Barcelona Vs. Real Madrid, 2011 Spanish Supercup: Lionel Messi Shows Why He’s The Greatest, Scores 88th Minute Winner

That screencap is via @DavieDouble. The pursed-lips mustache is via Serioustown by way of the Not At All Amused Highway. We’ll see if any further penalty for the kerfuffle comes down the pike, or whether the poor soul assaulted by Mourinho’s middle finger will be able to see another Spanish sunset. In the meantime, the Blaugranas took a 5-4 victory in the aggregate.

For all of our updates from the second leg of the 2011 Spanish Supercup, check out this StoryStream. For more on Real Madrid, check out Managing Madrid. For more on FC Barcelona, check out Barca Blaugranes.

I’m no Cule, but I’m going to have to come to the defense of the Barcelona players who started the brawl in this situation. Marcelo made no attempt on the ball, and while it is dangerous to guess at the intent of players, it seems fairly clear that Marcelo’s intention was either to intimidate or injure Fabregas. Nothing about that tackle was done to improve his team’s chances of winning a football match, so the reaction of the Barcelona players was understandable.

What Marcelo did has absolutely no place in the game, and he will be lucky if the LFP does not hit him with a lengthy suspension in La Liga.

The match may have ended in fairly ugly fashion what with all of the fighting, but just moments before it had produced a moment of total, utter quality. So, ignoring those last few minutes whereupon everyone looked a bit stupid (especially Marcelo), congratulations on making a meaningless pre-season friendly thoroughly entertaining. We’ll remember this match for as long as we don’t have real games!

Messi would have the last laugh, though, scoring a brilliant winner in the 88th minute off of a spectacular volley. Had any other player scored it, they would be proclaimed a newly christened hero and legend of world football. However, Lionel Messi scored it, so he’s just Lionel Messi.

We’ll be covering the match from start to finish right here in this StoryStream. For more onReal Madrid, check out Managing Madrid. For more on FC Barcelona, check out Barca Blaugranes.

We’ll be covering the match from start to finish right here in this StoryStream. For more onReal Madrid, check out Managing Madrid. For more on FC Barcelona, check out Barca Blaugranes.

We’ll be covering the match from start to finish right here in this StoryStream. For more on Real Madrid, check out Managing Madrid. For more on FC Barcelona, check out Barca Blaugranes.

For Real Madrid, Marcelo has no place in Jose Mourinho’s lineup at the Camp Nou. Three position newcomer Fabio Coentrao will start for him at left back. Many thought that Mourinho would switch to a 4-3-3, but he’s stuck with his 4-2-3-1 formation.

FC Barcelona lineup (4-3-3): Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Abidal; Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta; Pedro, Villa, Messi

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, 2011 Supercopa

Time: 5:00 pm ET, 10:00 pm BST, 11:00 pm local

But during the first leg of the Supercup, Mou showed up in a golf shirt, and looked to be a little fluffy around the middle. Pep, meanwhile, was rocking a short-sleeved white shirt and a narrow black tie. By “rocking,” of course, I mean, “looking like he’d like to sell you an extended warranty.”

It’s time, then, for the wonderduo to step aside and let this man show them how it’s done:

Sebastian goes on to highlight the state of the central defence as a reason that Barcelona had trouble against Madrid in the first leg, but one suspects that the midfield might be more problematic. Several experts have noted that Barcelona’s typically excellent pressing wasn’t all there, and that sounds more like a fitness thing than anything else. Either way, it doesn’t really matter - by the time important games start, you’d probably expect Pep Guardiola’s side to be at the top of their game.

Apparently irrelevant friendlies are somewhat less irrelevant when Barcelona are playing Real Madrid. (Ed note: they’re still entirely irrelevant, though. We’re all going to die! How’s that for perspective?) Anyway, Barcelona are hosting Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercup after a 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg. Expect overreactions to anything that happens.

Also, according to Gabe Lezra of Managing Madrid, expect a weak Barcelona defence:

Cesc Fabregas will probably not be on Guardiola’s bench on Wednesday evening, but that won’t stop the Cules from speculating about when he’ll make his debut, if he’ll be in the starting lineup in big matches, and how he’ll be utilized. For now, expect Xavi and Andres Iniesta to start while Thiago Alcantara is the main backup on the bench.

Both teams will have mostly full squads to play on Wednesday evening, and both teams will come into the match feeling like they have a fantastic chance to lift the trophy. Kickoff is at 5 pm ET, 11 pm local time (isn’t Spain the greatest?!?), and unfortunately for you, the game is not available on American television. However, we will have extensive coverage right here at SB Nation.