Barcelona prolonged their lead atop of the La Liga desk to 12 factors with simply 12 video games remaining because of a well-known El Clasico win.
An personal objective from Ronald Araujo would open the scoring for Real Madrid, however targets from Sergi Roberto and substitute Franck Kessie would earn the win for Barca at Camp Nou.
The tempo of the sport was set early on by two long-range efforts from star quantity nines Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema – each of which compelled the opposition goalkeepers into good saves.
In the fifth minute, Barca created the primary good probability of the sport. An exquisite ball to the again submit from Frenkie de Jong discovered Raphinha, who noticed his subsequent headed effort brilliantly saved by Thibaut Courtois.
Just a couple of minutes later Barcelona have been made to rue that missed probability when Real Madrid took the lead. And the objective would come in essentially the most unlikely of circumstances, with a moderately tame chipped cross from Vinicius Junior flicking off the pinnacle of Ronald Araujo and into the again of his personal web.
Barca would press ahead with actual intent thereafter and would come near drawing stage in the twenty third minute. The probability would fall to ex-Chelsea man Andreas Christensen, who leaped highest on the close to submit to latch onto a Raphinha cross, however was simply unable to maintain his ensuing header on the right track.
The Brazilian compelled Courtois into one other good save on the half hour mark, bursting in-field and unleashing a robust strike on objective – one which was properly tipped over by the Real Madrid primary.
In the ultimate minute of the primary half, the house facet would lastly get their objective by way of Sergi Roberto. The midfielder reacted properly to regulate a deflected Raphinha shot contained in the field earlier than curling the ball into the highest proper nook of the web.
(*12*)The begin of the second half was fiercely contested, with each side pushing ahead in search of the lead. Robert Lewandowski would come shut to creating it 2-1 for Barca across the hour mark, when he turned and fired an ideal strike from 25-yards out – a strike which flew simply huge by way of a deflection.
A couple of minutes later some terribly sloppy play from Sergio Busquets on the sting of his personal field would reward Rodrygo an ideal capturing alternative on the sting of the field. The substitute appeared to panic barely when the ball got here to him nevertheless, dashing his method and, as a end result, ballooned his strike over the crossbar.
The greatest probability of the second half half would fall to the one player Barca would need it to fall for: Lewandowski. The Polish striker was discovered fully unmarked on the again submit by Busquets, however his acrobatic effort on objective was, amazingly, not very properly executed and, as a substitute of nestling in the web, nestled in row Z.
Barca would drive Courtois into one other nice save in the ultimate quarter-hour. The Belgian worldwide received down properly to his left to stop a half-volleyed effort from Raphinha (once more) to maintain it at 1-1.
In the ultimate 10 minutes Real Madrid pushed laborious for an essential profitable objective, and so they thought they’d it when Marco Asensio tapped house from six-yards out. After a prolonged VAR assessment nevertheless, the objective was dominated out for offside.
In the ultimate minute of the sport, Barcelona did rating the profitable objective. It would come courtesy of substitute Franck Kessie who stole in on the again submit to latch onto an ideal low cross from Alejandro Balde to win El Calsico for his facet.
GK – Marc-Andre ter Stegen – 6/10 – Made just a few first rate saves.
RB – Ronald Araujo – 5/10 – Scored a really early personal objective and contested a fierce battle with Vinicius on the flank.
CB – Jules Kounde – 6/10 – Dealt with Benzema properly.
CB – Andreas Christensen – 6/10 – Was a continuing risk from set items.
LB – Alejandro Balde – 7/10 – His good cross led to the profitable objective.
CM – Sergi Roberto – 7/10 – Scored a beautiful objective to attract Barca stage earlier than half-time.
CM – Sergio Busquets – 4/10 – Sloppier than traditional on the ball at occasions.
CM – Frenkie de Jong – 7/10 – Worked his socks off and used the ball properly all through.
RW – Raphinha – 8/10 – Barca’s greatest player. Caused Los Blancos an entire host of issues.
ST – Robert Lewandowski – 7/10 – Missed just a few first rate possibilities on the evening however his hold-up play was distinctive.
LW – Gavi – 6/10 – Ran himself into the bottom.
SUB – Franck Kessie – 7/10 – Great end with win the sport for Barca.
SUB – Ansu Fati – N/A.
SUB – Ferran Torres – N/A.
GK – Thibaut Courtois – 8/10 – Made a variety of good saves.
RB – Dani Carvajal – 4/10 – Struggled to get ahead. You can see why he is been criticised not too long ago.
CB – Eder Militao – 5/10 – Not a foul outing.
CB – Antonio Rudiger – 6/10 – Had his palms full with Lewandowski. He did fairly properly.
LB – Nacho Fernandez – 3/10 – Poor. First man to be subbed off.
CM – Luka Modric – 4/10 – Not fairly at his greatest and struggled to take care of De Jong’s vitality.
CM – Eduardo Camavinga – 4/10 – He’s a lot, significantly better as a left-back. Carlo, play him at left-back.
CM – Toni Kroos – 4/10 – A quiet outing for the German legend.
RW – Federico Valverde – 2/10 – A nothing efficiency.
ST – Karim Benzema – 5/10 – Held the ball up properly at occasions however simply did not get the service on Sunday night.
LW – Vinicius Junior – 6/10 – His cross led to the opening objective. At the guts of every thing good Real Madrid did.
SUB – Ferland Mendy – N/A.
SUB – Rodrygo – 5/10 – Missed probability when launched.
SUB – Aurelien Tchouameni – N/A.
SUB – Marco Asensio – 5/10 – Scored an offside objective.
SUB – Dani Ceballos – N/A.
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