Real Madrid calmly recycled possession after that near-miss, spreading the play from back to front with disciplined patience. That was their strength, they knew when to switch tempos and they did it without any difficulties.
Ignacio Figueroa rolled the ball on the floor to Carlos, who turned away from Hugo Serrano's press and passed it to Diego Morales on the right.
Barca players closed in slowly, time was steadily slipping beyond them and if they were to still have a reasonable shot at the title this season, this match was a must win.
A draw would still do better the leave six point gap at the top of the table unbreached, but a loss was out of the question. With the form Madrid was currently moving at, they would devastate most teams in Europe this season.
Morales advanced, looking around for the best recipient of the ball, he caught Xavier cutting a run with the side of his eyes and he quickly gave a pass inside to Xavier López.
