Source: Daily_Mail
Barcelona v Real Madrid: Your A-Z guide to the clasico
There are just 100 days before the next clasico, when Barcelona and Real Madrid due to meet in the Spanish Super Cup. [LNB]And as the dust settles on four games in less than three weeks, here's your definitive lowdown of what happened - and what will happen next...[LNB] Farewell for now: Gerard Pique (left) greets Xabi Alonso at the final whistle[LNB] More from Pete Jenson... Pete Jenson: Clasico in the gutter maybe but Madrid are still not out of it29/04/11 Game in Spain: Casillas on his way to becoming greatest keeper of them all22/04/11 Game in Spain: Four things that will happen in the clasico encounters14/04/11 Game in Spain: Beard or no beard, Kaka ready for Premier League audition07/04/11 Game in Spain: Blistering or burnt-out - which Ronaldo will return?01/04/11 Game in Spain: Unfinished business pits Real against Jose's suitors 24/03/11 Game in Spain: Is Ali Syed a sugar daddy or serial fraudster?17/03/11 Game in Spain: Raul may have snubbed Man United but is there an unlikely trip to Old Trafford ahead?10/03/11 VIEW FULL ARCHIVEAdebayorThe big man was consistent at least - four second half substitute appearances and four yellow cards. He needed a goal against Barcelona to boost his chances of staying beyond the summer and it never came. 'Adios and Gracias' as Thursday's front page of Marca put it.[LNB]Balls An advert promoting the series of matches had rival players launching drop-kicks from famous landmarks in the two cities with the ball landing in the other city. Messi took that spirit into the first game hammering the ball into the Madrid crowd as tempers flared. [LNB]CristianoAs the Madrid fans call him so as not to confuse him with the other Ronaldo. He had his greatest moment yet in the white shirt with that Cup final winning header but then suffered because of negative tactics in the first Champions League game and bad luck in the second match - pushed by Pique, falling into Mascherano, conceding the foul and so ruling out Higuain's goal.[LNB]Directors lunchDespite all the hostilities the two sets of suits sat down for the traditional pre-match feed before the last game. Both sides did their best not to mention how the other had reported them to Uefa just days earlier. [LNB]Eric AbidalThe man who put everything into perspective with a miraculous and inspirational late semi-final appearance seven weeks after cancer surgery.[LNB]Frank De BleeckereNamed and shamed by Mourinho after the first leg and then picked by Uefa to officiate the second leg, the Belgian could have been forgiven for brandishing the cards at the Nou Camp. Instead he became the first referee not to send one of Jose's players off against Barcelona in six matches.[LNB]GuardiolaIt looked for all the world as if Pep was having his Kevin Keegan moment when he launched into a five minute long rant about how Mourinho had won his 'Champions League of press conferences' but that his team would win theirs on the pitch. But he was applauded by his players in the team subsequent lunch and they were sufficiently inspired to deliver the promise he had made on their behalf.[LNB] Pep talk: Barcelona's boss hugs Lionel Messi after victory over Real on Tuesday[LNB]Higuain's goalThere really was absolutely nothing wrong with it. Could have changed the game.[LNB]Iker CasillasIncredible first half performances in the Spanish Cup and the Champions League second leg kept Madrid in both matches. Now in his capacity as Spain captain he needs to heal the wounds of four rounds of in-fighting. Barcelona and Real Madrid players meet up again on June 4 for a friendly against USA in Boston.[LNB]Jimmy JumpNo-one was more disappointed at Mourinho's sending off in the first leg than the habitual Barcelona pitch invader who made a half-hearted lunge at Ronaldo because there was no Jose to target in the dug-out.[LNB] Put your hat on it: Jimmy Jump attempts his prank on Cristiano Ronaldo[LNB]Karanka'He wasn't on the bench, he wasn't in the dressing room, I don't know where he was,' said Mourinho's No 2 when asked if the Real Madrid manager had turned up for the second leg. 'Good lad,' said Jose as he sat watching back at the hotel Rey Juan Carlos II. Ahead of the first clasico the two had sat alongside each other with Karanka answering the questions and poker-faced Mourinho mute beside him. Far from being put out by the eccentricities of his boss, insiders say Karanka is having the time of his life as Jose's assistant.[LNB]London calling Such is the allure of another European Cup final at Wembley that Barcelona are expecting 80,000 applications for their allocation of 24,000 tickets.[LNB]MourinhoSome will argue one trophy is insufficient return on such a colossal financial outlay. But Madrid have been spending fortunes for years and going out of the Champions League in February. Last season they made their Spanish Cup exit to a third division side in the round of last-16; this season they beat Barcelona in the final. [LNB]New playersBorussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin has all but signed for Real and Espanyol winger Jose Callejon could be joining. Jose Mourinho still wants the right back and centre-forward he asked for at the start of the season and Jerzy Dudek, Fernando Gago, Pedro Leon and Kaka will all be sold with young Sergio Canales going out on loan, possibly to Newcastle.[LNB] Mew man: Nuri Sahin and his wife Tugba Sahin could be heading to Madrid[LNB]OnsidePedro was correctly flagged offside when he scored in the Cup Final and when Guardiola complained about the decision Mourinho was never going to let it slide. 'Now we have a new group of coaches who criticize referees when they get the decision right,' he said.[LNB]Pitches'There should be a law about the length of the grass,' said Xavi, 'No-one wants dry pitches with long grass.' Madrid were so determined to slow Barca's football down Mournho ordered the grass to be left uncut ahead of the first clasico. Barcelona were so determined to speed things up they even turned on the sprinklers during one of the heaviest downpour in Camp Nou history. Someone pointed out that waterlogged pitches are not great for passing either and the tap was turned off.[LNB]Question'I never accused anybody. All I did was ask the question,' said Mourinho of his referee rant. Tomorrow he finds out if UEFA agree that saying: 'Why do referees always favour Barcelona?' really is different to saying 'referees always favour Barcelona.'[LNB]Ramos Not since the film Mike Basset: England Manager - when the open top bus taking Norwich players on a victory parade takes a wrong turn and ends up on the A11 - has a celebratory ride through the streets gone so badly. The Real Madrid full-back, who is already the butt of jokes after lamenting the 'failure to pick up all three points' in a television interview straight after a Champions League knockout match, will be disappointed to have dropped the Spanish Cup under a bus. But he'll be pleased to have drawn this four-match series with Barcelona.[LNB][LNB]Supporters The Madrid press couldn't quite work out why Real fans had celebrated the opening 1-1 draw as if it had been a victory. 'When we beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane the other night,' said Mourinho, 'We were 5-0 up on aggregate and their fans were singing: "we're going to win 6-5". It's about backing your team and believing in them.' His message to the club's supporters is slowing sinking in.[LNB]TroubleViolence marred some of the celebrations as Barcelona knocked Real Madrid out of Europe. More than 8,000 people took to the streets on the final whistle but there were 20 arrest and 25 people taken to hospital.[LNB]UNICEFAnother Mourinho hypothesis on why Barcelona get the decisions. Next season's Qatar Foundation emblazoned shirts should put an end to that.[LNB]Van NistelrooyRuud holds the record for Champions League goals scored in one season but Leo Messi needs just one goal to match the 12 the Dutchman scored in the 2002-03 season. With his stunning goal in the first leg Messi became the third all-time top scorer in Barcelona's history aged just 23. [LNB] In a class of his own: Messi is breaking records in his tender years[LNB]WatchersOver 14 million watched the last of the clasicos on Spanish television, that is almost one million more than watched Spain win the World Cup final. [LNB]XaviHe wanted to go to the last Wembley final but he was too young and he had to stay at home while his brothers made the trip to see the famous victory over Sampdoria. Playing there on May 28 will make up for that.[LNB]Youth footballBarcelona have been spending 20m euros a year on its youth system since 2000. When young Sergi Roberto came on for his debut in the first leg there were eight former youth teamers on the pitch at once. [LNB]Zidane Still the last man to score for Madrid in a Champions League final. He will play a bigger role next season as Valdano is squeezed out by Mourinho and Madrid look to make it to the Munich final in 2012.[LNB] Pep's destiny: Why Wembley means so much to Guardiola's BarcaOnce beautiful, Barcelona have tumbled and fallen out of our affectionsBarcelona 1 Real 1 (agg 3-1): Jose's men fall short as Catalans cruise[LNB] Explore more:People: Xavi, Jose Mourinho, Leo Messi Places: Barcelona, Munich, London, Boston, Madrid, Newcastle, Norwich, Spain, Europe Organisations: United Nations International Children ' s Emergency Fund
