The third El Clasico of the season turned out to be every bit as mouthwatering as the previous two. While the previous two games showed Real Madrid in a better light due to away goals, the third one ended in a draw. Nou Camp was hosting the El Clasico and adding to the electric atmosphere was the fact that the Catalan fans were calling for their independence during the game itself. But politics was left far behind when the game began and the two teams mesmerized millions of viewers with their beautiful and dazzling display of football.
The match began with Barcelona as the favorites as they were in leading Real Madrid by eight points in the league. A win here would see the lead extend to eleven points, something Real Madrid couldn’t afford so early in the campaign. They were desperate for a win and they played for one. Barcelona as expected tried to dominate possession while Real Madrid looked for the kill on the break. Things were looking promising for Real Madrid as they were making the better chances in the first half of the game and this was finally rewarded when Cristiano Ronaldo finally scored to give the visitors a well deserved lead in the first half. But when Cristiano Ronaldo scored, could his arch rival Messi be far behind? Messi scored the equalizer for Barcelona just before the break to give the fans something to cheer about during the break.
This match could be very well read as Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi. Modern football will be remembered for one thing only and that is the exploits of these two great players. And what do you get when you put them on the pitch together? You get the El Clasico, arguably the biggest match to be ever played in the game.
Messi gave the lead to Barcelona in the second half with a superbly taken free-kick from just outside the box. As Real Madrid players looked on with disbelief, Catalan fans were in for a treat. But things looked for better for Real Madrid after a while as Ronaldo scored the equalizer, even though he was nursing a shoulder injury picked up in the second half and gave Real Madrid a well deserved chance to stay alive in the match and in the league. The score board read Real Madrid 2 and Barcelona 2 and it stayed that way till the final whistle was blown. The final result was a good one, without being unfair to any particular team. Both teams made their chances and scored goals and there was nothing between them to choose from. What remains to be seen is whether Real Madrid can cut down Barcelona’s lead at the top or will it be Barcelona running away with the trophy. It might be a bit too early in the season to really say.