SPANISH PRIMERA LIGA TITLE RACE: Real Madrid 2 Barcelona 6IT HAS been hailed as the greatest performance in Barcelona's 108-year history, a wondrous 6-2 demolition of bitter rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Now, with the Spanish league title virtually secured, Thierry Henry insists they must produce a display just as incredible if they are to progress in the Champions League on Wednesday night. It will have to be a different kind of incredible: by Henry’s own admission, there is little chance of a repeat of the sumptuous show that put Barca seven points clear with four games remaining.
Madrid could not live with Barcelona as they were expertly sliced to pieces. Xavi Hernandez provided four assists , while there was a goal apiece for Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, plus two strikes each for Leo Messi and Henry.
Although he was withdrawn and had an ice pack strapped to his leg, Henry expects to play against Chelsea, describing his substitution as little more than a “sensible precaution”. The game was already won.
“Our intention is always the same, whichever stadium we play at: to go and win. We will do that at Stamford Bridge too,” Henry said. “We have to go there and produce a performance every bit as incredible as the one at the Bernabeu.”
That is quite an act to follow, particularly for Henry. Against Madrid the former Arsenal striker was immense in his now familiar left-sided role, tormenting the full-back Sergio Ramos. He it was who slotted in a rapid equaliser after Madrid opened the scoring, won the free-kick that led to the second goal and grabbed the fourth, curling past Iker Casillas to make it 2-4 and quash any hopes raised by Madrid cutting the lead to 2-3 just three minutes before.
Two more made it six. It could easily have been 10.
GuardianService
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