Barcelona: The excuses for Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid are running out.
After their latest 3-1 home loss to Barcelona on Saturday, there was no talk of referee bias or the Catalan side's supposed propensity for exaggerating fouls, just the last-ditch explanation left for any loser: pure bad luck.
In blaming fate, Mourinho appeared to be resigned to accepting that for whatever reason, his Real Madrid are second best to a side that continues to play the world's most attractive football.
"Football is a game, and details and luck form part of it," a subdued Mourinho said after the match. "Without taking anything away from our opponents, luck was the difference."
"When we were 1-0 up we had the chance to go two up with an opening which normally with a player as fantastic as Cristiano Ronaldo would have taken, but we didn't. Their second came from a deflection, and no one can see it was anything other than luck. We had another chance at 2-2 and almost immediately they scored a third, which was a psychological blow."
When asked about a possible second yellow card Barcelona's Lionel Messi could have picked up before half-time for a late tackle on Xabi Alonso, he replied: "It was a sending off for me, but the referee was closer and could see better, so maybe it wasn't."
"They have won more games than we have, and it is easy to conclude that whoever wins more is the better team because time passes and ... we are only left with the numbers."
The numbers are conclusive. Since the arrival of coach Pep Guardiola, Barcelona have yet to lose to Madrid in the league in seven games and have an overall record of eight wins and three draws to only one loss in all competitions.
The headlines of the Madrid-friendly sports dailies on Sunday made no appeals to chance.
AS read "The Best Team Won," while Marca lamented "Barca Again Conquers the Bernabeu."
While Madrid defender Pepe also said that "Barca were very lucky," captain Iker Casillas acknowledged that his team's psychological need to beat Barcelona may also have influenced their failure to react after falling behind.
"You have to be able to also play with bad luck," said Casillas. "The results of the past seasons have not been favorable, but we have to look forward. Barcelona can't be an obsession."
Perhaps the Spain goalkeeper was best suited to see that although Madrid came close to scoring twice before uncharacteristic misses by Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona could have inflicted their fierce rivals even greater pain if they had shown more ambition in the final stretch of a game they dominated with ease.
To makes matters worse for Madrid, they could not have asked for a more favorable run of form ahead of the game.
Madrid were on a 15-match winning streak, tying a team record set in the 1960-61 season, while Barcelona were struggling in their away league games.
Then came Karim Benzema's opener just 21 seconds into the game after Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes' poor pass.
Despite the worst start imaginable, Barcelona never grew flustered and seven minutes later their star Messi gave the Santiago Bernabeu crowd reason to worry when his shot required a diving parry from Casillas in a clear warning of what was to come.
Messi set up Alexis Sanchez to score the equalizer on the half-hour mark. Xavi Hernandez put the visitors ahead with a deflected shot off Marcelo in 53rd, and Cesc Fabregas raced in to meet Dani Alves' cross at the far post to seal the comeback win in the 66th.
Both of their off-season acquisitions - Sanchez and Fabregas - scored, but it was Barcelona's old guard that led them to the victory. Messi was not at his best, but once again was the best player on the pitch, rivaled only by Andres Iniesta, who put on a master class of control, pace and precision in the second half, while captain Carles Puyol had his strongest game of the season in anchoring the defence.
"This win for us represents a turning point and a big morale boost," said Xavi, whose team took the league lead on goal difference, though Madrid have a game in hand.
Mourinho is also surely coming up short of tactics to beat the team that has become the nemesis of his highly-successful career.
After enduring a 5-0 rout in the first of the eight clasico matches he has already coached since arriving last summer, Mourinho's defensive tactics were only enough to get one win against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final as he lost the Champions League semi-finals and league race last season.
This campaign, he has sent out his team to attack in the Spanish Supercup final and now in the first of two league meetings, only to come up with the same results.
Barcelona left the Spanish capital directly for the Club World Cup in Japan, where Guardiola can add to his club-record 12 titles with yet another trophy.
The former Barcelona midfielder still expects Madrid to compete to the end of the season as they try to dethrone the Catalan side for the first time in four seasons.
"I don't think this win will sink Madrid's spirit," Guardiola said. "They will bounce back and continue to be our main rival. It goes with the philosophy of this club."
"There are still 70-odd points to play for, Madrid are still leaders, you can't say someone is already champion in November or December."
Mourinho is also not worried that the defeat will affect their league form.
"We are sad but relaxed," he said. "We are level on points with a game in hand. As long as we don't lose this against Sevilla we will go in to the Christmas break still leaders."
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