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Real Madrid (two) Barcelona (three)


Chrmd

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Reports of Barcelona’s demise appear to have been somewhat premature. Since they were made to look leaden-footed by Juventus in the Champions League, like Fairport Convention’s Dave Swarbrick they had been obliged to read their own obituary all week.

 

But here, with a performance of grit, determination and supreme skill in the home of their greatest foe, the Catalan side looked very much alive, as they insisted that their grip on the La Liga title is not going to slip without a scrap. A corker from Ivan Rakitic and two astonishing goals from the ever-astonishing Lionel Messi gave them a victory which put them level at the top of the division. Not bad for the walking dead.

 

And what a scrap this match was, a toe-to-toe heavyweight slugfest of such relentless, switchback intensity that to turn the head for a moment was to miss a critical blow. If Anthony Joshua against Wladimir Klitschko turns out to be half as good a battle next weekend, we are in for a treat.

 

It began in a mood of celebration. Sergio García was given the honour of a ceremonial kick-off, which he conducted in his Masters Green Jacket. The champion golfer’s presence seemed to inspire the team he has long supported: Madrid began in top gear, clearly sent out with instruction to cause havoc on the breakaway against Barca’s sluggish back line.

 

As usual, Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a new haircut which gave him the appearance of someone who had just had a plate of spaghetti Bolognese tipped over his head, was at the heart of everything. After just seven minutes, he exchanged passes with Karim Benzema, who fed Gareth Bale barrelling forward. The Welshman, restored after injury, won a corner which Toni Kroos took. Marc-André ter Stegen managed to punch the ball away, but only as far as Marcelo, lurking with intent. His deep cross back into the crowded area found Sergio Ramos, who volleyed against the post. With the Barca defence hoping for the intervention of the offside flag, in stepped Casemiro to prod the ball home.

But if anyone assumed that would presage Barcelona collapse, how wrong they were. Only five minutes of Madrid superiority had elapsed when Sergio Busquets’s shrewd pass picked out Rakitic on the edge of the home box. His deft inside pass found Messi arriving at pace, a piece of padding between his teeth to stem the blood from a lip split earlier by Marcelo’s elbow. It did not appear to slow him as he sashayed and shimmied his way through the Madrid defence before planting a perfect shot past Keylor Navas.

 

Suddenly things were not going well for Madrid. A couple of minutes later, Bale went down clutching his left ankle. He was replaced by Marco Asensio. Then Casemiro was lucky not to get a second yellow when cynically bringing down Messi. But, buoyed by a half-time reminder from their manager Zinedine Zidane that victory would as good as give them the title, the home side regrouped and began the second half re-enthused. First Benzema nodded Marcelo’s cross into Ter Stegen, before Carlos Carvajal smacked a shot over the bar from 30 yards.

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But, refusing to yield, Barca came back, Navas saving first from Paco Alcácer, followed by a full-length dive to keep out Gerard Piqué’s header. Then Ronaldo, from Asensio’s cutback, missed a gilt-edged invitation to secure the points. What a miss that was. Because danger constantly lurked: seconds later Navas brilliantly kept out a precision volley from Luis Suárez.

It was then that the old Barca, clinical, deadly, precise, resurfaced. Rakitic picked the ball up on the edge of the Madrid box, sending two defenders the wrong way with a chop of his right boot, before arcing a screamer past Navas with his left. Now trailing, things appeared to be up for Madrid when Ramos pulled Messi down and was given a straight red.

 

But this match had more in store, and after Marcelo set up a chance with a cross sharp enough to open a can of sardines, the substitute James Rodríguez stole what appeared to be a perfectly-timed equaliser with time running out. Everyone celebrating inside the Bernabéu knew a point would have been enough effectively to end Barca’s hopes.

 

Messi, however, showed nothing could be taken for granted. As ever in the right place at the right time, the genius in the striped shirt swept home Jordi Alba’s pass to score the winner with the game’s last kick. It was a goal which Luis Enrique, the visiting manager, said put his side right back in the title race.

 

“Yes, Madrid have a game in hand,” he added. “But they have to win it.” Incredibly, it was Messi’s 500th finish for Barcelona. And judging by the way he celebrated its significance, whipping off his shirt in delight, it must already be reckoned among his favourites.

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