Reject the role of favorite. Madrid is the leader and plays at the Bernabéu. Xavi has it clear. As much as the games in Chamartín have a certain revalidation flavor for the Barcelona coaches in recent times. Since the arrival of Cruyff, everyone is looking for a variant that despite the white team. The Dutchman was the first to surprise in a classic. His innovation in modern football had a separate episode at the Bernabéu. On October 19, 1991, when he shared a sober Butragueño by Guardiola and later he returned his usual position causing the culé reaction.
Rijkaard also established himself on the Madrid pitch. In November 2005 he opted for the ownership of a young Messi (18 years old) who arrived tirelessly after playing with his national team.
The Argentine gave the first goal to Eto'o and they saw the applause for Ronaldinho (0-3).
But without a doubt, the great innovator at the Bernabéu was Pep Guardiola, with a wide range of options that dismantled Madrid. The most outstanding coincides with the iconic 2-6 in May 2009. The coach moved Henry and Eto'o to the bands and put Messi as a false '9'. He not only scored but it was the beginning of a long idyll for Rosario with a position in which he has broken numerous scoring records. A year later he opted for Puyol on the full-back and Alves on the inside to stop Cristiano and Benzema. Result: 0-2. At the beginning of 2011-12 he reused the invention that worked so well in the Club World Cup final against Santos: he removed the wingers and placed all the 'players' (Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta and Cesc) in the center of the field, with Messi free and Alexis as a false '9'. Barça won again (1-3).
Now it's Xavi's turn, who against Atlético already showed signs of his ability to surprise by placing Alves in midfield and disrupting Simeone's approach. From the Egarense's speech it emerges that there is an alternative prepared. “I have a clear idea, but you will see it tomorrow. In training we will adjust things and the approach will be seen immediately with the line-up, ”he explained before the last training session, maintaining the uncertainty about whether he will play with three forwards or reinforce the midfield. Today the doctorate is played.
