Barcelona show that crying is tradition as Real Madrid top La Liga

Barcelona continue to play their relentless mind-games.

Barcelona were held to a 0-0 draw against Sevilla on Friday evening as they were thwarted in their attempt to continue leading La Liga by the Andalusian side led by ex-Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui. Two nights later, Los Blancos did the job with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Real Sociedad, one of the most difficult away trips in the Spanish top-flight.

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On Tuesday evening, the Catalans host Athletic Bilbao in what’s effectively a must-win clash if they want to keep level points with their bitter rivals a day before they take on Mallorca. However, before their latest fixture and even after the outing at Seville, the Barca entourage started commenting on the Merengues’ supposed coterie with the referees and VAR.

A guilty conscience needs no accuser as it’s necessary that the Catalans take a good look at themselves and how they’ve been let off by the refereeing errors historically and ironically over the last couple of seasons. Not much needs to be said about the Champions League scandals against Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in the recent past.

Quique Setien, who perhaps was already hoping for his current job probably didn’t see when Los Blancos were denied not one, but two penalties in the El Clasico at Camp Nou in December, too has the audacity to join Gerard Pique in claiming extortion on the Whites’ part- a rather hysterical comment from a manager who has faced the blunt since checking into the club on day one.

"“Regarding yesterday’s match, everyone saw what happened and each one will make the evaluations they see fit.”"

Setien’s words to the Standard do come as a surprise considering the fact that he is a well-respected entity in the rival camps and a respectable level of maturity is expected of him too. Nevertheless, on the flipside, it’s difficult to see a manager joining the ridiculing likes of Arturo Vidal and Gerard Pique not making the media headlines by talking about his rivals.

Unfortunately, crying over their rival’s success has been a tradition in a certain Catalan giant’s hub but it’s high time that the Blaugrana players and bosses take a good look at themselves and come to terms with the fact that human errors are part of the game and just like themselves, it’s absolutely normal referees make them too.

For what’s next, the club has a chance to take a three point lead ahead of Zinedine Zidane’s outfit at least temporarily when it faces Athletic Bilbao and God forbid the match official Jesus Gil Manzano makes any controversial call against Quique Setien’s side which would only go on and cause further alienation for the 61-year-old and his players.

Till the time that the Catalans remain uncompetitive and make a certain figure look bigger than their club, they’re going to live in denial over the fact that the match officials are favouring their fiercest rivals. Not to mention, those across in Spain’s capital would happily take a godfather status in rent-free livings and continue to be successful.

Who do you think wins La Liga at the end of eight more matchdays?