Here is Sid Lowe’s report from the Bernabéu:
And delve into Sergio Ramos’s back catalogue here:
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Barcelona have gone level on points with Real Madrid and top on the head-to-head record. But Madrid have a game in hand. These two teams both play again on Wednesday, Barcelona hosting Osasuna, Real Madrid going to Deportivo. It’s still Madrid’s title to lose, but what a blow Messi’s winner was. Zinedine Zidane’s team could have killed off Barcelona tonight, but the Catalans played very well - it was a truly fantastic game of football - and Messi, black eye, teeth missing, was absolutely superb. Who said he’s finished? With seconds to go, having already scored one pearler, he nervelessly bagged his 500th goal for Barcelona. Do me a favour. Thanks for reading and emailing. Football, eh? It’s not so bad being Luis Enrique, after all. Bye.
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Full-time: Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona
Messi.
GOAL!!!!!! Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona (Messi, 90 min+2)
Sergi Roberto surges through the middle. It’s a brilliant run. He finds Gomes. He waits for support. Then he knocks it to the overlapping Alba. The cutback rolls to - gulp - Messi and he sweeps the winner low to Navas’s right from 15 yards! That’s his 500th Barcelona goal! What a time to score it! The title race is back on!
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90 min: There will be two added minutes. Can’t we have more?
89 min: Asensio isolates Pique, drops a shoulder, swerves to the left and shoots low. Ter Stegen saves well. Asensio picks up possession and crosses to Ronaldo, who drags one wide.
88 min: Football!
87 min: James tries to feed a pass into the six-yard box. It’s blocked back to him and he attempts to curl it in, but Ter Stegen’s quick and alert.
GOAL! Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona (James Rodriguez, 85 min)
The 10 men are level! Marcelo fires a cross into the far post and James Rodriguez arrives unnoticed to loft a left-footer over Ter Stegen! Barcelona can’t defend. As it stands, Real Madrid’s three-point lead will remain intact.
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85 min: Fabio Capello called Ramos’s challenge on Messi “criminal” on Sky Italia. He’s not wrong.
84 min: James Rodriguez’s deflected shot drops into Ter Stegen’s gloves.
83 min: Messi wallops a shot towards goal from 20 yards. Of course Navas saves it. Nonetheless this has been a reminder that there are still things better in life than watching Leo Messi play football.
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82 min: James Rodriguez - remember him? - replaces Karim Bensema.
81 min: Ronaldo shoots over from a tight angle. He thinks it’s a corner. It’s not. Up the other end, Kovacic cynically chops Messi down from behind. Real Madrid are losing the plot. He’s booked.
80 min: Andre Gomes slides a low cross into the middle and finds, er, Gerard Pique. The centre-back controls and smashes a shot on target, but it’s another wonderful save from Navas that keeps Real Madrid in this game.
Red card for Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)!
77 min: Lionel Messi controls and nicks the ball around Ramos, who jumps in two-footed and sends the Argentinian flying. The red card is straight out. That is an absurd, dangerous challenge. Ramos can’t believe it. He’s furious. He’s gesturing at Gerard Pique, I think, that his talk’s got him sent off, but that was utterly moronic and he can have no complaints about the 22nd red card of his career. He could have broken Messi’s leg if he had made proper contact. Real Madrid are down to 10 men.
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75 min: Ronaldo shoots straight at Ter Stegen from 18 yards.
74 min: As it stands, Barcelona are going level on points with Real Madrid and above them on their head-to-head record, albeit having played a game more.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona (Rakitic, 73 min)
This is a stunning goal. Ivan Rakitic picks up possession 20 yards from goal. He twists and turns, coming inside, on to his left foot, and curling an unstoppable shot into the far corner! There was no stopping that one. Keylor Navas is finally beaten.
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72 min: Kovacic drives through midfield and picks out the dangerous Asensio on the right. He cuts inside and tries to beat Ter Stegen at his near post. The German’s not having it.
70 min: Andre Gomes replaces the impressive Paco Alcacer. Real Madrid also make a change, Mateo Kovacic on for Casemiro. “Whenever I see Keylor Navas in action, I can’t help but think that Real Madrid lucked out when their fax machine broke down,” says Kari Tulinius. “What a great keeper.”
68 min: Keylor Navas makes another terrific save! Andres Iniesta lollops through the middle, then pierces Real Madrid with a stunning pass with the outside of his right boot. Suarez lets it bounce before volleying from close range, but Navas makes the save. Moments later, Messi shoots venomously from 20 yards. Navas beats it away.
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67 min: What a miss from Cristiano Ronaldo! Real Madrid counter, Benzema carving open Barcelona’s offside trap with a pass through to Asensio on the right. Asensio slides it across to Ronaldo, but he’s falling as he shoots - the pass is maybe just behind him - and he skews the ball high and wide!
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66 min: Asensio sends a cross to the far post. Ronaldo goes for the spectacular, but his overhead kick goes miles wide.
64 min: A rare lull.
63 min: Marcelo whips a splendid cross towards the far post. Alba heads it behind. Ronaldo was lurking.
62 min: Carvajal’s annoyed with Suarez after a scything tackle. The height of petulance.
60 min: “I think that Modric and Kroos, Iniesta and Busquets, have demonstrated tonight exactly what you highlighted in the City-Arsenal MBM: the elite continental European teams exude calmness, clarity and vision on the ball in a way that the top English teams simply do not,” says Matt Loten. “Which also makes Luis Enrique’s gameplan of effectively bypassing the midfield for the past three years an odd one. Not that the three up top he was trying to get more involved are a bunch of chancers, mind.”
This is so many levels higher than what we saw earlier. Different sports.
59 min: A corner to Barcelona on the left. Rakitic curls it in, Pique heads powerfully and Navas shows stunning reflexes to push it away.
58 min: Messi plays Suarez in, but his touch is poor and the ball runs away from him.
57 min: Messi curls a free-kick miles over.
56 min: Now it’s Keylor Navas’s turn to save Real Madrid! Rakitic brilliantly releases Alcacer with a smart touch, but his toepoked finish is saved by Navas.
54 min: Modric loops a volley just wide from 25 yards. Real Madrid have been full of purpose since half-time.
53 min: What a save from Ter Stegen! Marcelo dashes down the left and crosses to the near post. Benzema’s header is powerful and low, but Ter Stegen spreads himself and saves with his feet!
48 min: Kroos carefully guides a left-footer towards the left corner from 20 yards. Ter Stegen pushes it away.
47 min: Asensio dribbles up the right and feeds the overlapping Carvajal. Pique denies Ronaldo or Benzema a certain goal by sliding in to turn the ball behind, making sure not to put it in his own net.
46 min: Barcelona get the second half underway. It would be really lovely if it’s as good as the first.
Half-time: Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona
45 min+3: Rakitic swings the corner towards the far post, Navas misses it and collides with Suarez, Messi sometimes volleys wide of an open goal!
45 min+2: Alba makes a great run down the left, but Nacho cuts out his ball towards Suarez. Nacho seems to have hurt his ankle.
45 min+1: Casemiro, on a booking, trips the raiding Messi after being beaten by yet more skill. He’s very lucky not to be shown a second yellow card. Luis Enrique’s furious.
44 min: The problem for Real Madrid - and it’s quite a big problem - is that Leo Messi looks like he has a point to prove this evening.
43 min: Barcelona are playing now. Suarez bursts to the byline on the right and crosses to the far post. Under pressure, Alba volleys wide.
41 min: Messi speeds away from the wheezing Casemiro and tries to loft a pass over the top to Suarez. Real Madrid hastily get it away from Suarez, but here’s Messi again. One touch. Shot. The ball loops just wide. Messi’s convinced it took a deflection off Carvajal, not that the bandage in his mouth lets him tell the referee. He looks very strange at the moment.
40 min: Marcos Asensio replaces Gareth Bale.
39 min: Umtiti raps Ronaldo’s ankles on the left. He’s booked.
37 min: Bale’s gone down clutching his left ankle. “Spanish TV says it is offside,” says H Carter. “The BBC says it is offside. Messi has just scored. Business as usual then.” Bale was offside, but Ramos, the man who got the touch, was on.
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36 min: Modric shoots from 25 yards, drawing another fine save from Ter Stegen, flying to his left to push it out.
35 min: The ball’s gifted to Suarez near the Real Madrid area, but the Barcelona striker can’t find Messi. That’s a waste.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona (Messi, 33 min)
Lionel Messi bares what’s left of his teeth and equalises exquisitely. Busquets finds Rakitic on the right of the Real Madrid area and the Croatian instantly cushions a pass inside to Messi, who suddenly accelerates forward, bursting on to the ball and into the area. Here’s trouble. He seems to have taken a heavy touch. Instead he swerves away from Carvajal, to the left, and slams a low shot past Navas! What a goal. He can do it even with a bandage in his mouth.
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32 min: Messi’s playing with a bloody bandage, or some kind of tissue, in his mouth. This is ludicrous.
31 min: “Accidental elbow?” says JR in Illinois. “Really? I don’t think so. Marcelo knew exactly where Messi’s face was and chose to lift up his elbow.”
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (Casemiro, 28 min)
A corner to Real Madrid on the right, Bale forcing Pique to concede it. Pique urges his team-mates to calm down. The corner comes in from Kroos and it’s cleared as far as Marcelo on the lift. He hangs a cross to the far post. Barcelona’s marking is slack. Bale looks offside, but he doesn’t go for it. Ronaldo and Ramos are both all alone as well. Ter Stegen’s nowhere and Ramos prods a volley against the post. Barcelona’s defenders still haven’t reacted and Casemiro, the unlikeliest of scorers, is able to bundle the rebound over the line.
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26 min: Ronaldo leads a two-on-two charge against the Barcelona defence. He plays it to Benzema, but the forward lacks conviction and Busquets chases back to dispossess him.
24 min: Marcelo’s ball inside from the left runs all the way to Ronaldo, who swivels before shooting high and wide. He could have found Bale to his right.
22 min: Bale shoots first time from 25 yards, trying to catch out Ter Stegen with the element of surprise, but it’s straight at the German. Messi’s back on, meanwhile, but a trip to the dentist might be in order tomorrow. I think he’s lost some teeth. He’s the new Nobby Stiles.
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20 min: Ronaldo cuts inside from the left and shoots. Ter Stegen dives down to his left and beats his fearsome drive away. Moments later, the ball has to be kicked out of play. Messi’s down after catching an accidental elbow in the face from Marcelo. Blood’s pouring from Messi’s mouth. It’s not his week. He’s really been in the wars.
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19 min: You attack, we attack. Alcacer chests down for Suarez, who slashes wide.
18 min: This is a cracking end-to-end match already. Benzema earns space on the right of the Barcelona area, but shoots too close to Ter Stegen.
17 min: Modric to Ronaldo. He tries to thread a pass through to Benzema. It’s just deflected away from him. Up the other end, Messi scoots away from Casemiro, who can’t make a challenge now he’s on a booking, but instead of shooting, he tries to set up Rakitic to his left. The pass is too heavy and Carvajal mops up.
15 min: After a slow start, Barcelona are dominating possession.But watch out for Bale and Ronaldo on the break.
13 min: Bale almost sells Navas short with a loose backpass, allowing Alcacer to close the goalkeeper down, but he hacks it clear before Barcelona can profit.
12 min: Messi brilliantly and outrageously nutmegs Casemiro and scoots clear, but the Brazilian midfielder scythes him down from behind. That’s a dismal, cynical tackle and easily worthy of a booking.
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11 min: Barcelona are beginning to settle. A slip from Pique almost lets in Benzema, but he regains his footing and Barcelona probe. Messi, dropping deep to influence proceedings, knocks a pass out to the left for Alba, who’s playing very high. Alba fizzes one inside to Suarez. He takes a touch and belts a low drive along the surface and a few yards wide from the edge of the area.
10 min: Iniesta has a pop from 20 yards. It’s a weak effort.
8 min: Suarez tries to nutmeg Ramos, but Casemiro heavily tackles him, and the Uruguayan ends up falling chest first into Ramos’s knee. Ouch.
7 min: Marcelo launches a pass down the left, but Bale’s offside as he hurtles beyond the Barcelona back four.
6 min: Iniesta launches Barcelona’s first attack, diddling his way inside from the left, but he’s shut down by Casemiro. Here come Real Madrid. Kroos sprays a pass down the right for Ronaldo to chase and he’s got the legs on Umtiti and Pique. He turns inside and decides to shoot from 20 yards - and why the hell not? - but it’s straight at Ter Stegen.
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4 min: It’s all Real Madrid. Ronaldo carves Barcelona on the right, releasing Carvajal, but his cross from the byline’s poor. Moments later, another cross comes into the Barcelona area. Benzema can’t keep it in at the far post, but Barcelona looked mightily uncertain.
3 min: The replay suggests that Ronaldo, who had got a touch on the ball, was fouled by Umtiti. It could easily have been a penalty.
2 min: Benzema causes problems on the right. The ball bounces into the Barcelona area and Ronaldo goes down as Umtiti hangs out a leg. The referee shakes his head.
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And we’re off! Real Madrid, all in white, get the game underway. They’re kicking from left to right. Barcelona are in red and blue. But I didn’t need to tell you what the teams are wearing, did I?
Sergio Garcia, Masters Champion, was on the pitch moments before kick-off. He boots a ball away and it’s almost time. The camera lingers on a pensive Leo Messi. Just look at that shiner.
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Here come the teams. There’s a huge Real Madrid banner behind one of the goals. The El Clasico is minutes away. Real Madrid can take a huge step towards the title here. They’re three points clear with a game in hand. What an opportunity for Zinedine Zidane’s side.
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Gareth Bale is fit again for Real Madrid. Isco drops to the bench. Neymar is suspended for Barcelona. Paco Alcacer starts in attack. Those are the only changes from midweek and they do a good job of summing up the difference between the teams at the moment.
Team news
Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo; Casemiro, Modric, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo. Subs: Casilla, Kovacic, James, Asensio, Isco, Danilo, Morata.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Umtiti, Pique, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, L Suarez, Alcacer. Subs: Cillessen, D Suarez, Digne, Turan, Mascherano, Alena, Andre Gomes.
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Preamble
Hello. Imagine how fun being Luis Enrique would have been in 2015. You begin the year with the guillotine hanging over your head. Lionel Messi’s not happy with you. But by the start of May, you’re walloping Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich. Messi’s magic. You get to pick a front three of Neymar, Messi and Luis Suarez. It might be the greatest attack of all time. Andres Iniesta’s inspired. Ivan Rakitic looks like a fine replacement for the outgoing Xavi Hernandez. No one’s pining for Guardiola any more. Real Madrid are sacking Carlo Ancelotti, the man who brought them La Decima. You win the league; Messi’s goal settles it. You win the Copa del Rey; Messi does something out of this world. You beat Juventus in the Champions League final. You’re a treble winner. You’ve matched Pep. On it goes. You win the Super Cup. Come November, you more or less get Rafa Benitez sacked by winning the Clasico 4-0 at the Bernabeu. Just back from injury, Messi doesn’t even start.
Everyone wants to be Luis Enrique. 2016 begins and you cruise into the last eight of the Champions League. But cracks are beginning to appear. April begins with a home defeat to Madrid, who have Zinedine Zidane in the dugout, a managerial novice. Atletico Madrid knock you out of the Champions League quarter-finals by one goal. You still win the league. And the cup. But things aren’t quite right. In the summer, the signings are average. Come the end of the year, control is slipping away.
Being Luis Enrique doesn’t seem so attractive any more. Especially not on Valentine’s Day. Even though you spend it in Paris. Even though you spend it in Paris, you lose 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain. No matter. Soon you’ll be on top of the world again. A month later, it’s Barcelona 6-1 PSG. But you keep dropping silly points in the league. You’ve announced you’ll be leaving at the end of the season and no one’s that upset. Not like they were when Pep was leaving in 2012. There are no tears. Neymar’s frustration is getting the better of him now and then. Suarez doesn’t look as sharp. Your defence is still dodgy. You lose to Malaga. You go to Juventus and get stuffed 3-0. There’s no PSG style comeback. Juve are too tough. You draw the second leg 0-0 and it’s another quarter-final exit. People talk about the end of an era. Messi walks off with a black eye.
The night before, Real Madrid have beaten Bayern Munich. Cristiano Ronaldo’s scored a hat-trick. They’re on for another Champions League and they also look like winning their first title since 2012. They don’t convince under Zidane, but they keep winning. Week after week, even when they don’t really deserve it. Messi’s still brilliant, but Ronaldo’s a bit more brilliant at the moment. You go to the Bernabeu on a Sunday night in April knowing that defeat will end your fading title challenge and define your legacy. You talk about a “cannibal holocaust” and it’s not a joke about Suarez’s gnashers. It isn’t that fun being Luis Enrique any more.
Kick-off: 6.45pm BST, 7.45pm in Madrid.
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