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10.12.2011» Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona. Still no antidote for the Blaugrana tiki-taka
Barcelona forced a painful 1-3 defeat to Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabéu, in a game where the Merengues were once again unable to contradict the Blaugrana's "tiki-taka". The Madridismo had very high expectations before this "Clasico", hoping that this game could represent a page turn in the recent history, but Guardiola's men had a resilience statement and took the Bernabéu by storm. Benzema scored an early goal with just 20 seconds played in the 1st half, but Alexis Sánchez, Xavi and Fabregas would score in the Blaugrana "remontada". Cristiano Ronaldo had a bad night and didn't deliver a very good performance, despite what many hoped from him. As any true champion, CR7 should get back on tracks very soon and still in time to help Real Madrid claiming titles this season.
Real Madrid couldn't wish for a better start in the "El Clasico", since it didn't take more than 20 seconds for Karim Benzema to score the opener and leave the Bernabéu euphoric. The sense that Barcelona's recent hegemony was about to be broken made everyone believe that this could finally be the night where Real Madrid would prevail over Barcelona. However, the Blaugrana didn't succumb to José Mourinho's men pressure and managed to hold on to the game.
Near the 30th minute, Lionel Messi had a good individual play and after dribbling two opponents he assisted Alexis Sánchez for the equalizer. From that point on, Barcelona players confidence started growing as the minutes passed and Real Madrid never again found an antidote for the Blaugrana tiki-taka. The game would reach the half-time with a 1-1 draw, but the Merengues were already reliving a few nightmares from the past and the second half didn't reserve them a pleasant surprise.
The second half started with both Real Madrid and Barcelona being cautious to avoid any early upset. A dangerous Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick near the 50th minute ended in Victor Valdés hands and somehow, it worked as a wake-up call for Barcelona. The Blaugrana took the lead just two minutes after that Merengues chance, when the clock marked 53 minutes, after Xavi shooting from outside the area and seeing it deflected in Marcelo's feet, which ended up by deceiving Iker Casillas. Real Madrid showed a bit of frustration and despair after the goal and never really managed to put Barcelona against the ropes, as Mourinho probably intended after his half-time talk.
In the 64th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo was granted with a great goalscoring opportunity, after a good cross by Xabi Alonso. However, CR7 showed that he wasn't in one of his best nights and failed to hit the target with his header, even though he was only a few meters away from the goal line and with Victor Valdés already powerless to prevent the equalizer. Everyone already knows how football can be cruel and Barcelona would complete the remontada assault, by extending the lead just a couple minutes later, in a good attacking play that ended up in Fabregas heading the ball in style to the back of the net.
With this loss, Real Madrid was caught on the top of the league by Barcelona, with both clubs having 37 points. The Merengues got 1 game less disputed, which can allow the club to restore a 3-point advantage over their rivals. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who didn't score in the "Clasico", also remain sharing the Pichichi table, with 17 goals each in the Spanish League "La Liga".
Real Madrid line-up vs Barcelona:
Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas
Defenders:
Fábio Coentrão, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo
Midfielders:
Xabi Alonso, Lass Diarra, Mesut Ozil
Attackers:
Di María, Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema
| Match stats provided by www.ronaldo7.net
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|---|---|---|
Real Madrid
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vs
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Barcelona
|
1 |
Goals |
3 |
0 |
Assists |
2 |
17 |
Shots |
12 |
5 |
Shots on goal |
7 |
3 |
Corner kicks |
5 |
22 |
Fouls commited |
13 |
4 |
Yellow cards |
3 |
0 |
Red cards |
0 |
38% |
Ball possession |
62% |
Real Madrid next game is against Ponferradina, for the Spanish Copa del Rey. Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be on the line-up for this match, after playing the full 90 minutes against Barcelona. You can watch Juventus live stream, Ponferradina vs Real Madrid and Chelsea vs Manchester City from our football live streams section.
Ponferradina vs Real Madrid kick-off time (13-12-2011):
Jakarta (Indonesia) | GMT+7: 02:00
Spain (Madrid) | GMT+1: 20:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | GMT+0: 19:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | GMT-2: 17:00
New York (United States) | GMT-5: 14:00
Los Angeles (United States) | GMT-8: 11:00
Beijing (China) | GMT-8: 11:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / record.pt
