The Real winner?

Pellegrini: lost, but won

It's not just about the tactics, I think the players responded for him. We didn't see a new Real Madrid, we saw the way the play week in, week out - this season at least - but at its utmost.

Graham Hunter
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Manuel Pelligrini may have lost the battle with Barcelona, but might have gone a long way to winning his war at Real Madrid.

That was the verdict from Guillem Balague and Graham Hunter who suggested the man with one of the toughest jobs in the world actually emerged from the El Clasico defeat with his reputation enhanced.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's sweet volley may have knocked Real off the top of La Liga but the Revista experts believe the performance in defeat might have given their players, fans and decision-makers the belief that they can now challenge Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side.

"There was no doubt about it, that was a reconnection of what Real Madrid had done on that night," said Balague.

"In general the conclusionm you could say, from Barcelona was 'phew, that was close!, but from Real Madrid it was 'actually, we're quite good'!

Deserved

"It came out completely different in the press conference, because Guardiola was saying they got it completely wrong in the first half and had to change things and we deserved the victory after what we did in the second half."

Pellegrini, who despite a strong finish last season, again has had to put up suggestions that he is merely keeping the Bernabeu hotseat warm for a bigger name, like Arsene Wenger or Jose Mourinho.

It was not helped by Copa del Rey to third-tier minnows Alcorcon and a recent run of narrow, uninspiring victories - that coincided with Cristiano Ronaldo's absence.

Hunter said it was "patently" obvious that the return of the €80million man made Real a better side, but was quick to point out that the nature of the display also earned Pelligrini coach from the highest quarter - sporting director Jorge Valdano.

And that, he says, is a major step in winning over his critics in and out of the club.

"It's not just about the tactics, I think the players responded for him," he said. "We didn't see a new Real Madrid, we saw the way the play week in, week out - this season at least - but at its utmost.

"Jorge Valdano, the technical director, said at the end 'yeah we're getting a lot of praise for defeat now but maybe people should value when we win, but without so much style'.

Acceptable

"It's about winning and he said 'we haven't won, but we've played very well and people are recognising this style is acceptable - just when we win at home like this pat us on the back once in a while'. And that is a vote for Pelligrini."

The one difference between the two sides was of course the goal, brought about by Guardiola's decision to throw Ibrahimovic into the fray after injury.

But as Balague pointed out, it did cover up some cracks in the champions' own performance.

They managed just three shots on Iker Casillas' goal, which is their lowest total in a game for over a year and also returned their worst possession and corner stats of a season which, 12 games in, is still unbeaten.

And again, all the credit went to Pelligrini and his gameplan.

"Pellegrini defended his substitutions and generally the fact that Real Madrid had outmanoeuvred Barcelona - but that was only in the first half," said Balague.

"I think probably the plan Pelligrini had was much better than Guardiola's but the decisions made during the game made the victory Barcelona's.

"Well prepared from Pellegrini, but well played from Guardiola in the game."