifting a cheeky chip over the onrushing Thibaut Courtois.

    Suarez also worked like a demon throughout the contest, and although he doesn’t always do everything right and produces plenty of loose touches, on this kind of form he is surely still the best pure centre forward in the world.

    BALE AND BENZEMA FAIL TO DELIVER

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    Not for the first time this season, Madrid’s chances of success were hindered by powderpuff performances from their forwards, and the contrast between hat-trick hero Suarez and visiting counterparts Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale was arguably the biggest contributory factor to the result.

    Whereas Suarez was hard-charging and relentlessly intense, Bale and Benzema tip-toed their way through the action. Bale was particularly poor, offering very little attacking penetration and failing to provide adequate defensive support before being replaced by Marco Asensio for the final 15 minutes.

    Benzema contributed much more to his team’s general play, especially during their strongest phase of the game in the middle of the second half. But his finishing, once again, was terrible, and a missed free header – sent over the bar from a wonderful position – was the biggest turning point of the game.

    Bale and Benzema have now scored just one goal between them during the Madrid’s collapse in form over the last month, and their part in Lopetegui’s likely downfall has been highly significant.

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