Defence the best form of attack
Zinédine Zidane became the first Real Madrid coach since Bernd Schuster to win his debut Clásico in charge and it was evident that the Frenchman learned lessons from the side’s 4-0 home hammering in the reverse fixture. He set the side up in a compact way to not allow Barcelona’s front three – Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez – any space whatsoever and deployed the outstanding Casemiro as a shield in front of the back four.
Gareth Bale and winning scorer Cristiano Ronaldo could also be seen frequently tracking back to deny Barça’s marauding full-backs space to exploit in what was a disciplined display. Despite enjoying…