Anthony Gordon's first El Clasico has split Spanish opinion down the middle — one leading outlet named him Barcelona's most consistent player in their 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid, while two others marked him down for the one thing a £70 million winger is bought to provide: end product.
The 25-year-old, signed from Newcastle United in the summer, started on the left wing at the Spotify Camp Nou alongside Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez, in the match reported in our Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid report. Kylian Mbappe scored both Madrid goals and Raphinha replied for Barca, who stay top of La Liga by two points from Atletico Madrid, with Madrid a point further back.
The numbers behind the debate
Gordon lasted 86 minutes before making way for Karim Adeyemi, and his raw output explains why the verdicts diverged. As GiveMeSport's round-up of the Spanish reaction recorded, he managed three shots on target, completed 35 of his 36 passes for a 97.2 per cent success rate, lost possession five times, committed two fouls and was booked by referee Juan Martinez Munuera in the 84th minute.
What he did not produce was a goal or an assist — and in a Clasico decided by a single goal, that absence is what half of Spain's press chose to judge him on.
What the Spanish media said
Mundo Deportivo were the most generous, calling Gordon the most consistent player on the pitch. "He played with his customary dynamism and spared no effort in the press," the outlet wrote. "He challenged his direct opponent in every encounter and helped the team gain ground whenever he carried the ball."
SPORT gave him six out of 10 and praised his defensive work helping Joao Cancelo, but concluded he lacked the "necessary quickness in his finishing", adding that in the second half "he had a few chances to score and make it 2-1" and did not take them.
Barca Universal were harsher still, rating him 5.5 — below Raphinha, Yamal and Lopez. "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," they wrote, while calling his late yellow card undeserved.
So what does this mean for Gordon?
The scrutiny did not start on Sunday. Gordon was criticised by Spanish media for his display against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last week, as Sports Mole reported, and admitted himself afterwards that he had not been at his best. Sections of the Barcelona support had even called for Marcus Rashford to return in the build-up to the Clasico.
That is the reality of the shirt he now wears — the same spotlight that follows Yamal, the subject of our Off The Pitch profile of the Barcelona teenager. Gordon's work rate is not in question in Spain; his finishing is. Barcelona are back at the Camp Nou against Deportivo Alaves on Saturday, and a goal there would do more to settle this debate than any amount of pressing ever will.
Beyond the Final Whistle: The split verdict is actually fair — both things are true at once. Gordon pressed, carried the ball and never hid on the biggest night of his career, but Barcelona did not pay £70 million for industry; they paid for the moments that decide Clasicos, and Mbappe showed him exactly what that looks like at the other end. Gordon has the engine for this level — now he needs the edge. Was the Spanish media's criticism fair, or did Gordon deserve more credit for his Clasico debut?
