The Clásico this Sunday at the Spotify Camp Nou left La Liga Santander practically seen for sentence, with a 2-1 for the FC Barcelona in the discount that places the real Madrid 12 points behind with 12 games to play, in an electric pulse with rebounding goals, opportunism, twisted play and canceled in a party that was finally blaugrana,
It was the first Clásico for Xavi Hernández at the Camp Nou as coach. Of the previous ones with the Terrassa coach on the bench, three were for a Barça that puts more land in between. The same as in a League that they reserved, in which they put a foot and a half after winning a hot, even and vibrant Clásico that lacked little.
The blaugranas struck at 45′, with a tight shot from Sergi Roberto after a rebound from the white defence. A goal that, in the last play of the first half, equalized Real Madrid’s initial goal, the work of Ronald Araujo’s own goal from Vinicius’ cross, who was very active but unfortunate this time.
And, at minute 91, when the tie was considered good and retaining the 9-point distance, a good collective play by Barça blew up a Camp Nou Spotify full to the brim. Lewandowski gave a heel to Balde, who accurately saw Kessié coming from behind and put it on for ‘Il presidente’ to overcome a beaten Courtois to make it 2-1.
A goal ‘in extremis’ that leaves Barça in a privileged situation to recover LaLiga. To win the maximum objective that the blaugranas set for this season. It’s not done, not at all, but Real Madrid has a lot to come back after this Clásico, which came very close to being decisive.
Barça was better except at specific moments, such as in a final stretch of the game in which Real Madrid, with all the gunpowder on the green after Carlo Ancelotti’s changes, was able to lock Barça in their area and touch the goal of the triumph. Asensio initially achieved it, but offside, and Ter Stegen had the worst feelings of danger against him all night.
Before, both with 0-0 and with 0-1 and the final 1-1, Barça had more weight in the game, more control and also the clearest scoring chances. Lewandowski tried it in every way, but he couldn’t pierce the nets of Courtois, the best of Real Madrid. The Pole, however, was decisive with his magical backheel pass to Balde, which ended with that key goal by Kessié who, coming on as a refresher for a great Sergi Roberto, sentenced.
Barça had only conceded one goal in this League at home, against RCD Espanyol and the work of Joselu from a penalty. Tonight, Real Madrid achieved the second –although it was Araujo’s own goal– and for the moment came close to the third, but it did not arrive and the whites, beaten in many instances of the game, lost to Barcelona, to a Camp Nou to which they will return soon to try to overcome the 0-1 loss in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
DATA SHEET
RESULT: FC BARCELONA, 2 – REAL MADRID, 1 (1-1, at halftime).
EQUIPMENT
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Araújo, Koundé, Christensen, Balde; Busquets, Sergi Roberto (Kessié, min.77), De Jong; Raphinha (Ferran Torres, min.83), Lewandowski and Gavi (Ansu Fati, min.90+1).
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rüdiger, Nacho (Mendy, min.62); Camavinga (Tchouameni, min.76), Modric (Ceballos, min.76), Kroos (Rodrygo, min.62); Valverde (Asensio, min.76), Benzema and Vinicius.
GOALS
0-1. Min.9, Araujo (pp).
1-1. Min.45, Sergi Roberto.
2-1. Min.90+2, Kessie.
REFEREE: From Burgos Bengoetxea (C. Vasco). He admonished Raphinha (min.33), Sergi Roberto (min.64), Balde (min.90) and Ansu Fati (min.90+7) at FC Barcelona and Nacho (min.18), Modric (min.69 ) and Ceballos (min.90+7) at Real Madrid.
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