First Division - Day 33

Real Madrid 2 - Barcelona 3

Madrid: Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro (Kovacic 70’), Kroos; Bale (Marco Asensio 39‘), Benzema (James 82’), Cristiano Ronaldo. 4-3-3.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Piqué, Umtiti, Jordi Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Luis Suárez, Paco Alcácer (André Gomes 70’). 4-3-3.

Goals:
1-0. 28. Casemiro. Turned ball back in to net after Ramos shot came off post.
1-1. 33. Messi. Picked up square Rakitic pass and cut past Carvajal to score.
1-2. 73. Rakitic. Collected ball outside area and fired angled shot across Navas.
2-2. 85. James. Got on the end of Marcelo centre to turn shot over Ter Stegen.
2-3. 92. Messi. Curled shot wide of keeper after Jordi Alba passed ball across.

Yellow cards: Casemiro 12’, Umtiti 39’, Kovacic 81’, Messi 93’ / red cards: Sergio Ramos 77’.

Another thrilling “clásico” on Sunday evening, Barcelona beating leaders Real Madrid in the dying moments to overtake their arch-rivals on head-to-head goal difference, albeit having played a game more. Casemiro opened the scoring midway through the first half after Sergio Ramos turned a Marcelo cross against the post, but just five minutes later Messi picked up a Rakitic pass and cut past Dani Carvajal to equalize. Both keepers were on excellent form, Ter Stegen saving from Ronaldo and Modric before the break, and Kroos and Benzema soon after, and Keylor Navas keeping out Alcácer, Piqué and Luis Suárez after the restart. Bale limped off with an injury, and referee Hernández Hernández could have awarded a penalty to Ronaldo and sent off Marcelo and Casemiro before the interval, and with twenty minutes or so to go Rakitic picked up the ball outside of the area to fire an angled shot wide of Navas. Some four minutes later Sergio Ramos was red-carded for a two-footed tackle on Messi, and the local keeper had to be at his best to save from Piqué and Messi as Barça looked to wrap things up. With five minutes to go though it seemed as if Madrid had saved a point when substitute James got on the end of Marcelo’s cross to level the scores once again, but with the game coming to a close Messi connected with a Jordi Alba centre to fire home the winner. The title race is wide open once again, although Zidane’s side still have the advantage, and with four wins and a draw over the last five games they would make sure of being league champions for the first time in five years.