Barca's Abidal completes cancer recovery with El Clasico winner

WITH the results of El Clasico matches beginning to assume an air of predictability, it is little surprise that Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona poached a 2-1 away win from Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid in the quarter final first leg of the Copa Del Rey. As The Guardian points out, this marks the eighth time Guardiola has emerged the victor in nine meetings between the two men while at their current clubs.

What was a surprise was to see Barca defender Eric Abidal responsible for the winner.

With the score at 1-1 in the 77th minute, the French left-back latched onto a peach of a pass from - who else - Lionel Messi and kept his composure to slot home between incoming challenges.

That this was only Abidal's second goal in five years at Barca made it unusual. That it is only ten months since Abidal underwent surgery to remove a tumour on his liver makes it sound like the plot of a TV movie, the kind of biopic during which grown men mysteriously get something stuck in their eye.
 
The last year of Abidal's life is a story of indefatigable optimism and triumph in the face of true adversity. In May, barely two months after his cancer surgery, he captained Barca in their 3-1 Champions League final victory over Manchester United.

An interview with the Daily Mail at the time revealed the remarkable impact his illness had had on his life off the pitch. He sold his fleet of sports cars, just keeping a people carrier to ferry his kids around in, and gave away the proceeds to the children's cancer charities he is now actively involved in.
 
As for his football, Abidal's link-up with Messi for the winner still stood out last night, despite the game being marred by some ugly aggression, in particular Pepe's alleged attempt to stamp on Messi's hand.

Having delivered a perfectly timed run with the swagger of a young striker rather than a 31-year-old defender, is it possible that, against all the odds, his best could be yet to come? Roll on the second leg. ·