Barcelona 3 - Real Madrid 3

Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Oleguer, Puyol, Thuram; Xavi, Márquez (Gudjohnsen 81'), Deco (Belletti 71'), Iniesta; Messi, Eto'o (Sylvinho 46'), Ronaldinho. 3-4-3.
Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Sergio Ramos, Iván Helguera, Miguel Torres; Diarra, Gago; Raúl (Robinho 61'), Guti (De la Red 81'), Higuaín; Van Nistelrooy. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Barça: Thuram, Deco, Eto'o for Zambrotta, Gio Van Bronckhorst, Giuly / Madrid: Michel Salgado, Diarra, Raúl, Guti for Roberto Carlos, Beckham, Robinho, Reyes.

Goals:
0-1. 05. Van Nistelrooy. Shot wide of Valdés after Thuram blocked Higuaín cross.
1-1. 11. Messi. Picked up pass from Eto'o and fired angled shot past Casillas.
1-2. 13. Van Nistelrooy (penalty). After Oleguer tripped Guti inside area.
2-2. 28. Messi. Shot into roof of net after Ronaldinho shot pushed out by Casillas.
2-3. 73. Sergio Ramos. Back-header into far corner of net from Guti's free kick.
3-3. 91. Messi. Picked up Ronaldinho pass and ran to shoot back across keeper.

Barcelona and Real Madrid put their Champions League defeats behind them with an exciting 3-3 draw in the big derby match. Three times Madrid took the lead and three times Messi pegged them back, the first with an angled shot in the eleventh minute after Van Nistelrooy had taken advantage of a poor clearance from Thuram to open the scoring. Van Nistelrooy got his second of the night from the penalty spot just two minutes later after Oleguer tripped Guti, but with just less than half an hour gone Messi equalised again after good work by Ronaldinho and Eto'o.

Chances came thick and fast after that, Messi hitting the side netting, Higuaín shooting just wide and Casillas saving a long effort from Iniesta. However Frank Rijkaard's plans were upset when Oleguer was sent off for a second bookable offence on the stroke of half time, and the coach sacrificed Eto'o to bring on an extra defender Sylvinho at the break.

With the extra man, Madrid started to push forward, and Valdés was called upon to make three saves in quick succession from Van Nistelrooy. The keeper could do nothing a few minutes later though when Sergio Ramos got ahead of Puyol to head Guti's free kick back into the far corner of the net. Casillas pulled off the save of the night soon afterwards from Márquez's spectacular volley, and Gudjohnsen came on and immediately set up Ronaldinho for him to be thwarted again by Casillas.

Capello's side looked set to take the three points though until Messi popped up again in the first minute of injury time, running on to Ronaldinho's pass and shooting back across the keeper to complete his hat-trick and save a point for his side. There was still time for Ronaldinho to have a penalty appeal turned down, but the game ended soon afterwards. Barcelona had maintained their five point lead over their rivals, and the point takes them back above Sevilla on goal difference pending Sunday's games.