‘Clásico’ hits all the right notes

Sunday night's clásicoclash between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou was one of the finest yet during the tenure of José Mourinho at the capital club and a timely reminder for fans of the former that despite a mounting injury list, there is enough adaptability in Tito Vilanova's side to weather the current defensive storm.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi hogged the headlines after scoring both for their respective sides in a 2-2 tie; the game was illuminated by the presence of the two superstars, who were ably supported by a stellar cast. Perhaps most noteworthy, if not headline-generating, was the assured performance of Adriano Correia, who was slotted in on the left of central defense, a position he had never played in before during his professional career, alongside Javier Mascherano: "At the beginning I had a few doubts but afterward we understood each other. The boss spoke to me and said he had complete confidence in me."

The discovery of a new center-back option is good news for Barcelona — less so for Alex Song, who had deputized previously — especially in the context of Carles Puyol's plight. The shaggy-haired stalwart is currently recovering from the latest in a string of injuries and questions must be asked about his ability to last the rigors of a season at 34. Doubts also hang over his habitual partner, Gerard Piqué, who has plenty of off-field distractions to add to his lack of minutes this season.

Dani Alves also limped off the field during the match with a muscle injury that is expected to keep him out of action for three weeks. But back on the other side of the coin, the solid performance of Alves' replacement on the night, Martín Montoya — who almost snatched three points for the home side with a piledriver to round off an orgy of crisply delivered passes — is further proof of the quality at Vilanova's disposal.

The result allowed Barcelona to maintain its eight-point lead over Real in the standing but with all eyes fixed on Camp Nou Atlético quietly snuck up to joint top on points after a 2-1 win over Málaga at the Calderón. Only goal difference separates the two sides, Barcelona having scored one more and conceded one fewer. Atlético striker Radamel Falcao was on target again, taking his tally to nine for the season; Ronaldo and Messi have eight apiece.

Under Diego Simeone, in his first full season in charge, Atlético remains unbeaten and in Falcao has a goal scorer of the same potency as Messi and Ronaldo. It is early days, and Atlético will have to fight tooth and nail to keep the Colombian in January, but the southern Madrid side must now be taken seriously as a third runner in what is traditionally a two-horse Liga race.

"It's been a while since we have looked at the league from this privileged position," noted Simeone.