Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid: Ibrahimovic wins El Clasico for Barca
Barca draw first blood in the title race…
After a deadlock in the first half, substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic became Barcelona's
newest darling when he scored the only goal of the game in the 159th
edition of El Clasico to bag three points to the Catalans.
Injuries and fitness issues had deprived to threaten the world’s
Clasico of the biggest duel in football after reports emerged in the
morning of matchday that neither Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo
would start the game.
But the legions of fans and the global media were relieved to see
both players in the starting XI, although the two other big guns,
Ibrahimovic and Karim Benzema only started on the bench.
Barca wasted little time charging forward as Messi and Dani Alves looked to exploit Madrid’s weak left-back spot immediately, but the Brazilian wasted two early crosses as he uncharacteristically over-hit them.
Kaka launched the visitors’ first attack after four minutes when he
lofted a through ball into the box but Gonzalo Higuain just couldn’t
control, leaving Victor Valdes to gather easily.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first meaningful contribution was to carve up an
opening on six minutes when he easily breezed past Carles Puyol down
the left flank and dinked a low cross to Marcelo, who miscued his half
volley and sent it well into the stands.
Minutes later, Messi danced past three players and slipped in
Thierry Henry into the area down the left channel, but his tame shot
was saved comfortably by Iker Casillas. Alves then sent yet another
cross into empty space before Xavi pummelled in a 20 yard drive which
sailed over the bar.
Ronaldo had a shooting opportunity of his own on 11 minutes as he
stood over the ball for a freekick from nearly 30 yards out while
deafening whistles rained down from the Camp Nou stands on 11 minutes
when Ronaldo stood over the ball for a freekick from nearly 30 yards
out, but his blistering effort crashed into Sergio Busquets in the
wall, much to the delight of the Catalan faithful.
The best chance of the game came on 20 minutes. Kaka careened down
the left, cut into the middle and squared the ball to Ronaldo, but his
low drive was kick-saved by Valdes, leaving the Portuguese in
disbelief. Barca’s normally flawless passing game collapsed a minute
later when they lost the ball in their own half and Ronaldo’s deft
backheel released Kaka, but Valdes dashed off his line to thump it
clear.
The Blaugrana backline was sliced opened again on 25 minutes when
Kaka teed-up an unmarked Marcelo, but Puyol lunged forward and blocked
off the Brazilian’s shot.
Casillas was finally called to make his first big save of the game
on 36 minutes when he tipped over Henry’s cheeky angled cross at the
byline which was heading for the back of the net. The Madrid shot-stopper then dived low to save Iniesta’s left-foot drive as Barcelona
looked to end the half the stronger, but both sides marched back into
the dressing room evens-stevens, although Los Blancos appeared the
happier of the two sides with the way the contest was unfolding.
All the game needed was a goal to light the spark and Pep Guardiola
decided to introduce the first of the two missing big guns as Zlatan
Ibrahimovic replaced a quiet Henry after 50 minutes. And the Catalans
immediately upped the tempo.
But it was again Madrid
who looked the more likely to score. Barca failed to make the most of a
corner and Sergio Ramos led the counterattack as he played in Higuain,
who checked past one defender inside the box but Puyol again came to
the rescue with a brilliant tackle just as the Argentine was about to
pull the trigger.
The capital giants would pay for their profligacy as Barcelona surged infront on 55 minutes. Dani Alves drilled in an inch-perfect cross to Ibrahimovic, who stayed onside before he rifled in a masterful cushioned volley past Casillas at the backpost.
But the Blaugrana were stunned on the hour mark when Busquets’
clumsy handball earned him a second yellow card and Guardiola suddenly
found himself a man short. Ronaldo had another chance on 65 minutes but
he thumped Marcelo’s cross over. That was his last contribution as
Manuel Pellegrini made his first change, sending in Karim Benzema for
‘CR9’.
Gerard Pique almost killed off the contest in the 70th minute but
hammered his header from a freekick agonisingly wide. Straight to the
other end, Kaka danced his way past Alves at the byline and cut it back
to Benzema, but Puyol, for the umpteenth time, made a pivotal
interception to block the French striker’s close-range attempt.
Eric Abidal was next to queue up to become the hero for Barcelona
when he latched onto Xavi’s through ball but pulled his shot marginally
wide of Casillas’ left post. Over at the other side, Benzema almost
became Madrid’s saviour when Xabi Alonso’s corner bobbled into this path, but the former Lyon man ballooned his shot from five yards out.
With two minutes left on the clock, Messi thought he had the icing
on the cake. He ran onto Dani Alves’ squared ball but he was denied
brilliantly by Casillas in a one-on-one. But it would be game over a
minute later when Madrid’s midfield talisman, Lassana Diarra was dismissed.
It wasn't the goal rush fans around the world were expecting, as
Barcelona did just enough to fight off a valiant Madrid in a
fascinating encounter nonetheless.
