The latest edition of El Clasico had all the makings of a sloppy affair from the get-go, with Barcelona riding its typically tight possession in the midfield—and a host of mistakes and missed chances by Real Madrid—to a 3-1 victory at Santiago Bernabeu.
Though only after overcoming some rather egregious errors of their own. The action began with a poor clearance by Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdez that landed the ball in the control of Madrid's Angel Di Maria, who passed it off to Mesut Ozil for a shot and a rebound that Karim Benzema put through the net just 23 seconds in.
Barca were plagued by untidy football for most of the first half, spared only by Los Blancos' inability to capitalize on the many chances created.
They finally stemmed the tide of negative momentum at the 30-minute mark, when a bit of slovenly defending by Madrid, along with some magical maneuvering by Lionel Messi, allowed Alexis Sanchez to connect on the equalizer.
From that point on, it was all Barca, all the time, particularly once the two sides returned to the pitch after halftime. The Blaugrana took control on yet another mishap for Madrid, as a deep shot from Xavi bounced off Marcelo's heel and feebly into the net, past the outstretched arms of a diving Iker Casillas in the 53rd minute.
The silence at the Bernabeu grew deafening just 13 minutes later, when Cesc Fabregas headed in a gorgeous cross from Dani Alves on the right flank.
All the while, Madrid couldn't seem to get the ball where they wanted, even when they were in perfect position to score. Missed chances by Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain left Los Blancos reeling, though this match will be remembered more for the disappearance of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese prince seemingly shrunk when his club needed him the most, with a missed header from five yards out in the second half serving more as a metaphor for Ronaldo's absentmindedness the entire evening.
As a result, the two-horse race atop La Liga remains wide open, with Barca reclaiming first place in the table by way of a wider goal differential on the season than that of Madrid.
The match itself was hardly ideal by Barcelona's lofty standards, though Pep Guardiola and his star-studded squad can hardly complain about the outcome.
Sursa : http://bleacherreport.com
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