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A hat-trick from Lionel Messi cancelled out Benzema's brace as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 4-3 and finished the game within a point of leaders Atletico and Real Madrid. Here are the major talking points from the game.
#1 La Liga title race is back on
Ahead of the crucial clash with Real Madrid, Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino admitted that "We knew that either the league started up again or it was completely over." Four points behind a Real side that was unbeaten since their 2-1 loss at Barcelona in October, the coach knew that lose this and his side would be seven points behind Real with just nine games to go.
With Atletico winning earlier in the day, the Catalans knew that a victory would leave them just a point off first place. And although they didn’t defend all that well, in Lionel Messi they had a player who took the game by the scruff of the neck and ensured that they left Madrid with the title race firmly in the balance.
With just nine games to go, it looks like La Liga is finally going to witness a proper title race with three teams, instead of one just running away with it, as has been the case recently.
#2 Dismal defences make for a captivating clash
Prior to the clash, neither side had particularly great defenses. Although both had very good defensive records, it was more a result of lack of competition than either of them being any good. So, it was no surprise to note that it was the attackers who made all the running in the game.
Neither defence looked particularly solid, with both pairs of center backs easily caught out on a few occasions. Mascherano didn’t look particularly comfortable at center half alongside Pique and Ramos was sent off for the 19th time in his Real career.
Having said that, some of the attacking on display was simply sublime, which made this, arguably one of the most fascinating, intense and wide open clásico’s in recent memory. In the cauldron that was the Bernabéu, both sides attack with great vigour and the game was full of action, with barely a second to catch the breath until the final whistle blew.
#3 A tale of two Argentineans
It was supposed to be a battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. A battle between the world’s best player and the second-best. However, as the game went on, it was a battle between two Argentineans that made for an enthralling encounter.
Barcelona dominated possession as usual, but it wasn’t a convincing performance by them by any stretch of the imagination, but they have Lionel Messi. A player, whose hat-trick moved him past Alfredo Di Stéfano's as the leading goal scorer in El clásico’s with 21. His hat-trick was supplemented with a wide range of passing, which at times carved Real apart.
On the other end, it was not Ronaldo, but Ángel Di María who stole the show for Real. The Argentine’s uncanny ability to create space for himself to deliver the final ball meant that Benzema had a field day. On a day when both defenses looked suspect and both Bale and Ronaldo failed to light up the arena, Di María took it upon himself and made it an all-Argentine affair at the Bernabéu.
#4 Bale and Neymar fail to live up to their hefty price tags
Gareth Bale and Neymar arrived in Spain last summer as two of the World’s most expensive players shouldering enormous expectations. Both of them were expected to reduce the burden on Messi and Ronaldo respectively. But on Sunday night, they showed that they aren’t there just yet.
With 10 goals and 11 assists since signing Bale has certainly started well but has only been good in flashes. On Sunday night, he wasn’t one of the better players and there was little to show in terms of end product and was quite subdued.
Neymar, who has been troubled with injury all season, has still managed seven goals and eight assists, but he too was unable to break free of the shackles on Sunday night. It looked as though he wasn’t quite ready to shoulder the responsibility on his slender shoulders.
#5 There is still life left in Benzema
The Frenchman’s contract is up in 2015, and although he is the club’s second highest goal scorer in the League, some home fans weren’t still quite convinced by his performances. Against Barcelona, Benzema showed that, at 26, he is still capable of becoming one of the finest marksmen in Europe.
Before Benzema opened the scoring, he managed to miss two guilt-edged chances. The crowd were about to get on his back, but it was then that he met Di María's high, swinging cross and headed home the equalizer. Before long, he got his second, which was a thing of beauty. This time, the Argentine’s cross was clipped in lower and more softly. Benzema controlled on his right thigh and volleyed in with the same foot to record the fastest double in 36 years.
And it took Piqué to prevent it from being a hat-trick, clearing off the line after the duo combined to deadly effect once again. The 26-year-old was arguably his side’s best player on the pitch and was unlucky not have scored more. But he still managed to show the Bernabéu faithful that there is still life left in the Frenchman's Real career.
