I just feel like you don’t hear the phrase “aloha means goodbye” anymore, right? Seemed like I was hearing that once a week back when I was in elementary school. Anyway: aloha!

I wrote about tomorrow’s Big Game between Barcelona and Real Madrid:

Madrid, meanwhile, just naturally get out and run because of the players they have. With the explosiveness of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Valverde and Jude Bellingham, you'd be foolish not to let them quickly attack into space. And Carlo Ancelotti's whole deal as a manager is that he rarely tells his players or teams not to do something. If he doesn't want you to do something, he's just not going to put you on the field. As such, Madrid have generated 0.24 xG per 90 from counterattacks this season -- more than all but two other teams.

On top of that, Barcelona have allowed 0.12 xG per-90 from opposition counters, which ranks just 15th in the league. This, then, seems like the most likely area to decide Saturday's match. If Barca can press Madrid's countering opportunities to death before they even begin, their defense should be comfortable. But if Madrid can get out and run, it could be a long day for the hosts.

Aloha, again!