For eight years, from 2004 to 2012, Cameroon goalkeeper Carlos Kameni was Espanyol's stopper, the mainstay of a side which was in a state of constant flux. Even city rivals Barcelona had a grudging respect for his talents and the way he had established himself as a goalkeeper in Spain's top flight at the tender age of 20.
Early achievement was nothing new to Kamemi. He had become the youngest footballer, at 16, to win an Olympic gold medal at the Sydney Games in 2000, as Cameroon beat a Spain team featuring Xavi and Carlos Pujol.
By 2012, Kameni had become tired of Espanyol’s lack of ambition and constantly selling their best players. He did not see eye-to-eye with his manager, Mauricio Pochettino, either. He joined a newly rich Malaga, but as a No 2 goalkeeper. By 2014, Malaga were no longer so wealthy and Kameni established himself as fist choice, playing all 38 league games in 2014/15 and was voted the club’s player of the year.
Against Barca, he has been a constant thorn in their side, notably helping to stop them winning the league on the final day of the 2006/7 season. Saturday’s 0-0 draw was the fourth time in succession that Kameni has kept a clean sheet at Camp Nou. No goalkeeper comes close to holding such a record.
Also read:
• Celtic v Barca: Scottish club's fans right to believe win is in sight
• Arsenal v PSG: French side suffer post-Ibrahimovic blues ahead of trip to London
Barcelona missed Lionel Messi badly, they missed Luis Suarez too. The huge 83,439 crowd, the biggest in world football last weekend, got a view of just how average Barca can be when they are missing their stars. As one headline put it, "Messi sneezes and Barca catches a cold".
Take Andres Iniesta, Messi, Suarez, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic out of any starting XI and it would be heavily depleted. Like his teammates, Neymar was uncharacteristically flat, at least until the final 10 minutes as their fans roared them on. Yet Malaga defended well and Kameni was their best player. Defender Gerard Pique conceded after: “It’s worrying that we’ve dropped so many points at home.”
Kameni returned to Andalusia a hero as Malaga continue to enjoy a creditable season, but Barca will be the focus of far more serious examination and there is no let up in their fixtures.
The Catalans play at Celtic on Wednesday in a must-win Uefa Champions League game. Luis Enrique's side want to top their group, as they do every season, and avoid being drawn with one of the very best from another group in the knockout stages. They are currently two points ahead of Manchester City, with two games to play, while Celtic have managed to draw twice. Barca beat Celtic 7-0 at the Camp Nou and will be clear favourites in Glasgow, where Barca's players love playing because of the atmosphere. Messi will be back too, but it is still a concerning time for the Catalans.
At Enrique’s behest, they spent a lot of money in the summer on young players to boost the quality of their squad, yet the new recruits have experienced mixed fortunes so far. Paco Alcacer, Lucas Digne, Denis Suarez, Andre Gomes and Samuel Umtiti all arrived with proven pedigree, albeit for sides not at Barca’s level.
Injuries have meant that they have featured more prominently than they might have expected, but none have scored so far. While defenders Umtiti, who has been the best of the new recruits, and Digne would not be expected to find the net, Alcacer, a Spain international striker who cost €30 million (Dh117m), is struggling. He went 31 minutes without touching the ball against Malaga, even though Barca dominated possession. At the other end, Sandro, a home-grown player Barca let go two years ago on a free transfer, looked far livelier. Even defenders Pique and Javier Mascherano looked more of a threat up front late on.
In their previous match, the Spanish champions laboured to overcome winless Granada, while losing to Alaves earlier this season. It is not going to get easier for Enrique. After Wednesday’s match in Glasgow they face in-form Real Sociedad – the Catalans’ bogey team – at the weekend, before el clasico against Real Madrid on December 3. Lose that, as Barca did last season, and there will be more than grumbles at Camp Nou.
*****************************************************
Zinedine Zidane has Real Madrid playing like kings
The cover of Monday's edition of Marca showed a smiling photo of Zinedine Zidane sitting in front of Real Madrid's badge, the crown of which is just popping above his head in a regal juxtaposition.
"The King," read the headline. Madrid have much to feel happy about at present. They are top of the Primera Liga, unbeaten all season, and Zidane is proving a success as a manager.
In his 32 league games in charge of the team he once starred for, he has 83 points from a possible 96. That is more than Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique managed at the same stage in their all-conquering first seasons at the helm of Barcelona’s first XI. Zidane could end a magnificent 2016 by crowning Madrid as world champions next month at the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan.
Zidane is calm, measured and his side’s excellent form has come despite injuries to some of his best players. Ominously for rivals, the injury list is now reduced, though he is still without Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Alvaro Morata and Pepe.
Against Atletico Madrid on Saturday, Zidane’s side underlined their superiority with a 3-0 win in the last ever derby at the Vicente Calderon. It was Atletico’s first home defeat of the season and leaves the team who were top six weeks ago nine points behind their neighbours.
• In pictures: Cristiano Ronaldo treble gives Real Madrid lasting memory of last league visit to Vicente Calderon
Zidane played Cristiano Ronaldo in an unusual role as his centre-forward and was rewarded as the Portuguese scored a hat-trick. One of Ronaldo's celebrations was magnificent as he put his hands on his hips and stared into a stand of fuming Atletico fans.
Zidane has got Madrid performing superbly. They have scored more than any other team and have conceded fewer than any side in Spain’s top flight bar Sevilla.
It is not only Ronaldo who is playing his part. Isco occupied his preferred central role behind the strikers, a position which prompted Madrid to sign him from Malaga where he had been their star man. In theory, he should face competition there from James Rodriguez, but the Colombian has been peripheral this season, starting only two of Madrid’s 12 league games.
Against Atletico, Isco was sublime, playing ahead of the midfield behind Ronaldo in an unconventional 4-4-1-1 formation. He has seized the opportunity offered him by Kroos’s injury. Isco has always been technically peerless and skilful, but his game is improving as he works harder, runs more and plays less selfishly. At the back, Nacho and Raphael Varane were imperious in central defence. Neither would have started had Sergio Ramos or Pepe been fit.
Zidane has so many options, from personnel to formation. He has said that if his forward line of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo are all fit then they will all play. But he can switch formations as well. His players like him because they adored him as a player. Better still, they are working really hard for him, and it is showing with results.
Game of the week
Real Sociedad v Barcelona. No team has picked up more points in the last five games than the in-form Basques, who are up to fifth after Sunday’s win at Sporting Gijon. La Real are Barcelona’s bogey team, and, when the pair meet in Anoeta, they are just about the worse opponents the Catalans could face right now, especially after a midweek away game in the Uefa Champions League.
Player of the week
While Carlos Kameni, Xabi Prieto (Real Sociedad), Vitolo (Sevilla) Isco and Raphael Varane (Real Madrid) all had great games at the weekend, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick away to Atletico Madrid. A fine achievement worthy of being named player of the week.
What else?
• Deportivo La Coruna lost 3-2 at home to Sevilla, despite leading 2-0. It was the first time since 1968/69 that they have let a 2-0 lead slip at home. It was only the second time in 16 months that Sevilla have won an away game. Two of Sevilla’s goals came in the last five minutes. No team have won more points in the last 10 minutes than third-placed Sevilla this season.
• Eibar won again and are up to seventh in the table. For a club with average crowds of 5,000 that is astonishing.
• Valencia are still struggling and could only manage a home draw against winless Granada. They are 15th (10 points) and have fared worse after 12 games in a league season only twice in their history.
• A big win for Real Oviedo in the second division as they defeated runaway leaders Levante 2-0 at home to move up to fourth. Oviedo are a big club who are average 15,000 this season in their 30,000-seater home. They are big enough to hold their own in the league above. Reus defeated Nastic in the derby of southern Catalonia; the first time the game has been played in such a high league. Girona, the other Catalan team in the second division and a club who have had several near misses on a first promotion to La Liga, are second in the table.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
