Real Madrid on Sunday won El Clasico and might have saved their season as they ended their slump in the best way possible by beating Barcelona 2-0 and returning to the top of La Liga.
Vinicius Jr’s deflected finish and a stoppage-time goal from Mariano Diaz decided a frenzied contest at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Madrid found new life after a UEFA Champions League defeat by Manchester City had left them on the brink of crisis.
“It’s been a tough week,” Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. “We talked about how we had an opportunity this weekend and we took it.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
The victory put them one point clear at the top of the table and shifts the focus back to Quique Setien’s Barcelona, who were outfought and, at times, outplayed.
“The reality is we lost a lot of confidence with the ball,” Setien said. “We entered a nervous spell and that’s when the goal came.”
Lionel Messi’s rasping shot was saved by Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the first half, but it was the Argentine’s opposing captain, Sergio Ramos, who was thrashing his arms in celebration after the final whistle.
His reaction was an indication of the importance of the victory, not only for the effect it has on the standings, but on the dynamic of the title race, which had seemed to be switching firmly in favor of Barca.
Cristiano Ronaldo, now of Juventus, was watching from an executive box and Madrid could have done with him during a period in which they had won only one of their past five games.
Zidane on Saturday said the match would not decide who lifted the trophy, but a Barca win and a five-point gap might well have been difficult to close. Yet from the start Barcelona seemed keener to kill the game than win it, playing for time in the hope of keeping the contest tight, when they might have been better off attacking.
“The Madrid we faced in the first half was one of the worst Madrids I have faced at the Bernabeu,” Gerard Pique said. “I don’t say it as a criticism, we also have our problems, but we’ve missed an opportunity.”
There was more tension than creativity in the early stages as Fede Valverde crashed into Arthur Melo, before fullbacks Dani Carvajal and Jordi Alba were booked after a disagreement.
Madrid had the better of the play and regularly broke at speed through Vinicius down the left, but constantly they failed to make the final pass, with Isco once left with his head in his hands after Marcelo opted not to pull the ball back.
Barcelona were sloppy after halftime and Madrid should have capitalized. Instead, Isco’s header beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but not Pique on the line and Karim Benzema volleyed over after a sloppy pass from Arturo Vidal.
Vidal was replaced by Martin Braithwaite, Barca’s emergency signing, and he sprinted in behind Marcelo twice in his first minute, but Madrid remained in the ascendancy and in the 71st minute they took the lead.
Benzema came short and pointed right to encourage Vinicius to run in behind. Toni Kroos found him and Vinicius’ shot deflected off Pique to beat Ter Stegen at his near post.
The game opened up as Barcelona chased an equalizer.
Marcelo celebrated when Messi’s surge through was stopped by Raphael Varane. Pique headed Messi’s cross over at the near post. Messi picked up a yellow card for a frustrated slide on Casemiro.
In stoppage-time, Ter Stegen ventured up for a late free-kick, but Madrid struck again when Mariano sped past Nelson Semedo and finished from a tight angle.
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