This version of El Clásico was dramatic and incredible to a wildly harbor degree, with Barcelona coming back from a late equalizer from 10-man Real Madrid to stun their hosts at the Santiago Bernabeu. A last-second winner from Lionel Messi was his second gear goal in the biggest of moments, in a massive 3-2 acquire that will change the La Liga championship race .
The match started cagily but still with the frantic energy that therefore often accompanies El Clásico, with Barcelona trying to settle into a new tactical shape given some of the injuries and suspensions they ’ re dealing with — most notably Neymar — and Real Madrid not wanting them to have the time or comfort to find their groove. Madrid decidedly had the better of the early chances, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen was putting in a solid read in goal for Barcelona despite the defense in front of him lacking their common calm, including stonewalling a shoot from Cristiano Ronaldo that the Portuguese star topology is much more use to scoring from .
That miss of defensive steady cost Barcelona in a bad way, though, with three Madrid players getting dislodge properly in front of ter Stegen on a set while merely before the half-hour marker thanks to a bad dislocation in Barcelona ’ s marking scheme. Sergio Ramos was the first man on the ball, but his fritter banged off the post and ter Stegen couldn ’ thyroxine catch back in clock time to stop the rally shoot from an also-unmarked Casemiro at the far post .
Ter Stegen wasn ’ t the entirely Barcelona actor overturn at that turn of events, though, as Lionel Messi was already angered by having been left bleeding after eating a high elbow from Marcelo during a challenge for a heading. That sparked the Argentine megastar into a higher tied of play, the kind that sees him slalom through defenses on his own to score goals — good like he did five minutes after substantial Madrid ’ s opener to level the scoreline for Barcelona.

The rest of the foremost half was a back-and-forth affair, with ter Stegen coming up bad again for Barcelona and a cagey refutation for Real Madrid fair scantily keeping their rivals at bay. The second half was much the lapp, but played at an tied more frantic level. Barcelona continued to lean heavy on ter Stegen to stop shots, and he responded excellently, though Keylor Navas besides came up big on what looked like a sure finish for Barcelona, stopping a Messi shot cold to keep the score even .
Barcelona were surely getting their chances, but on a hale it broadly felt like Real Madrid were the team more in control of the match, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos creating tons of scoring chances for their team and doing a lot of work both on and off the ball. But Madrid struggled badly to convert that control into goals, a problem most typified when Marco Asensio and Cristiano Ronaldo broke clear on a counter attack, only for Ronaldo to send his nip sky-high despite having a net gamble at goal in the 67th infinitesimal .
That lack of preciseness cost Madrid dearly barely six minutes late, because Ivan Rakitic popped up with an absolutely first goal to give Barcelona a 2-1 lead at the Santiago Bernabeu, and that goal left Madrid bitter and frustrated .

That frustration was embodied by their captain, Sergio Ramos, who was lucky not to break Messi ’ s leg four minutes belated with a hard and former undertake that saw him earn an easy loss card from the referee .
But Real Madrid weren ’ t done, despite the awful straits they found themselves in. Marcelo served up a providential musket ball to James Rodriguez, who got through Barcelona ’ mho defense unmarked, for a huge equalizer despite being down to ten men .

It looked like Real Madrid were going to salvage that 2-2 reap — but a blockage time stunner from Messi saw Barcelona scrape out a 3-2 win that will have huge title race implications in La Liga .

The result brings Barcelona floor with very Madrid in the standings, and they hold every key tiebreaker over their rivals. Madrid hush have a game in hand, but if Barcelona can keep up the kind of class and quality that saw them win this match, there ’ s short rationality not to think that they can stay in the driver ’ s seat — the pressure is all on Real Madrid right now.

Real Madrid : Keylor Navas ; Marcelo, Sergio Ramos ( red 77 ’ ), Nacho, Dani Carvajal, Casemiro ( Mateo Kovacic 70 ’ ), Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema ( James Rodriguez 82 ’ ), Gareth Bale ( Marco Asensio 39 ’ )
Goals : Casemiro ( 28 ’ ), Rodriguez ( 86 ’ )
Barcelona : Marc-André ter Stegen ; Jordi Alba, Samuel Umtiti, Gerard Piqué, Sergi Roberto, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitić, Andrés Iniesta, Paco Alcácer ( André Gomes 70 ’ ), Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi
Goals : Messi ( 33 ’, 90 ’ +2 ), Rakitic ( 73 ’ )

Three things we learned

Don’t make Lionel Messi angry

Before getting clobbered by Marcelo and starting to bleed abundantly from the mouthpiece in the opening spell of the pit, Messi had a fairly tranquillity day. After being left on the pitch with rake all over his sleeve and grimace — and Marcelo ’ s elbow — we saw a much different and much angrier Messi .
That spelled worry for Madrid, because once Messi got brainsick, the Barcelona attack that had been struggling to find fluidity and form started snap, and it was all because of the bantam Argentine. Despite playing with a bloody tabloid in his mouth for the rest of the first half, he put the team on his shoulders and drove them forward, specially after Madrid scored their opening goal. In fact, his goal was much a solo effort, taking on and beating four veridical Madrid players on his own after receiving a well-placed crack from Ivan Rakitic .
He was besides key for Barcelona throughout the moment half, constantly driving the ball ahead and creating scoring chances to keep them in the equal no topic how things looked for them. His final feat at the goal of the peer secured a massive gain for Barcelona, one that, if things work out in the end few weeks, can well see Barcelona capture the La Liga title .

Gareth Bale should not start again until he is actually healthy

ever since Bale came back from his original calf injury, there ’ s been something equitable not right with the Welsh winger. He ’ south lacked a step of yard, his explosive acceleration has been missing, and that combination has robbed him of his normal sharpness in his game. And when he has been playing of former, he ’ mho been struggling to finish matches without breaking down despite his portentous sour rate, and that ’ s a huge trouble for Real Madrid .
Bale ’ s early departure from this pit after breaking down so far again makes one thing wholly clear for Madrid — they have to bench him until he ’ south actually, completely healthy again. He can be available on the workbench when Zinedine Zidane and the team ’ s training staff feel he can help from there, but otherwise Bale needs to focus on getting healthy and back to the player he can be. Starting matches only seems to be making things worse for him right now, and that ’ s leaving the team in a lurch on a far excessively coherent footing of deep.

Bale should besides take a long look at his train program and possibly even his diet, because spells of nagging injuries like this have been far besides coarse during his career. They ’ re keeping him from being the sincerely elite player he can be, and if he wants to take that next pace he needs to figure out what has to change to better protect and maintain his body, because his body is literally the thing that makes his career. If that fails on him, thus does that illustrious footballing career .

Barcelona asked a lot of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and he delivered

Barcelona ’ s attack scored the goals that gave them their draw, but the Man of the Match award should go to their goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen. many fans were critical of him on Madrid ’ s opening goal of the match, but it was ter Stegen constantly being on-point with his put and reactions that kept Barcelona in the pit for the time they needed to score .
Time and again, Barcelona ’ south defense was excessively spread out after pushing fullbacks high up the sales talk or uncovered by midfielders, forcing ter Stegen to step up and make keep open after save from excellent scoring chances from substantial Madrid. And he came up huge, stonewalling them time after clock. The goals he gave up were from situations that left him helpless, with three attackers in his face on a break bent part, then an absolutely overlooked James Rodriguez for Madrid ’ s equalizer. But if it wasn ’ t for ter Stegen doing sol well for the rest of the match, those moments wouldn ’ t have mattered, because real Madrid would have waltzed their room to five goals or more .