Not Exclusive

Despair, despair, despair as a goal flash comes on screen accompanied by a Morse code soundtrack that Barcelona had gone one up, deeper despair when the signal was repeated, Barca now 2 up, even deeper, as the signal changed to 3 up. That’s it the locals were agreeing as their blessed Real continued to struggle to break down Bilbao up to half time. Even Antonio who lives and breathes Real was conceding the title.

Then for the second half, as so often happens with Real, they come out a different team and they go 3-1 up in speedy fashion. But that is not enough to cheer up the locals till a news flash appears showing Seville had scored and scored again taking the score to 2-3 with Barcelona. The possibility of Barca dropping a point or even losing the game was so strong, and the desire to witness so forceful that Pepe changed the channel to the Barca game.

Then the Morse code messages from the Real game showed them continuing to score, 4, then 5.…but as mentioned in a previous bulletin goal difference will not decide the Championship. Barca in their changed circumstance looked slight and were desperate to hold on to their lead at the sacrifice of their usual classy football. Every time wasting trick both obvious and subtle was displayed. The obvious being late substitutions, the subtle being the players substituted going to the Referee to shake his hand before leaving the pitch.

The games ended with victories for Real and Barca and it all rolls on to next week when the tension will be triple what was on display this week.

Will Antonio survive? Watch this space, or better still watch the games if you can.