Spanish media defend Anthony Gordon after Barcelona El Clásico outrage following £70m Newcastle United exit
Former Newcastle United forward Anthony Gordon made his El Clásico debut for Barcelona against Real Madrid on Sunday night.
Anthony Gordon was unable to prevent Barcelona falling to a late 2-1 El Clásico defeat to Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Sunday evening.
A Kylian Mbappe brace, either side of a Raphinha equaliser, saw Real Madrid close the gap on Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table to just three points. Prior to Sunday’s defeat, Hansi Flick’s side had got their league campaign off to a perfect start with nine wins out of nine before hosting their rivals.
Gordon started on the left wing for Barcelona but was unable to contribute with a goal or an assist before being replaced in the 86th minute by Karim Adeyemi just moments before Mbappe’s winning goal.
The former Newcastle winger, who joined Barcelona for £70million in the summer, was also shown a booking shortly before his withdrawal for a foul on Arda Guler. Though replays showed Gordon won the ball before taking out the Turkish star.
Spanish media deliver Anthony Gordon verdict after Real Madrid defeat
Gordon was subject to some ridicule from the home supporters on Sunday night but the Spanish media gave a more measured assessment of his display.
Leading Spanish outlet SPORT handed the 25-year-old a 6/10 match rating, stating: “He performed an unspectacular but important role, assisting (Joao) Cancelo defensively to curb the opposition’s attacking forays down that flank.
“In the second half, he had a few chances to score and make it 2-1, but he lacked the necessary quickness in his finishing.”
But Mundo Deportivo highlighted Gordon as the ‘most consistent’ Barcelona player during the match.
“He played with his customary dynamism and spared no effort in the press,” Mundo Deportivo wrote. “He challenged his direct opponent in every encounter and helped the team gain ground whenever he carried the ball. He was the most consistent player throughout the match.”
But the Barcelona-affiliated Barca Universal delivered the lowest rating for Gordon in the wake of a frustrating defeat in which he missed opportunities to score.
Barca Universal stated: “Gordon tried a lot of different things in the first half, some of which came off and some of which did not.
“An industrious performance from the Englishman, but yet another game in which he could have and should have done more to test Madrid’s goalkeeper. Got an undeserved yellow card late on before being taken off.”