El Clasico: FC Barcelona’s unbeaten run ends as Ronaldo powers 10-guy real Madrid to 2-1 win Cristiano Ronaldo scored overdue for 10-man real Madrid to snatch a 2-1 comeback win at Barcelona and revive its narrow hopes for the Spanish league title on Saturday.
According to statistics, Madrid ended Barcelona’s Spanish file unbeaten streak at 39 games across all competitions with its first come-from-in the back of a win at Camp Nou considering 1965.
In Zinedine Zidane’s first Clasico as a supervisor, Madrid avenged a four-zero domestic loss to Barcelona it endured underneath Rafa Benitez in November by way of dealing the Catalan membership its first defeat considering that 3 October.
On nighttime that Barcelona honored Johan Cruyff with a moving tribute, it turned into Ronaldo and Madrid’s celebrity forwards that outperformed Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez.
There are a few matters above prevailing and losing,” Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta said about Cruyff. “We were all considering him, and we weren’t capable of getting the victory that we wanted.”
After a lackluster first 1/2, Barcelona’s Gerard Pique opened the scoring with a header in the 56th.
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however, after Karim Benzema equalized six minutes later, instead of staying true to the trademark ball-possession fashion that Cruyff instilled on the membership, Barcelona misplaced its hold of the fit and went on fruitless charges forward.
The up-and-down float played Madrid’s choice, and Ronaldo slotted in the winner off a counterattack within the eighty-fifth, moments after Madrid’s Sergio Ramos received a second reservation.
“Even earlier than Ramos’ sending off, there have been five mins when we didn’t have control of the match,” Pique stated. “I do not know if we got worn-out. However, we could not find a manner to attack.”
The large win kept Madrid in the third region, one factor in the back of Atletico Madrid after its 5-1 win over Real Betis, decreasing the deficit with Barcelona to seven factors with seven rounds left.
Given the extensive hole and dwindling possibilities to overtake each frontrunner, Madrid’s exceptional shot at silverware nonetheless rests in the Champions League, where it’ll play German facet Wolfsburg on Wednesday.
First, we ought to overtake Atletico Madrid due to the fact we are nonetheless third, and then we can see what happens,” Zidane stated. “What I’m able to say is that winning here is huge praise for our players. It is essential for our morale, and just earlier than we play a game within the Champions League in Germany.”
Regardless of the loss, Barcelona’s quest to repeat its rare treble of Liga, Copa del Rey, and the eu Cup from the final season stay intact. Barcelona hosts Atletico within the Champions League on Tuesday.
“Their first goal unnerved us, and alas, we misplaced our first recreation at home” this season, Barcelona coach Luis Enrique stated. “We need to shake it off and recover for the Champions League, with the intention to be annoying in shape. However, we should assume that we’re still the leaders with seven rounds left.”
Before kickoff, Barcelona played a video of many former players giving way to the former participant and manager Cruyff, who died of lung most cancer last week. The ninety,000-plus crowd answered with a long ovation and shaped a massive mosaic with the message “thanks Johan” in Catalan even as they sang the membership anthem earlier than a minute of silence. The same message turned into additionally painted on the facet of the pitch and worn on the players’ shirts.
Another spherical applause came on the 14-minute mark in honor of his wide variety as a participant.
The depth revved up after halftime, and Keylor Navas needed to dive and stretch to turn Messi’s cunning lobbed shot past his post. But, from the resulting nook, there has been not anything Navas could do to maintain our Pique’s point-blank header.
Madrid quick leveled in opposition to the waft of the match. At the same time, Marcelo led a disorganized assault that undid Barcelona whilst Toni Kroos’ deflected pass fell to Benzema to comb in.
At the same time as Barcelona battled to regain command, Madrid established counterattacks. Gareth Bale seemed to have scored, but his aim became waved off for a bad on Jordi Alba. Moments later, Ronaldo sent a ball off the top of the bar.
Ramos’ second yellow card for a clumsy foul on Suarez did not swing the glide returned Barcelona’s way, and Madrid was given the decisive aim whilst Bale crossed the ball to Ronaldo on the long way post. He chested the ball down after Dani Alves mistimed his venture and drilled it below Claudio Bravo for his league-main twenty-ninth goal of the season.
Some place else, Valencia misplaced at Las Palmas 2-1 inside the debut of coach Pako Ayestaran, even as Deportivo los angeles Coruna drew at Celta Vigo 1-1.
