At that time, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were on one side, while Sergio Ramos, Javi Hernandez, Karim Benzema, and Andres Iniesta were on the other. El Clásico was a different affair then. There was also another figure, Pep, who, wearing Real Madrid’s jersey, was an adversary to Barcelona in a battle-hardened manner.
The madness, the excitement of El Clásico has somewhat diminished now. The fervor has waned. However, in today’s UEFA Champions League match at Barcelona’s turf, Porto, even if slightly, will evoke memories of those days of El Clásico. The presence of Pep in Porto’s squad!
There was a longstanding rivalry between the players of Barcelona and Real Madrid. But no one felt like a true adversary in the way Pep did towards Barça. Today, Pep will face Barcelona again, this time representing his home club, Porto. The anticipation lies in whether he will revive that warrior spirit against his former foes.
Wearing Real Madrid’s jersey, Pep has played 23 matches against Barcelona, winning 10, losing 9, and drawing the rest. He has surpassed the age of 40. However, the saying ‘age is just a number’ doesn’t quite resonate with Pep. Otherwise, how would he have set the record for the oldest goal scorer in Champions League history by scoring against Antwerp earlier this month? Injury concerns had sidelined Pep in international football. It’s hoped that’s behind him as he returns to the field today.
If that indeed happens, then Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yameogo, and João Félix will face a tough challenge in Porto’s defense tonight.
After four matches each, both Barcelona and Porto have 9 points in Group F. Shakhtar Donetsk has 6 points, and Sheriff Tiraspol has 0. Barcelona will play their last match against Sheriff, while Porto will face Shakhtar. The equation suggests that if Barcelona wins today, their place in the last 16 is secure. But even if Porto wins, their eyes will turn towards the Shakhtar-Sheriff match. If Shakhtar doesn’t lose points, even a Porto win today will keep them in suspense until the final round. The history of face-offs favors Barcelona against Porto. Out of their six meetings, Barcelona has won five times, lost once. Surely, Barça’s coach, Xavi, is banking on this.
Outside the Barcelona-Porto match, tonight in the Champions League’s Group F, two big matches await in Group F. Newcastle United will visit PSG’s field, while AC Milan will face Borussia Dortmund. With only two matches to go, these four teams have a chance to secure their place in the last 16. However, uncertainty doesn’t prevail in Group G. Manchester City and RB Leipzig have secured their place in the last 16 by winning both their matches so far.
Tonight, these two teams will face each other at Etihad. Even if this match ends in a draw, City will confirm their place as the group champions.
