Xavi Pascual's Barça no longer kneels before Madrid

BarcelonaThings have changed since Xavi Pascual's return. A lot. A Barça team cruelly punished by injuries pulled off an epic victory against Real Madrid (100-105). The Blaugrana broke a streak of nine consecutive defeats against their eternal rivals. Furthermore, the Catalan side put an end to Real Madrid's record of consecutive victories at the Movistar Arena.

"We won the game playing better on offense than on defense. We were accurate and that allowed us to control the pace, but defensively we need to improve a lot if we want to achieve things. The challenge was very difficult, but when we play with clear ideas, we can do very well," analyzed Xavi Pascual. Barça has now accumulated eight consecutive wins in the Liga Endesa.

Josep Cubells, the director responsible for the basketball section, praised Xavi Pascual's work. "To draw a comparison with the world of football, I'd say he's the Hansi Flick of basketball," he said in an interview with TV3. Despite the delicate financial situation, Barça is studying the market to see if they can make any signings. "Pascual believes in the squad we have and has managed to get some players to step up. He's also aware of the club's financial situation," he explained. "Xavi Pascual's mentality really motivates us as a team, and that allows us to compete against everyone. The team has taken more than one step forward," explained Nico Laprovittola. The Argentine point guard (19 points and 9 assists), Kevin Punter (19 points), and Tomás Satoransky (16 points and 5 assists) were the heroes of a Barça team that made the most of its limited resources. The Blaugrana team suffered last-minute losses to Jan Vesely and Darío Brizuela, two absences that joined those of Will Clyburn and Juan Núñez. The Barcelona team was only able to register 11 players on the official roster.

"Barça played very well, especially in attack, where they played with selflessness and experience. We lacked patience and made mistakes we could have avoided," said Sergio Scariolo.

Barça capitalized on Kevin Punter's sharpshooting, who scored 11 points in the first quarter, to secure the win at the start of the Clásico. The Blaugrana made six of their eight three-point attempts, racking up 28 points in a thrilling first ten minutes. Real Madrid's scoring was largely driven by a hyperactive Mario Hezonja (24-28).

Adept at understanding Real Madrid's strengths, Pascual emphasized limiting the home team's fast breaks, as they were physically superior. Barça also effectively attacked the offensive glass. Joel Parra was the most active player for the Blaugrana, who built a ten-point lead (36-46). A slight improvement on defense allowed Real Madrid to narrow the gap by halftime (44-48).

Real Madrid capitalized on Barcelona's turnovers to accelerate the game and seize control of the rhythm. A strong run by the home team turned the tide at the Movistar Arena (57-55). The Whites were able to get to the free-throw line more frequently than Barcelona. Hezonja and Llull sensed an opening and increased their offensive contributions, but the Catalan side held firm, entering the final 10 minutes with the game in hand (75-77).

When it came down to the wire, Sergio Scariolo implemented new defensive strategies to try and disrupt Barcelona's offense. However, the Catalan team's strategy was superb. Nico Laprovittola kept the Blaugrana's offense going for a few minutes, during which the visitors' lead grew to nine points (89-98). Despite Real Madrid's efforts, the visitors remained solid until the final buzzer.

No luck for the other Catalans

The other Catalan teams that played on Sunday were not so lucky. Hiopos Lleida lost to Casademont Zaragoza (77-87), Baloncesto Girona were defeated by Surne Bilbao Basket (89-93), and Baxi Manresa were unable to pull off an upset against Valencia Basket (103-76).