The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid is the most storied in world football. Therefore, El Clásico matches are almost always hotly-contested affairs with many notable points to be mentioned.
Therefore, it was rather surprising that the latest edition of this iconic fixture ended in a 0-0 draw. Openings for goalscoring chances did not come easily for either team; this fact was reflected in the scoreline.
Undoubtedly, it would have been Real who would have been the more satisfied of the two teams at the end of the match. Player for player, Barça are clearly superior to Real; on paper, apart from perhaps goalkeeper, there is no position in which Real would seem to have the edge over their Catalan rivals.
If anyone wonders why the Blaugrana were unable to parlay their clear advantage in ability into a victory, the person who has to be blamed is clearly head coach Ernesto Valverde.
Valverde was completely outcoached and outstrategized by his opposite number Zinedine Zidane. His tactical setup and general strategy almost completely prevented players such as Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Frenkie de Jong from having the opportunities which they would have needed in order to have influenced the outcome of the match in Barça's favour.
Another key mistake made by Valverde was his decision to start Ivan Rakitić at defensive midfielder to replace the unwell Sergio Busquets instead of Arturo Vidal. The Croatian was obviously overmatched in a role with which he was clearly unfamiliar. Real's attacking midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde, and Isco carved Barça's midfield up at will; this superiority was reflected in the fact that Real managed 17 shots to Barça's nine. Only poor performances up front, especially from Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, prevented Real from claiming all three points. As a natural defensive midfielder, Vidal would have ensured that Real would not have dominated the midfield battle in the way that they did.
The number of Barça fans who have been calling for the firing of Valverde has increased in recent weeks; such calls have only become louder and more fervent after this match. Many have claimed that the only reason that Valverde is still the head coach at Camp Nou is the sustained excellence of Messi and his supporting cast, and this latest result will only have bolstered the claims of the Basque coach's detractors.
The way that Barça's 2018-19 Champions League campaign ended certainly does not help Valverde's cause. Although Barça held a 3-0 lead heading into the second leg of their Champions League semifinal against Liverpool, a shocking collapse by Barça saw the Reds overturn this deficit, winning 4-0 and advancing to the final. Liverpool would go on to win the tournament. Due to the tactical ineptitude which Valverde displayed throughout the second leg, one could easily make the claim that Valverde cost Barça a Champions League title.
Barça's initial hiring of Valverde in 2017 was also a rather baffling decision. At that point, he had almost no coaching pedigree whatsoever. He had never won a title in a country with a major football league. Apart from three league and two cup titles in Greece from his time at the helm of Olympiacos, Valverde had no achievements of note at the time.
If Barça are to seriously challenge for the Champions League title this season, it is almost certain that they will have to make a change in the dugout. It has become increasingly evident that the critics are right - Valverde is simply not good enough a coach to lead Barça to their sixth continental title.
A coaching change would not only benefit Barça now, but in the future as well; Messi is not getting any younger and this team has to prepare for a future without the Argentine legend. Hiring a coach who is more able to elevate Barça to a level beyond that which Valverde has displayed would be an important step to place the club in good stead for the coming years.
At some point, Barcelona's front office must recognize that with Valverde in charge, another Champions League victory will almost certainly not come. If ever there were a time to pull the plug, it is now.
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