Barcelona 1 (Pique 56′) – 2 (Benzema 62′, Ronaldo 85′) Real Madrid
Match report
Real Madrid battled back from a goal down to end Barcelona’s unbeaten run in a tense Clasico on Saturday evening.
Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed an 85th minute winner for his side as Luis Enrique’s men were unable to beat a Real Madrid reduced to 10 men, after Sergio Ramos was sent off for two bookable offences.
A tentative first 45 minutes ended goalless with Barcelona enjoying the majority of possession. Real were set out in a far more rigid defensive style than we have seen from them this season and the home side found it difficult to carve open opportunities, though Luis Suarez was guilty of missing a golden chance early on.
It took until the 56th minute for Gerard Pique to open the scoring, losing his marker, Pepe, at a corner and powering a header into the bottom corner of Keylor Navas’ goal.
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Real responded almost immediately, Marcelo making a rare venture outside the confines of his position at left-back and going on a marauding run down the wing, leaving static Barca players behind as he surged forwards. The ball was released by the box, the cross took a wicked deflection and fell above the head of Karim Benzema, who adjusted his body and scored with an acrobatic volley.
Real sat back, marshaled by a brilliant Casemiro, and invited Barcelona to attack them, looking to spring attacks on the counter. But as Lionel Messi dropped deeper and deeper to try and get involved, so Real took a stronger hold of the game.
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