Rijkaard, who had nothing to do about the situation on the pitch, could only try to adjust with substitutions. He replaced Deco with Giovanni in an attempt to strengthen the attack.

But without Deco's threading the needle, Barcelona's midfield is even more chaotic.

In the 61st minute, Real Madrid played a quick counterattack.

The ball was passed quickly at the feet of Baptista and Kaka, and after half-time, Kaka made a through ball of more than 30 meters through the Barcelona defence, the ball passed between Puyol and Milito, and Ricardo cut in from Milito to overtake and catch the ball at high speed.

Before the two defenders could close the net, Ricardo pulled the ball back with his left foot, then suddenly activated, passed between the two again, and then blocked Milito with his body and slotted diagonally into the box.

With Baptista in the middle and Robben at the back post, Valdés did not dare to attack, and Ricardo glanced up at his position and decisively shot from a tight angle with his left foot.

The ball rolled past Valdés' feet, almost against the post and into the far corner of the goal.

"Licardo Goalllllllll! He scored his sixth league goal of the season! "It was a brilliant goal, he barely had any angles left, but he was very accurate and found almost the only way!" ”

"Licardo's goals have dropped dramatically this season compared to last season, but it's not because his form has dropped, it's because he's put more effort into organising the attack, and his assists have increased dramatically. And when the team needs him, he can also step up and complete the fatal blow! ”

'It's 30 minutes before the game and it's very difficult for Barcelona to get back on the scoresheet. If Real Madrid can hold on to this win, they will be able to extend the gap to Barcelona to eight points, which is a desperate point difference! In the second half of the season, Real Madrid will have more margin for error and they will be able to devote more energy to the Champions League. ”

With two goals down, Rijkaard had no other choice and Barcelona could only press aggressively.

Manuel Pellegrini made a timely change, replacing Kaka with Gago in an attempt to strengthen the defence, and Real Madrid's formation changed to 4321.

Rijkaard also made decisive substitutions, Zambrotta, who had more assist ability, replaced Puyol, and teenager Bojan replaced Xavi, and the four forwards were ready to scare the air.

However, it didn't work.

After last season's adjustment of Capello, and through Pellegrini's efforts this season, Real Madrid's defense has improved qualitatively compared to previous seasons.

Under strong pressure from Barcelona, they did not give an inch.

Giovanni tried to force a shot but was blocked by Cannavaro.

Iniesta was forced too close to goal and could only force a long-range shot, which Casillas clutched.

Bojan couldn't get into the box and could only shoot from distance, which Casillas saved.

……

Barcelona, known for their flamboyant, multi-layered attacks, can only try their luck with long-range shots from outside the box.

In the 85th minute, Manuel Pellegrini used up his last substitution, replacing Ricardo with Sneijder, and Raul stepped up to the front to tighten the control of the midfield.

Ricardo slowly walked off the field amid the applause of thousands of Real Madrid fans and several times the boos.

Manuel Pellegrini greeted him, helped Licardo put on his coat with his own hands, and patted him on the shoulder: "You did a good job, thank you for your efforts." ”

Ricardo was a little surprised, he and Pellegrini hadn't spoken for a long time.

Is this a gesture of favor from Pellegrini? Ricardo thought for a moment and smiled: "Thank you, I just did what I had to do." ”

Manuel Pellegrini is certainly a good team, the team is now top of the league and qualified for the Champions League as group winners, and is in great shape and has every chance of challenging for multiple honours this season. Ricardo doesn't want to continue with Pellegrini, and it would be best if he could reconcile.

Giovanni received a pass from Andres Iniesta and fired a low shot from the edge of the box, which was too straight and was held by Casillas. The shot was completed and the referee blew the whistle for the end of the game, and in the final battle, Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-0 away to reach 42 points and continue to lead the table.

They are up to eight points ahead of third-placed Barcelona.

The second-place team, to the surprise of many, was Villarreal, who had undergone a change of manager.

At the start of the season, Villarreal was still in disarray, losing 0-5 at home to Real Madrid.

But then they went from strength to strength and were very consistent and now have 35 points and are second in the table.

But it is not a threat to Real Madrid.

Real Madrid are now the only enemies in the league, and as long as they don't make mistakes themselves, no one can influence them to win the league title in the 2007-2008 season.

The focus is shifting to the Champions League.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Manuel Pellegrini was smiling: "I'm very happy that the lads played really well today and showed what we had in training in its entirety. Our last game before the winter break, against Barcelona, will certainly boost a lot of confidence. Now I want the lads to get plenty of rest and we have a tougher schedule to conquer next year. ”

'Cristiano Ronaldo's injury is a devastating blow to the team, but I'm glad that Ricardo stepped up. His goal today was as good as ever. I hope he stays fit and I hope Ronaldo recovers soon, and with them I have confidence to go far in the Champions League. ”

Rijkaard, on the other hand, looked bitter, but still denied the news that he was going to resign.

'We had too much trouble today and didn't play in our style. The players were very committed, but they didn't all show their best and I'm sorry. We also had one or two penalties missed. We shouldn't have gotten such an outcome. But that's the end of the story, and we should move on. ”

"No, I'm not quitting. There were some difficulties for the team, we lost some games that we shouldn't have lost, but I'm confident we can still get back on track. ”

"8 points is not the end of the world, we have to chase back point by point. It's hard, but I'm sure the lads have it. ”

'There is no problem between me and Ronaldinho, he is the Ballon d'Or, he is a champion player and I give him full trust. He's got ups and downs, it's normal, every player has it. I'll make a reasonable allocation of his playing time according to his form. ”

After the game, after the team returned to Madrid, Pellegrini immediately announced that they would be disbanded on the spot and everyone could enjoy a short vacation.