Live Chat
online
Create
Well, Well, What a finish to a game that would have been classified as "erm.. interesting" if not for the last few minutes. The game ebbed and flowed throughout before springing to life in the second half.
The Suarez goal came out of nowhere - against the run of play, and from a set-piece (so not Barca's style). That, and the introduction of Don Andres, firmly put Barcelona on top. But then Zidane threw away his velvet gloves, hoisted the kitchen sink on his massive shoulders and hurled it onto the Camp Nou.
All the incessant pressure finally told as Sergio Ramos - who else, eh - smacked home a rather deserved equalizer. The man is such a brilliant enigma, isn't he?
1-1 is, on the balance, a deserved result for both sides.
The result means that Madrid remain comfortable on top - six points away from Barca. On a side note, Madrid is still unbeaten whenever Lucas Vazquez starts (20 games, for the record), and Zidane's men have not been beaten for the past 33 games. They will take some beating
It was a great match, and it was a pleasure bringing it to you. At least the finish was worth the hype, eh?
This is Anirudh Menon signing off.
Toodle-ooo!
95' Diaz goes on a gander but Jordi Alba holds strong!! OH MY! What a finish that would have been!
94' OW OW OW OW OW OW!!! Suarez sends it in, and Keylor Navas comes out to punch it away. Busquets is there to head it in outside the box, and the man's header IS CLEARED ON THE LINE BY SERGIO EFFIN' RAMOS. WOW! THE MAN IS EVERYWHERE!
93' This is the last minute of stoppage time by the bye and Denis Suarez is standing over a free kick in a dangerous area.
92' Jordi Alba slams into Cristiano Ronaldo and the pair are rolling around in agony. Who said real men had all died away?
Of course it had to be him. Modric swings it in, and there IS ONLY MAN THAT'S GOING TO BE ON THE END OF IT! Unbelievably, Ramos was completely unmarked. Exceptionally careless from Barca
91' GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!! SERGIO RAMOOOOOOOS!!! REAL MADRID DRAW LEVEL
90' Yellow for Mascherano as he careens into Asensio in typically headless fashion! A fight nearly breaks out when Arda Turan and Sergio Ramos engage in an educated debate
89' OH RONALDO!!!! Marcelo sticks it high up the far post and Ronaldo leaps like the proverbial salmon - but his header down is cleared away by Jordi Alba!
88' SUBSTITUTION - The excellent Neymar OFF, Denis Suarez ON!
87' OH MY RAMOS! OH MY RAMOS! The Real Madrid captain jumps high, and bosses Mascherano in the air - but his header FLIES INCHES HIGH! UFFFFFFFF!
86' SUBSTITUTION - Kovacic OFF, Midweek hattrick hero Mariano Diaz ON
85' Ronaldo is playing centre-forward right now - and he is in the box for everything. Carvajal sends in a floater that is just too weak to reach the lurking Portuguese!
84' Modric takes the kick, and Ronaldo looks interested for a bit - but Pique is just too strong.
83' Asensio skids away from Sergio Busquets, but the Catalan does not like that one bit. He slides in from behind and takes him down. A deserved yellow - one for the team?
81' OH MY MESSI! OH MY MESSI! Andres Iniesta is a passing God - the man splits hairs with a ball to Messi, and the Argentine controls it and creates space with one deft touch. He moves forward and.... places it wide!! How many times have we seen him score from there!!?
80' A loose pass from Asensio sets Turan scampering forward, but the ball in from the Turk is just too wide!
79' Yellow for Carvajal as he carves Neymar up like a Thanksgiving Turkey. Neymar rolls around in great pain, but obviously gets up in five seconds to take the kick
78' Madrid are camped in the Barca half here, as Barca drop deeper and deeper. Vazquez sends in a cross that is cleared by Pique... Asensio appeals for a handball, but the ref laughs him off. Rightly so.
77' The unimpressive Karim Benzema OFF, the promising young Marco Asensio ON. In the meanwhile for Barca, the invisible Andre Gomes floats off and Arda Turan strolls on. Turan loves Real Madrid.
76' Modric swing in a dangerous corner that pinballs around the Barca box, before the ball is hacked away by Sergi Roberto!
75' Barca finally break out of their own half and Suarez yells at everyone that Varane handled the ball. He didn't really, and the ref takes a dim view of all the yelling. He enters the man's naughty book with a yellow
73' Messi and Neymar are finding acres of space now that Madrid are pressing forward. This time their little passing routine is intercepted by Ramos and a counter is started by Ronaldo. The ball is worked out to Carvajal who wins a corner. The corner is cleared, but it's still a Madrid throw in Rory Delap territory.
72' Pass! Pass! Pass!
70' Neymar and Messi combine again and the Brazilian is released into the box, where his smack is blocked well by Ramos. Barcelona are very much on top here and they are playing with a confidence that evokes their truly glorious heydays (of erm.. last year?)
69' Barca have suddenly stepped up the ante. Neymar at the heart of it again as he sends in Suarez and the Uruguayan smacks it to the near post where a strong Navas hand waves it away. The corner doesn't do much, but Barcelona have the ball and are knocking it about - pass, pass, pass
68' OH MY GOODNESS LORD! NEYMAR IS AWAKE ALRIGHT. HE JINKS IN FROM THE LEFT, SCHOOLS CARVAJAL BEFORE LEAVING HIM ON THE GROUND AND WITH THE GOAL AT HIS MERCY, HE SMACKS IT HIGH AND WIDE!!! OH MY! That should have been two.
67' Neymar wakes up again after disappearing for the past five minutes and forces Varane to hack it away!
65' SUBSTITUTION - Isco OFF, Casemiro ON. The Spaniard is pissed off at being taken off and kicks out at something or the other. Zidane is probably trying to get Modric and Kovacic further up the pitch
64' WHAT IS THIS! BARCELONA PLAYERS SIMPLY STOP PLAYING AFTER BEING CONVINCED THAT CARVAJAL HAD STEPPED OUTSIDE THE PITCH WITH THE BALL - Play for the whistle people! That never came, but luckily for the Catalans. Carvajal wasted the crossing chance
63' Suarez sweeps a ball into the box, but Carvajal gets there ahead of Neymar and Vazquez brings the ball back again!
62' Finally, Kovacic smacks it against Suarez's legs and that's Madrid's ball again. By the bye they showed a replay of the goal and SUAREZ LOOKED A MILE OFFSIDE ON THAT! OH MY! OH MY! Not good for the BP of any Madrid fan out there
61' This is Barcelona's game now. They knock the ball around in their contemptuous fashion and slowly, but steadily, work their way up the pitch. And then back again. Pass. Pass. Pass. Pass. Even Ter Stegen gets a touch now.
59' Don Andres is in. SUBSTITUTION - Rakitic OFF, Iniesta ON. Messi's class shines through as he slips off the armband and hands it over to the great Spaniard
58' OH BENZEMA! OH BENZEMA! Isco threads the eye of the proverbial needle with an inch perfect pass to Benzema. The Frenchman's first touch is superb, but HE DALLIES ON THE BALL FOR AGES AND ALBA NIPS IN AND KNICKS IT OFF HIS TOE!! WHAT WAS THE MADRID STRIKER DOING!
57' OOOOO SUAREZ!!!!! The ball was intercepted by Busquets and he kicked into motion a series of passes that culminated in Neymar sending in Suarez clean through on goal! But the man can't get the ball under his spell, and it's a goal kick to Madrid
56' Isco, Benzema and Modric work the ball around the left in a way that would have made anyone in La Masia happy... but an unusuallly errant Modric pass gifts possession back to Barcelona...
55' Marcelo comes bombing back forward - what is that guy made of!! - and he wins a corner. The corner comes to nothing, but Real Madrid still have the ball at their feet. They are playing some sparkling football to be honest
OH MY! OH MY! OH MY! Neymar swings in a teasing free kick and Suarez glides in in-between two Madrid defenders and heads it home. Like a thief slipping into the shadows. Superb goal. So atypically Barca, though - Move over Tony Pulis
53' GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!! LUIS SUAAAAAREZ!!!!!!!!!!! BARCELONA LEAD!!!
51' Messi tries to Messi his way through Real's defence, but Raphael Varane brings it out and powers forward brilliantly!! HE LAYS IT OFF TO ISCO, WHO FEEDS IT TO MARCELO, THEN IT'S BACK TO KOVACIC WHO LIFTS IT TO RONALDO..... who hammers it into row Z! Beautiful chest control to get the ball under control, but his left-footed volley was not the best
49' UFF! Marcelo tries to play in Benzema but there's just too much power in the pass. Sergi Roberto is getting absolutely NO support from anyone else in red and blue
48' What a player Marcelo is. He powers down the left flank and toys with a flustered Sergi Roberto. The move ends when Ronaldo is pulled up for offside... on seeing a replay, I must say that was VERY tight!
47' Messi sparkles into life and sends in a ball to Suarez - the striker can't really get it under his spell and is quickly blocked off by Varane. The corner is swung in well but Suarez trips Kovacic and Real are in control again
46' Pique and Mascherano exchange passes with Ter Stegen - such a typically Barca thing to do no? But Real are having none of it and press the trio high up on the pitch and Madrid get the ball back.
PEEEP! We're OFF!
There are 98,485 souls in the stadium singing their heart out! And whistling - the atmosphere is absolutely crackling
Oh and Luka Modric has absolutely bossed it this half - he's made sure that neither Kroos nor Casemiro have been missed, as this stat highlights - 97.3%: The Croat completed 36 of his 37 passes in the first half, more than any other player.
Ronaldo has looked UP FOR IT - The man had three shots on target in the 1st half - Barcelona only had one (4 in total).
Live Chat
online
PEEP! PEEP! FULLTIME!!
BARCELONA 1 - 1 REAL MADRID
Barcelona are still six points behind the league leaders, while Madrid continue their unbeaten run. The number is THIRTY THREE right now