Barcelona and Real Madrid meet in the classic encounter of Spanish football on Monday. Some opt to call it 'party of the galaxies', because of the stars on show: Ronaldo, Messi, Casillas, Villa, Mourinho, Guardiola, Higuain, Xavi, Sergio Ramos, Iniesta....
Among so many stars there are some who dazzle less, yet whose contribution is indispensable. The Clasico could hinge in such cases on Sergio Busquets and Sami Khedira.
Busquets has only enjoyed roughly two full seasons in Barcelona's first team, but his rise has been so meteoric that today he is an essential member of the team, and one of the world champions.Discreet off the pitch, Busquets has become the perfect complement for Xavi and Iniesta, both at the Blaugrana and in the national team, because of his placement and sense of anticipation. To top it all off, with the ball at his feet he is far from an anchor; he is the player who connects the defence with the the attack, the adhesive keeping the team together. He is the complete player in the midfield.
Sami Khedira is one of the newcomers to Real Madrid, and gone are the days of the two Diarras and Fernando Gago. The fashionable midfield duo is now Xabi Alonso and Khedira, and the German has been able to adapt to his new role very quickly, bringing more presence to the centre than anyone else.He does not enjoy the freedom that he had at his previous club Stuttgart, or in the German national team, as Jose Mourinho has asked him to maintain a balance in midfield, to defend the team physically, and the number 24 is fulfilling the role to perfection - showing restraint, not simplicity.
Among so many stars there are some who dazzle less, yet whose contribution is indispensable. The Clasico could hinge in such cases on Sergio Busquets and Sami Khedira.
Busquets has only enjoyed roughly two full seasons in Barcelona's first team, but his rise has been so meteoric that today he is an essential member of the team, and one of the world champions.Discreet off the pitch, Busquets has become the perfect complement for Xavi and Iniesta, both at the Blaugrana and in the national team, because of his placement and sense of anticipation. To top it all off, with the ball at his feet he is far from an anchor; he is the player who connects the defence with the the attack, the adhesive keeping the team together. He is the complete player in the midfield.
Sami Khedira is one of the newcomers to Real Madrid, and gone are the days of the two Diarras and Fernando Gago. The fashionable midfield duo is now Xabi Alonso and Khedira, and the German has been able to adapt to his new role very quickly, bringing more presence to the centre than anyone else.He does not enjoy the freedom that he had at his previous club Stuttgart, or in the German national team, as Jose Mourinho has asked him to maintain a balance in midfield, to defend the team physically, and the number 24 is fulfilling the role to perfection - showing restraint, not simplicity.
0 comments:
Post a Comment