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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Barcelona v Real Madrid: El Clásico – live! | Barcelona v Real Madrid: El Clásico – live! |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.34pm GMT20:34 | |
| 31 min: Rakitic sends the corner to the near post. Marcelo heads it behind for another. The ball is sent into the mixer again and it leads to an almighty bout of head tennis. What is this, West Ham v Stoke? Eventually the ball drops to Suarez on the right. He scuffs his shot across goal but it falls to Neymar in the six-yard box. Somehow, with the whole goal to aim at, he sends his shot straight at Casillas! And that’s a costly miss, because... | |
| 8.32pm GMT20:32 | |
| 30 min: A lucky ricochet goes Barcelona’s way, Rakitic’s pass deflecting off a Real midfielder and behind for a corner on the left, Casillas unable to get there in time. | |
| 8.30pm GMT20:30 | |
| 28 min: It’s Luis Suarez 1-2 Pepe. Suarez swipes his studs down the back of Pepe’s calf and picks up a booking. These two. He was nowhere near the ball. | |
| 8.30pm GMT20:30 | |
| 27 min: This game is all about Mathieu. Now he almost scores an own goal as he rises to deal with a cross from the left, his header dropping not too far wide of the post. He didn’t actually need to do that, there were no Real attackers behind him, and he asks Bravo why he didn’t give him a shout. “What Madrid need is another summer shopping trip to their London feeder club,” says Matt Dony. “Next season, with Kane leading the line, we’ll have a very different game on our hands.” | |
| 8.28pm GMT20:28 | |
| 26 min: Marcelo is a threat. He beats one man, then two, but his low drive from 18 yards is blocked by Mathieu. What a game he’s having! The Frenchman is outshining Messi, Suarez and Neymar. | |
| 8.27pm GMT20:27 | |
| 25 min: Real enjoy a spell of possession outside the Barcelona area. There’s no way through, however, not yet, Barcelona keeping their shape well. Real have to be patient. | |
| 8.26pm GMT20:26 | |
| 24 min: A low corner from Rakitic reaches Messi. He tees up Alba for a shot from 25 yards. Over it goes. | |
| 8.25pm GMT20:25 | |
| 23 min: The free-kick is in a central position, just to the left, surely made for the right foot of Neymar. Unfortunately for the Brazilian, Messi also fancies a go. His left-footed effort hits the top of the wall and goes behind for a corner on the right. | |
| 8.24pm GMT20:24 | |
| 21 min: Pepe tries to make friends with Suarez again. Suarez is cute enough to buy the foul off Pepe, around 30 yards from goal, and to add insult to injury, Pepe is booked. | |
| 8.23pm GMT20:23 | |
| GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid (Mathieu, 19 min) | |
| Who had Jeremy Mathieu as first goalscorer in the sweepstake? If so, you are in luck! No one saw this coming. Messi clipped a delightful ball into the area from the left and Mathieu got in front of Ramos and powered a low header past Casillas, who had no chance of keeping that out! That’s Mathieu’s first goal for Barcelona and he’s picked a pretty good time to score it. | |
| 8.21pm GMT20:21 | |
| 19 min: Pepe introduces himself to Suarez. What a pair. Free-kick to Barcelona on the left. And... | |
| 8.20pm GMT20:20 | |
| 17 min: Barcelona probe again. Messi starts the move on the right, skipping past Marcelo, and then swerving to the left and finding Neymar on the left side of the Real area. Neymar clips it into the middle and Messi, his run unchecked, heads well wide. If he’d left it, the ball probably would have reached the unmarked Dani Alves. | |
| 8.18pm GMT20:18 | |
| 15 min: Real have started to dominate possession in the past few minutes. They’ve settled down. | |
| 8.16pm GMT20:16 | |
| 13 min: Another chance for Real. Carvajal swings a cross to the far post and Ronaldo, under pressure, heads over. That wasn’t as good as the chance a minute ago. | |
| 8.15pm GMT20:15 | |
| 12 min: Ronaldo hits the bar! Marcelo drives inside from the left and opens Barcelona up with an astute pass through to Benzema. He could shoot, but the ball gets stuck under his feet, so instead he twists and turns and then lofts a cross to the far post to Ronaldo, who sidefoots his volley against the bar from close range! By his standards, that is a woeful miss. Real would not have wanted anyone else in that position. From the resulting corner, Isco has another sighter from the edge of the area, but his deflected effort flashes just wide. Suddenly Real have woken up. | |
| 8.12pm GMT20:12 | |
| 10 min: Ronaldo loses the ball again. Barcelona look sharp out of possession. They mean business. But Real are doing well to keep them at arm’s length in the final third. | |
| 8.11pm GMT20:11 | |
| 9 min: Bale tries to run Alba. No dice. | |
| 8.10pm GMT20:10 | |
| 8 min: Bale gets on the ball for the first time. No one boos him. He dribbles inside and plays a reverse pass through to Benzema, down the right channel. Benzema is faced by Pique and decides to take an early shot from a tight angle, the ball dribbling well wide of the far post. | |
| 8.09pm GMT20:09 | |
| 7 min: Neymar feeds a pass into Suarez. He shields the ball and tries to return the favour, but Carvajal shepherds it out of play, with Neymar breathing down his neck. | |
| 8.08pm GMT20:08 | |
| 6 min: Isco cuts inside from the left and tries to slither a pass through to Bale. Nope. | |
| 8.07pm GMT20:07 | |
| 5 min: There are boos every time Ronaldo gets the ball. He’s not very popular in this part of the world. | |
| 8.06pm GMT20:06 | |
| 4 min: With Iniesta receiving treatment, Barca take the corner. It’s cleared and Iniesta is able to rejoin the fray. That’s a relief. | |
| 8.06pm GMT20:06 | |
| 3 min: Barcelona look bright and inventive already. Iniesta plays a sumptuous one-two with Suarez on the left and breaks past the Real defence on the left. He cuts it back into the six-yard box, where the ball bounces first off Rakitic, then Isco and then over the bar for a corner. The worry for Barca, though, is that Iniesta is down, clutching his ankle. They’ll be desperate not to lose him. | |
| 8.04pm GMT20:04 | |
| 2 min: Casillas boots a clearance out for a throw. There are jeers. He’s not been in great form for, well, about three years. | |
| 8.04pm GMT20:04 | |
| And we’re off! Barcelona, kicking from right to left in the first half, get the ball rolling. But soon Ronaldo has the ball. He sprints down the left, with piercing whistles in his ears, and is swiftly double-teamed by Rakitic and Alves. | |
| 7.59pm GMT19:59 | 7.59pm GMT19:59 |
| A bit more tunnel hugging and then it’s time for the teams to emerge! The lights are shining and the Camp Nou rises to sing Barcelona’s anthem. It’s a sea of red and blue. Plus a bit of yellow. But mostly red and blue. A bit like Selhurst Park. | A bit more tunnel hugging and then it’s time for the teams to emerge! The lights are shining and the Camp Nou rises to sing Barcelona’s anthem. It’s a sea of red and blue. Plus a bit of yellow. But mostly red and blue. A bit like Selhurst Park. |
| Updated at 8.00pm GMT | Updated at 8.00pm GMT |
| 7.57pm GMT19:57 | 7.57pm GMT19:57 |
| The players are in the tunnel. Xavi and Iker Casillas are sharing a tender hug. Now Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric are at it. How sweet. I doubt that would have happened when Jose Mourinho was at Real Madrid. “Speaking of inconsistent naming (BBC), has anyone confirmed whether AS Monaco’s Elderson is, in fact, an elder son?” says Peter McMurry. “Are his siblings named Youngerson, Youngestson, and ButYouToldMeYouHadAVasectomySon?” | The players are in the tunnel. Xavi and Iker Casillas are sharing a tender hug. Now Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric are at it. How sweet. I doubt that would have happened when Jose Mourinho was at Real Madrid. “Speaking of inconsistent naming (BBC), has anyone confirmed whether AS Monaco’s Elderson is, in fact, an elder son?” says Peter McMurry. “Are his siblings named Youngerson, Youngestson, and ButYouToldMeYouHadAVasectomySon?” |
| Updated at 7.58pm GMT | Updated at 7.58pm GMT |
| 7.51pm GMT19:51 | 7.51pm GMT19:51 |
| Kick-off is not far away. Excitement is building. “Why?” asks Ruth Purdue. “Cause they pass to each other? No seriously…when they play together its like watching art. So quick, so memorising.” | Kick-off is not far away. Excitement is building. “Why?” asks Ruth Purdue. “Cause they pass to each other? No seriously…when they play together its like watching art. So quick, so memorising.” |
| 7.47pm GMT19:47 | 7.47pm GMT19:47 |
| “Which front 3 would you rather have?” says Ruth Purdue. “Such a touch question, I can’t decide.” | “Which front 3 would you rather have?” says Ruth Purdue. “Such a touch question, I can’t decide.” |
| Messi-Suarez-Neymar. | Messi-Suarez-Neymar. |
| 7.33pm GMT19:33 | 7.33pm GMT19:33 |
| Point of order: under no circumstances should anyone refer to Real’s front three as the BBC. It makes no sense at all. It’s inconsistent, two surnames combined with one first name. Stop it. Stop it now. They are the RBB or the RBB or the BBR or the BBR or the BRB or the BRB. | Point of order: under no circumstances should anyone refer to Real’s front three as the BBC. It makes no sense at all. It’s inconsistent, two surnames combined with one first name. Stop it. Stop it now. They are the RBB or the RBB or the BBR or the BBR or the BRB or the BRB. |
| Updated at 7.33pm GMT | Updated at 7.33pm GMT |
| 7.27pm GMT19:27 | 7.27pm GMT19:27 |
| And what an all-star cast it is! Iniesta, Rakitic, Messi, Suarez and Neymar on one side, Modric, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo. There is no logical scenario in which this match cannot be good. | And what an all-star cast it is! Iniesta, Rakitic, Messi, Suarez and Neymar on one side, Modric, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo. There is no logical scenario in which this match cannot be good. |
| 7.19pm GMT19:19 | 7.19pm GMT19:19 |
| Tonight's all-star cast | Tonight's all-star cast |
| Barcelona: Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba; Mascherano, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar. Subs: Ter Stegen, Adriano, Bartra, Busquets, Rafinha, Xavi, Pedro. | Barcelona: Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba; Mascherano, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar. Subs: Ter Stegen, Adriano, Bartra, Busquets, Rafinha, Xavi, Pedro. |
| Real Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo. Subs: Navas, Varane, Arbeloa, Silva, Illarramendi, Jese, Hernandez. | Real Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo. Subs: Navas, Varane, Arbeloa, Silva, Illarramendi, Jese, Hernandez. |
| Busy Whistling Man: Mateu Lahoz. | Busy Whistling Man: Mateu Lahoz. |
| Updated at 7.26pm GMT | Updated at 7.26pm GMT |
| 6.30pm GMT18:30 | 6.30pm GMT18:30 |
| Preamble | Preamble |
| We need to talk about Lionel Messi. He’s not bad, is he? | We need to talk about Lionel Messi. He’s not bad, is he? |
| Just look at what he did to Manchester City on Wednesday night. It’s not often that you’ll see a manager who’s on a scouting mission squealing with delight in the stands, but nothing could sum up Messi’s performance against City than the way Pep Guardiola reacted to his various flicks, tricks, nutmegs, dinks, dribbles, scampers, passes, crosses and shots on goal. It was a Messi masterclass - poor James Milner, poor Fernandinho, poor Manchester City - and Guardiola simply couldn’t hide his emotions. He was acting like the particularly annoying person at the cinema who won’t stop whooping whenever something vaguely interesting happens during the film, but can you blame him? That’s Messi for you. Even the best manager in the world is not immune to his unique charms. Even Guardiola is reduced to childlike glee when Messi is in that mood. | Just look at what he did to Manchester City on Wednesday night. It’s not often that you’ll see a manager who’s on a scouting mission squealing with delight in the stands, but nothing could sum up Messi’s performance against City than the way Pep Guardiola reacted to his various flicks, tricks, nutmegs, dinks, dribbles, scampers, passes, crosses and shots on goal. It was a Messi masterclass - poor James Milner, poor Fernandinho, poor Manchester City - and Guardiola simply couldn’t hide his emotions. He was acting like the particularly annoying person at the cinema who won’t stop whooping whenever something vaguely interesting happens during the film, but can you blame him? That’s Messi for you. Even the best manager in the world is not immune to his unique charms. Even Guardiola is reduced to childlike glee when Messi is in that mood. |
| It’s safe to say that Messi is back. This is probably his best run of form since 2012, injuries and poor tactical decisions from his managers holding him back in the past couple of years, and that is mightily good news for Barcelona and, potentially, mightily bad news for Real Madrid, who really could do without losing The El Clasico this evening. | It’s safe to say that Messi is back. This is probably his best run of form since 2012, injuries and poor tactical decisions from his managers holding him back in the past couple of years, and that is mightily good news for Barcelona and, potentially, mightily bad news for Real Madrid, who really could do without losing The El Clasico this evening. |
| Not so long ago, Real ruled La Liga and Barcelona were in crisis. Real were on top and when Barcelona lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad on 4 January, Camp Nou was engulfed in crisis. Luis Enrique was supposedly for the chop, an unhappy Messi was reportedly thinking about a summer move and Luis Suarez was straying dangerously close towards Flop Territory. Yet a few tactical tweaks here, a few kicks up the backside there and the Messi-Suarez-Neymar triumvirate has clicked beautifully, and Barcelona’s record since the Sociedad nadir reads: WWWWWWWWWWWLWWWWWW. | Not so long ago, Real ruled La Liga and Barcelona were in crisis. Real were on top and when Barcelona lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad on 4 January, Camp Nou was engulfed in crisis. Luis Enrique was supposedly for the chop, an unhappy Messi was reportedly thinking about a summer move and Luis Suarez was straying dangerously close towards Flop Territory. Yet a few tactical tweaks here, a few kicks up the backside there and the Messi-Suarez-Neymar triumvirate has clicked beautifully, and Barcelona’s record since the Sociedad nadir reads: WWWWWWWWWWWLWWWWWW. |
| Things change and now it’s Real’s turn to be In Crisis. Frankly they have been deeply underwhelming since the turn of the year. The fans have been jeering Gareth Bale, they’ve been humiliated by Atletico Madrid in the league and knocked out by them in the Copa del Rey, Cristiano Ronaldo has been frowning a lot, Carlo Ancelotti is under increasing pressure and they’ve relinquished their lead at the top to Barcelona after a few slip-ups. Above all, they’re not playing well, as we saw when they squeaked past Schalke in the last 16 of the Champions League. | Things change and now it’s Real’s turn to be In Crisis. Frankly they have been deeply underwhelming since the turn of the year. The fans have been jeering Gareth Bale, they’ve been humiliated by Atletico Madrid in the league and knocked out by them in the Copa del Rey, Cristiano Ronaldo has been frowning a lot, Carlo Ancelotti is under increasing pressure and they’ve relinquished their lead at the top to Barcelona after a few slip-ups. Above all, they’re not playing well, as we saw when they squeaked past Schalke in the last 16 of the Champions League. |
| But things change! A win tonight puts Real back in first place and they reckon that the return of Luka Modric from injury is going to steady the ship in midfield. He’s a fine player. Although he’s no Messi. Which means that it’s just as well that Madrid have Ronaldo. | But things change! A win tonight puts Real back in first place and they reckon that the return of Luka Modric from injury is going to steady the ship in midfield. He’s a fine player. Although he’s no Messi. Which means that it’s just as well that Madrid have Ronaldo. |
| Kick-off: 8pm in England, 9pm in Barcelona. | Kick-off: 8pm in England, 9pm in Barcelona. |