Real Madrid vs Barcelona: 5 Talking Points from El Clasico

Real Madrid vs Barcelona El Clasico highlights Messi goal
Lionel Messi netted his 25th goal against Real Madrid

#3 Dani Carvajal's unnecessary red card turns the game

Dani Carvajal red card Real Madrid vs Barcelona
Dani Carvajal received a straight red card in the second half for handball

Soon after Suarez had made it 1-0, Barcelona were on the ascendancy. Kovacic seemed to be struggling to mark Messi on the counter-attack and the Argentine spotted Luis Suarez out on the left, feeding him with a sumptuous through-ball.

That's when Real lost their heads. Pandemonium ensued on the goal line as Suarez's shot came off the post before Paulinho's header from the rebound was saved off the line - not by Keylor Navas but by Dani Carvajal with a deliberate handball.

The Spanish right-back had no complaints when the referee took out his red card but this was not a case of taking one for the team. Messi converted the penalty with aplomb to make it 2-0 but it allowed the Catalan club to dominate possession and keep the ball to put the brakes on Real Madrid.

Benzema was sacrificed for Nacho and the Bernabeu's boos were very audible as Real failed to press Barcelona who decided to play 'keep the ball' by spreading it from one end of the pitch to the other - making it as tough as possible for Real's 10 men to win it back.

Carvajal's handball was unnecessary. There was still half an hour to go to fight for a result and deliberately going down to 10 men against Barcelona was suicide.

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