Barça's 0-4 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabéu is no coincidence. At Real Madrid management, they've discovered a series of details that explain the debacle of the whites in the classic.
Barça Players Ran 10 More Kilometers
First and foremost, Barça players ran 10 kilometers more than those of Real Madrid throughout the 90 minutes.
This happened even after Real Madrid had enjoyed an extra day of rest. It was also after Barça's players had travelled 126 kilometers against Bayern, compared to 105 for the white players.
That is to say, Barça arrived at the Bernabéu with one less day of rest and ran 30 kilometers more in their last two games than Ancelotti's players.
The Barça Teamwork Florentino Envies
It's an signal, a very explicit one. But there's more: the attitude.
The Real Madrid players waited for the start of the match, each one on their own, as if they were waiting to complete a formality. The Barça players united as a group, working to win the match of their lives .
The motivation was very different in both teams but there's more. It wasn't at all appreciated in the Bernabéu's management position.
The players asked Ancelotti for two days of celebration and they got them. The reward for the 0-4 was a holiday on Sunday and Monday.
Flick Went to See the Reserves on Sunday. And Ancelotti...?
The Barça players knew this and they clamored for three days of Hansi Flick's time as a reward for his feat. They didn't get it. Flick called them to the Ciutat Esportiva on Sunday under a heavy rainstorm and everyone got wet there, including Flick, training after the classic.
Later in the afternoon, Flick went to the stands at the Johan Cruyff Stadium to watch Barça B in action in case any more youngsters can join the first team. It's not easy to see Ancelotti analyzing Castilla. Perhaps that's why the youth academy has been absent at Real Madrid since the Italian coach took over.
RAC1 Enjoyed the Classic Like Never Before
La NARRACIÓN de RAC-1 de la GOLEADA del BARÇA: el final es APOTEÓSICO
Madrid media usually resort to RAC1 broadcasts when Real Madrid wins or Barça loses. The aim is to delight in their level of frustration.
Nobody turned to RAC1 yesterday, which thoroughly enjoyed Barça's thrashing of Real Madrid. This was the story that was silenced by the media close to Real Madrid.