Sid Lowe's match report
Zinedine Zidane’s first clásico as manager brings Barcelona’s 39-game unbeaten run to an end. Atlético Madrid might be smiling, too: they have cut the gap to Barcelona at the top of La Liga to six points this weekend, and will face a Barça in the Champions League quarter-final with a little less momentum.
I’ll leave you with some light reading on the level-headed Sergio Ramos. Thanks, bye.
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Full-time: Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid
Well the first half wasn’t up to much but that was a thrilling second half, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s winner ends Barcelona’s unbeaten run.
90+2 mins: Carvajal runs the ball into the corner but Alba and Mascherano bully him off it. Barcelona stream forward once more...
90 mins: Bale has a bit of cramp and limps off. Vázquez comes on in his place.
“Just remember, CR7 never scores big goals,” reminds Gene Salorio on email. “Awful match officiating though.”
88 mins: What do Barcelona do now? Messi is trying to up the tempo but Real are defending in numbers.
Bale attacks down the right of the box and stands up a perfectly floated cross to the back post where Ronaldo is lurking. Alves doesn’t judge the flight at all well but it still needs plenty of work from the striker at a tight angle eight yards out. He chests the ball down on to his right foot and slams a shot under Bravo and in to give Real the lead.
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Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid (Ronaldo, 85 mins)
Brilliant from Bale and then Ronaldo – what a couple of minutes!
Red card! (Ramos, 84 mins)
Hold on to the banister, because this is going to shock you. Sergio Ramos, executor of around 15 yellow-card worthy challenges, has smashed through Suárez and finally been sent off.
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84 mins: Two big chances for Real who are firing now. Ronaldo whips a long shot just off the crossbar, before Bale’s shot is just blocked by the onrushing Bravo and Alba can get back to clear.
82 mins: Ronaldo bends a delicious cross for Bale to attack at the back post. He does just that, leaping above Alba and placing the ball with one bounce past Bravo! Bale wheels away in celebration but the whistle blows and the referee rules it out. The replay shows that it is an incredibly harsh decision – with barely any contact between the two – and Real should lead.
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80 mins: Messi is crunched by Casemiro who feeds Ronaldo. He moves menacingly towards the box and is about to unleash a right-footed piledriver when Mascherano slides in from nowhere to pinch the ball.
78 mins: Benzema’s work is done – the 14th time this season he has been replaced – and Jesé comes on.
77 mins: Barcelona continue to pass and probe with little success.
74 mins: Ronaldo slips handing the ball over to Iniesta. Barcelona work it foward but Iniesta’s fast pass into Neymar is impossible to control. Luis Enrique makes his first substitution of the match, replacing Rakitic with Arda Turan.
Simon McMahon emails with what we are all thinking: “This game reminds me of the time Dundee United came from behind to beat Barca 2-1 in the UEFA Cup QF in 1987, thus maintaining our 100% record against the Catalan Giants. Played 4, won 4. If Real can bring Iain Ferguson off the bench, they’ll win.”
72 mins: Messi cushions a header down for Suárez to try his luck, but his shot only finds Neymar who can’t deflect the ball on target.
“How many yellow card offences do you reckon Ramos has committed in this game?” ponders JR in Illinois. “I believe my count is four.”
70 mins: Bale and Benzema work a one-two on the edge of the box. Bale takes the ball back and strikes a low shot at goal but it’s easily held by Bravo – he opted to go for placement when the power in that left foot might have been more effective.
68 mins: Barcelona are back on the attack since that goal and Pepe is forced to acrobatically cut out a pass heading for Suárez in a dangerous position.
66 mins: Neymar is the latest player down on the ground, but he appears to be doing up his laces rather than any more face-holding.
Marcelo bursts from left-back through the middle of the field, and shows good footwork to keep the ball away from prying Barça toes. As he reaches the edge of the box he slides the ball right for the arriving Kroos whose first-time cross into the middle is deflected up into the air. Karim Benzema, six yards from goal, reacts and swivels his body to snap a scissor-volley past Bravo. Beautifully taken by the striker, his 21st La Liga goal of the season.
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GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid (Benzema, 63 mins)
Wonderful volley, and it’s level!
61 mins: Suárez tries to dink a clever pass to Messi bursting beyond the final defender, but it’s under-hit.
59 mins: Real launch the ball forward and Bale shuffles it across to Ronaldo on the left of the box. He controls it before standing tall for a moment, face to face with Alves, and suddenly he moves. Ronaldo’s feet do somet sort of drag-stepover that I can’t possibly describe, brilliantly deceiving Alves, but his next touch is a little heavy and Pique recovers.
After a couple of chaotic corners, Barcelona finally find the breakthrough. Pique and Pepe square up at the set-piece before charging together towards the near post and it’s the Barça man who is quicker off the mark, leaping to slam a header home from eight yards.
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GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid (Pique, 56 mins)
The centre-back buries a header and Barça lead.
54 mins: The game has become fractured and frantic as both sides surge forward in packs. Barça are most effective and when Messi picks up the ball on the edge of Real’s box he brings a good save from Navas with a curling chip. Corner to Barcelona.
52 mins: Half chances at either end. First Neymar turns down the chance to shoot on the edge of the box and instead tries to pick out Messi, but the pass is fizzed in and Messi can’t control it. Then Benzema runs at Pique but the defender stands his ground and blocks the left-footed shot.
50 mins: The game has resumed its first-half tempo, with Barcelona passing the ball around in positions which can’t hurt a will organised Real Madrid side.
48 mins: The Camp Nou let’s up a huge roar as Ramos hacks down Suárez. The Real captain is already on a yellow but for once the referee doesn’t jump to his pocket. Messi whips the free-kick high over the bar.
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46 mins: Brilliant from Messi who weaves between defenders before playing a one-two and crossing to the back post, but it’s punched clear by Navas.
Kick-off
Real Madrid get the second half under way. Let’s hope for some clásico magic.
Second half moments away. Now here’s a decent view...
@LawrenceOstlere For reasons too boring to explain, I'm in the away end at the match... pic.twitter.com/SQXREGKIhI
— Matt Emerson (@Mattemerson) April 2, 2016
“As electrifying as a hairdryer thrown into a hot tub.” If you are wondering who Ray Hudson is, well this is a spectacular example...
@LawrenceOstlere tell Harry to YouTube "Ray hudson ronaldino super human" for the most outrageous goal call ever.
— Steven Mintz (@CLMPrescript) April 2, 2016
Half-time correspondence
“If Harry Christie in Hammersmith (27 mins) is listening to the main US stream on BeIn Sports,” emails Stephen Gibb, “I hope he’s not suggesting that former Newcastle United player, Gateshead’s Ray Hudson is Welsh.”
“Good afternoon from the hellhole known as I-95,” writes Caleigh Dean. “I’m assuming the previous email was referring to Ray Hudson, pride of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. His enthusiasm for Spanish football knows no bounds, despite him calling the games from a windowless booth in Florida. Somewhere on the Internet is a video of him having a religious experience during his first trip to the Camp Nou. Endearingly potty!”
“Good to see Marcelo getting into the spirit of Johan Cruyff commemoration with his total-football approach to where he’s playing on the pitch,” emails Charles Antaki. “A Cruyff turn to beat Dani Alves would add the finishing touch.”
Half-time: Barcelona 0-0 Real Madrid
It’s not been a classic. In fact very little has happened at all bar some snappy tackles, a few yellow cards and bit of play-acting. Hopefully much better to come in the second half.
Re that off-target Ronaldo free-kick earlier, Niall Mullen emails with a fair point: “Ronaldo’s free kick against Portsmouth is like Roberto Carlos’ in Le Tournoi all those years ago. Amazing goals that gave each player a decade long licence to hammer free kicks off target.”
It was pretty good though...
44 mins: Benzema is not at the races tonight. He lines up a volley around the penalty spot but fires the ball most of the way up the Camp Nou.
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42 mins: Ronaldo tries to initiate a counter but his square pass to Benzema only leaves the France forward on his backside. While Ronaldo throws a strop on the sideline Barcelona break and when Neymar’s sandwedge to the back post finds Alves you might expect him to score, but the Brazilian lashes a half-volley just over the bar.
40 mins: Bale spins out of a tight corner and Real can break. Kroos finds Marcelo whose pass is intercepted, and Bale will have another go at the long throw. It’s launched inton the middle but Alves leaps like a salmon, or a defender making a header, and clears the danger.
38 mins: Casemiro is the latest player down clutching his knee, though in fairness it did look as though he took a bit of a clattering, from Messi of all people.
36 mins: Neymar drifts (actually strolls) offside a little lazily. This game is heading towards the break at a similar tempo.
All this "working the referee" makes this match almost unwatchable for me - as usual @LawrenceOstlere
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) April 2, 2016
I assume Gary is referring to Pepe rolling around on the Camp Nou turf, among other moments. It is fairly excruciating, yes.
34 mins: Marcelo comes forward and passes to Ronaldo who skips down the left past Alves, but his cutback is anticipated a little too late by Bale and Barcelona clear the danger.
32 mins: Casemiro thumps into Iniesta and cleanly wins the ball. That’s the sort of thing Real missed in the first edition of this fixture back in November.
“Navas vs Bravo,” emails Ezra Finkelstein. “The two south Americans who impressed in the world cup will have to be at their best as opposing stars steal the headlines.”
30 mins: ...But the knuckleball swerver doesn’t dip enough and flies harmlessly over, to the Camp Nou’s delight.
29 mins: Modric backtracks to pickpocket Rakitic stealthily and release Real on the counterattack. Bale zooms forward down the right, cuts inside, and is sliced to the floor by Mascherano. Yellow card and a free-kick very much in the Ronaldo Zone. About 40 players in the wall...
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27 mins: Suárez is booked when Pepe crashes to the ground holding his face, having been brushed on the chest/shoulder. Groan.
“Evening from sunny Hammersmith,” emails Harry Christie. “(We have our own version of Las Ramblas but it’s primarily charity shops and Primark). I’m watching an American stream of the game and they have the two most overenthusiastic and hyperbolic commentators imaginable. One of co-commentators is a very familar Welsh voice, albeit one that sounds as though it’s been mainlining Red Bull and macchiatos as a warm up for the game. They also have an infuriating habit of referring to every player by first name (Here’s Cristiano! Oh no, he’s stopped by Dani!) which is frankly exhausting. Is it just me ‘lucky’ enough to be watching a continental heavyweight matchup ruined by transAtlantic need for hype?”
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25 mins: Barcelona pinch the ball and break forward. It’s three against three with Messi on the ball in the middle – the perfect situation. Messi decides to go by himself and as he cuts into the box on to his right foot he goes down under a challenge by Ramos. The referee waves away penalty calls but the replay certainly suggests it should have been a free-kick on the edge.
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23 mins: Bale and Alba tussle for the ball and the left-back can only prod the ball off field for a throw. Bale lines up the Rory Delap launching the ball into the box agriculturally, but it almost pays off when Bravo fumbles. The goalkeeper manages to gather at the second attempt.
@LawrenceOstlere Ray Hudson called that miss a "real Donald Trump haircut of a finish" and said Suarez's "feet turned to squid". Poetry.
— Mike Meehall Wood (@MillbankBhoy) April 2, 2016
@LawrenceOstlere Ivan R 2 have a massive game he's been IMO the key 4 FCB not only MSN. FCB to win 3-1
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) April 2, 2016
21 mins: Navas makes his first save of the match, diving low to his right to parry Rakitic’s drive away – and just out of the reach of the arriving Suárez.
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19 mins: That sighter for Real has woken Barcelona, who come forward in numbers. Suárez tries to control the ball with his back to goal and has his ankles taken away by Carvajal, who then jumps across to take out Iniesta too for good measure. He gets rightly booked for a general accumulation of fouling. Messi tries his luck with a very long free-kick but it’s too high.
17 mins: Modric chips in Bale who suddenly breaks down the right. He’s in behind and takes a touch before trying to find Ronaldo arriving at the backpost, but Piqué has tracked back and gets enough on the ball to deflect it to Claudio Bravo. Real’s best moment.
15 mins: Things are bubbling away but we haven’t seen any fireworks yet. Both teams seem content when Barcelona’s defenders have the ball around the halfway line. On 14 minutes, the Camp Nou stands to applaud Johan Cruyff.
13 mins: Referee Hernández blows his whistle again, this time warning Modric who had slammed into Busquets in the middle.
11 mins: How on earth are Barcelona not ahead? Ramos is bumped off the ball by Súarez and suddenly he and Neymar are bearing down on goal, two-on-one. Neymar squares the ball to his left for Suárez to sweep into the empty net from eight yards but he gets his feet all wrong and can’t connect with the finish with the goal gaping.
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9 mins: Iniesta comes alive, controlling a high pass on the left wing before jinking inside and sliding a pass towards the charging Suárez, but it’s slightly overhit and Navas rushing out of his goal to claim the ball.
7 mins: Alves bumps through the back of Ronaldo. Cristiano goes down, limbs flailing, and gets the free-kick. Real take it quickly and try to switch the play to Bale but the Wales forward is offside.
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5 mins: Barcelona happy to control possessions, Real happy to soak up the pressure and try to pinch the ball. On Sky Sports the commentator says: “These players need no introduction,” before listing individual accolades as if introducing them.
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4 mins: Real have their first sniff of the ball. Pepe dinks a searching pass through the middle towards Benzema but the striker can’t quite bring it under his spell and the ball bounces through to Bravo in the Barça goal.
2 mins: Barça casually roll the ball across the defence before suddenly snapping into action, but the move ends when Pepe and Busquets collide. The Barça midfielder comes off worse but is OK to continue. Somehow Real have been given the free-kick.
Kick-off
Messi and Suárez get things under way.
‘Gracies Johan’ is held up by supporters across Camp Nou in a vast yellow, red and blue mosaic. The referee, Alejandro Hernández, gathers the players for a minute’s silence in memory of the great Johan Cruyff.
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A lot of the focus at the Camp Nou tonight is on Barcelona but this could be a day of judgement for Zidane. Real are on a run of four league wins, their best since he took charge, and if they make it five – with the world watching – then his managerial stock will shoot up. On the flipside, there have been plenty of humiliating thrashings down the years between these two and that is something he will be desperate to avoid.
The players are heading out...
One would normally expect some interesting buildup chat at this point, but after foolishly searching for ‘Zidane v Barcelona’ on YouTube, I lost half an hour of my day. Anyway, here’s Zidane squaring up to Luis Enrique in 2003...
Las Palmas 2-1 Valencia
Full-time in Gran Canaria and a Neville-less Valencia have slumped to yet another defeat...
Las Palmas beat Valencia! 2-1. Las Palmas pretty much safe. Valencia might still not be.
— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) April 2, 2016
No surprises on either team sheet: both managers have the luxury of selecting their strongest XI. It is me or would that never, ever happen in a major Premier League game? Anyway, Real benefit from Casemiro’s presence in midfield to bring that grit which was missing when they lost 4-0 at the Bernabéu back in November. Messi, Alves and Mascherano all travelled to South America this week for international games and have had minimal preparation time, but they were never going to miss this one.
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The teams
Barcelona: Bravo; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, Suárez, Neymar
Subs: Ter Stegen, Sergi Roberto, Bartra, Rafinha, Munir, Turan, Vermaelen
Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Subs: Casilla, Nacho, Rodríguez, Vázquez, Jesé, Isco, Danilo
Preamble
Over its 114-year history there have been many different types of clásico. There are finals with trophies on the line, games contorted into personal duals, infamous matches tainted by pig heads and José’s fingers. And then there is the occasional clásico, like this evening’s La Liga tie at the Camp Nou, fuelled by emotion and history.
Barcelona will mark the death of Johan Cruyff, one of their greatest players and managers and the founding father who underpins the club’s footballing philosophy today, with a minute’s silence before kick-off, accompanied by video of some of the best moments from his time at the club. The team will wear shirts embroidered with the words ‘Gràcies Johan’ in tribute to the footballing great who died last week.
It is fitting that the men leading their sides out tonight are, like Cruyff, both deeply connected with this famous rivalry both as managers and as players. Zinedine Zidane makes his managerial clásico debut against Luis Enrique in the stadium where he performed that scoop-come-chip in the 2001-02 Champions League semi-final that stunned Barcelona. Luis Enrique played on both sides of the divide, though he left Real claiming he had no good memories and went on to score five times against them.
Right now Barcelona are certainly in the ascendancy, six points clear of Atlético with this game in hand (Real are third, 10 points off the top). It probably won’t turn out to be a title decider, but tonight’s outcome still carries significance: a win for Real would perhaps reignite the title race, ending Barcelona’s 39-game unbeaten run in the process and sweeping away their momentum heading into the Champions League quarter-finals; a win for Barça all but seals their sixth title in eight years.
And it would also square the whole contest. Through all the years of intense battles, through the eras of Di Stéfano, Cruyff, Maradona, Zidane, Messi and the rest, two of football’s greatest rivals remain almost inseparable. After 231 competitive matches, Real Madrid lead. By one.
Kick-off: 7.30pm BST
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