THE UPPER HAND? – What was learnt from yesterday’s results.

By Staff Writer
Updated: 11 September, 2011

Advantage Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid.

Two wins, ten goals scored and two points clear of bitter rivals Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

If this was three or four months from now those statistics would hold a little more significance, but after only a couple of matches we probably shouldn’t read too much into them.

True, Mourinho and his men lay down the gauntlet to the Catalans when they burst out of the blocks in the first leg of the Supercup, albeit ending as undeserving losers, but have we seen enough to suggest los blancos have now got the tools to finally wrestle the La Liga title from the tight grip of Barcelona?

Just maybe.

A lot rides with Florentino Perez this season after granting such direct control of the team to his Portuguese manager, and many observers are waiting impatiently for it to all go wrong in the capital.

The shenanigans of the Camp Nou supercup clash whetted the appetite of many a critic who believe Mou is dragging the club down a one-way path to shame and ultimate failure.

Barcelona let a two-goal lead slip in three minutes against Real Sociedad.

But the self-style ‘Special One’ is a shrewd and clever individual.

Love him or loath him, you would be undeniably naive to think he has got where he is today without a measure of tactical brilliance.

Last season’s model of the boys from the Bernabeu was good, but not quite good enough.

They brushed aside all that stood before them, that was until they locked horns with their great adversaries from the north-east.

A sole victory, although it clinched the Copa del Rey, was an unsatisfactory consolation prize as they sat back to endure Barcelona bag the ultimate prize of the Liga and Champions League double.

This season however, something looks a little different.

There is a new found swagger and confidence to the team.

The opening day six-goal destruction of Real Zaragoza was an ominous sign of things to come – going one goal better than Barça’s impressive 5-0 dispatch of Champions League qualifiers, Villarreal.

Neither result, although both impressive, revealed anything we didn’t already know however.

Yesterday’s games in contrast, could prove a little more telling, especially when you consider the title will be decided on the two ‘clásicos’ combined with who has the least lapses in concentration during the other 36 games.

At the Anoeta in the days early kick off, Barcelona stormed into a two goal lead against a competitive, but ultimately inferior Real Sociedad side.

Pep Guardiola was left furious however, when the reigning champions let this advantage slip to only take a point from a game that should have been all over before the hosts netted twice in quick succession to deny them.

In contrast, their rivals in Madrid overcame a spirited Getafe side to claim a 4-2 victory and gain an early psychological advantage in the title chase.

Both sides should be sat level at the top, but Barça’s uncharacteristic slip-up means Jose Mourinho and his side can take some confidence from the knowledge that their rivals are not the perceived ‘la maquina’.

It may sound far too early to be discussing these results in context to the championship, but the improved quality and performance of this year’s Madrid model means the title could be won and lost on the mental battlefield – a battle of wits, concentration and confidence.

The title obviously wasn’t decided yesterday and there are bound to be far more twists and turns over the coming months, but we could just have witnessed the first indication that this season’s battle is going to be far more intriguing than that of recent years.

Follow @icentrocampista