Madrid (AFP)
A clasico without a net: Ernesto Valverde and Zinédine Zidane tackle with fragile dynamics the shock at the top of the Spanish Championship which opposes FC Barcelona to Real Madrid on Wednesday (8:00 p.m.) and could precipitate either coach in an abyss of doubts.
At Barça, Valverde the phlegmatic sails by sight over the results, regularly escorted by rumors of dismissal. As for Zidane, the old merengue icon is no longer so untouchable since his return to business in March ...
Suffice to say that before thinking of winning, we will have to try not to lose this first clasico of the season between the Barcelona leader and his Madrid dolphin, initially scheduled for the end of October for the 10th day but postponed because of violence in Catalonia.
Difficult to determine a favorite between two tied teams (35 pts), two teams hung this weekend (2-2 against Real Sociedad for Barça, 1-1 in Valencia for Real) and two coaches who finally raise the head after a mixed start to the season.
- Valverde and the "worst Barça" -
Thanks to the good pass of the Catalans since the end of November and a qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League, Ernesto Valverde was able to breathe.
But his place had been seriously weakened at the beginning of autumn, when the Barça game seemed sad, only lit by the blows of genius of Lionel Messi ... like his hat-trick against Vigo, on November 9 (4- 1).
"The worst Barça of the 21st century", had even dared the Madrid sports daily Marca, the most read in the country.
If the balance sheet of the Barcelonans is rather good, the difficulties in the game persist: battered in San Sebastian on Saturday, Barça suffered for an hour. But Valverde has removed doubts, ensuring that "the clasico will be (it) different".
During this period of turbulence, Valverde "worried a little, that's all". He stayed the course for his third season on the blaugrana bench, with the full confidence of his president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who extended it until 2020, with an additional season optional.
- Zidane facing the critics -
But if the popularity rating of "Txingurri" (the ant, in Basque language) has crumbled for a long time, that of Zinédine Zidane is no longer as stratospheric despite the three Champions Leagues conquered during his first mandate (2016 to 2018).
"Zizou", cantor of calm and elegance in the Madrid style, receives more criticism than during his first and brilliant freelance on the merengue bench. And his tactical choices, often praised, are also increasingly discussed.
His midfielder four enough player (Modric, Valverde, Kroos, Isco), aligned in Valencia Sunday (1-1) to preserve the indispensable defensive midfielder Casemiro, asked question: very good in the first period, the quartet then suffered. ..
The last time Real Madrid lost (1-0 in Mallorca on October 19), Zidane had also drawn a midfielder far too offensive, with James Rodriguez, Isco, Casemiro and Vinicius.
"Indecipherable Zidane", headlined Marca Thursday, after the last meeting of the group stage of the Champions League in Bruges (3-1), while the French technician took a risk in establishing Casemiro and Karim Benzema, and keeping Gareth Bale on the bench.
At Camp Nou, Zidane, the coach, has never lost: 2 wins and 2 draws. A fragile series, to be preserved at all costs on Wednesday ...
© 2019 AFP