It was the week when the whole world looked like it would cave in on Madrid any second. Madrid’s defensive tactics in last week’s first leg had proved the catalyst for a tumultuous week for Los Blancos.
It started with reports of a training ground bust up between involving Mourinho, Ramos and Casillas. Amongst the accusations aimed were Ramos failing to protect Mourinho in the mixed zone to which Ramos replied his manager had got it wrong. Then when questioned on why he had failed to mark Puyol for the first goal, Ramos delivered the bombshell. He said sometimes you have to switch players and as Mourinho was never a player he would not understand such a concept.
Rumors abound about who could have possibly leaked the argument to the press. The prime suspects included the players but above all the evidence pointed at the President who apparently was attempting to wash his hands off the abrasive Portuguese having backed him to the hilt thus far. Even the magazine Marca who give the impression they would cut off their tongue before criticizing Madrid were openly subjecting the coach to vitriolic abuse.
Worse was to follow as the game against Bilbao the majority of fans decided to whistle the attempt of the ultras to offer a staunch defense of Mourinho. He attempted to shrug it off by citing the examples of Zidane and Ronaldo who had been jeered. If they got whistled then why not him?
But his feigned insouciance was fooling no one. The special one was wounded and reports of a threat to quit in June were quickly disseminated. It seemed the Bernabeu for so long the graveyard of managers, was about to claim its latest victim. Observes noted Jose failure to understand and respect the traditions of the worlds most successful club.
Madrid sat atop of La Liga by five clear points yet the specter of Barca was proving too much. To lose at the Bernabeu twice in a month had seemingly tipped the balance away from Mourninho. Madrid fans had come to the end of their tether at Mourinho`s repeated failure to outfox Guardiola. The eulogy for Mourinho`s thus far tempestuous reign in the capital were being drafted. Common consensus was this was the beginning of the end. Mourinho was in danger of failing his greatest challenge and his glorious managerial CV would be branded with an indelible stain.
His team headed into the second leg without a prayer. Salgado stated the key for Madrid was to deliver a worthy performance if only to salvage some pride and steady a sinking ship. The team sheet reflected this thinking. Mourinho had granted his players and fans wish for their team to play attacking football and die on their sword of necessary.
Often in times of the greatest adversity a football team delivers its most memorable performance. For the first half an hour Madrid pressed and went for the jugular. They created chance after chance yet spurned every single one. Higuain who bizarrely started instead of Benzema was guilty of failing to convert two one on one’s. Madrid looked to the heavens wondering if an intangible force would prevent them from scoring even when they dominated. Mourinho had got the performance he needed thus far but not the goals. Then suddenly the all too familiar sight of Messi running at the defense resulted in Classico specialist Pedro coolly slotting the ball in. Two minutes later Alves struck a screamer to send his team 2-0 up on the night and 4-1 on aggregate. It was all too much for an emotional Ronaldo who looked on the verge of tears.
They said Mourinho had run out of ideas to stop Barca but who could blame the coach in such circumstances. As the Madrid players trudged towards the tunnel many would have been fearing a tortuous second half which involved them chasing and harrying the ball to no avail and probably conceding again. Barca had been mediocre but surely the second half would be nothing more than an exhibition?
It looked that way as Barca stroked the ball about in the opening few minutes of the second period. Then Madrid won a free kick in a dangerous area. As the ball was floated in Ramos powered in the header. A lifeline? A ray of hope? Neither it turned out as the goal was cruelly but justly ruled out for Ramos needless tug on Alves. Nothing was going for Los Blancos.