Barcelona have effectively knocked Real out of two competitions in four days. Wednesday’s 3-0 win sent Real crashing out of the Copa del Rey, while Saturday’s 1-0 win left them trailing the Liga leaders by 12 points with 12 games to go.
It means Real will now put all their eggs in the Champions League basket, and their pursuit for a fourth-straight European trophy will be tested immediately when they welcome Ajax to the Bernabeu on Tuesday.
Real hold a 2-1 lead going into that last-16 second leg, but they will have to quickly brush off the disappointment of their past week if they are to progress to the last eight.
The ever-expectant Bernabeu crowd will also be demanding a response from their side, but they can be forgiven for hoping that would be the case on Saturday night, to no avail.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63156830/1132647123.jpg.0.jpg)
Real were wasteful in attack once more against Barcelona, seeing just three of their 17 shots hit the target as Ivan Rakitic chipped in one of Barcelona’s 10 attempts (four on target) to ultimately seal the win.
Saturday’s defeat was their eighth in the league this season, while it saw them suffer three home losses in a row for the first time since 2004. Barca also edged in front in the all-time Clasico head to head for the first time in 87 years, with 96 wins to Real’s 95 (51 draws).
There is much to be corrected, but with a mountain to climb in the league, it will be the Champions League where the mistakes must be rectified.
That final is still three months, and some five games, away, but the June 1 date will already be circled in Real’s calendar. Only success in Europe will suffice for Solari, but he must first survive the fallout from the two Clasico defeats.