BARCELONA – Lionel Messi weaved his magic to keep 10-man Barcelona’s unbeaten season alive as a 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou on Sunday left Real Madrid sweating over an injury to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo was forced off at halftime after appearing to hurt his ankle, and Real will be hoping their star striker can now recover in time for the Champions League final against Liverpool on May 26.
The challenge from Gerard Pique had come as Ronaldo cancelled out Luis Suarez’s opener, before Sergi Roberto was sent off on the stroke of halftime for an altercation with Real defender Marcelo.
Barca, however, took the lead in the second half as Messi scored a brilliant individual goal, only for Gareth Bale – who could earlier have been sent off – to have the last word in a thrilling Clasico, his emphatic strike earning Real a deserved draw.
After initially taking treatment, Ronaldo played on for 31 minutes before Zinedine Zidane decided to substitute him at halftime, which may at least offer Real encouragement.
His injury, however, coupled with Barcelona avoiding defeat despite playing a man down for the whole of the second half, will mean the Catalans depart the happier side.
Ernesto Valverde’s men, already crowned champions, are now three matches away from becoming the first team ever to finish a 38-game La Liga season unbeaten.
Andres Iniesta overcame, or perhaps ignored, a niggling calf problem to play his 38th and final Clasico, while Philippe Coutinho was picked to start his first.
Iniesta went off to a standing ovation in the second half.
The coaching staff perform a guard of honor for the team
👏👏
🔵🔴 Força Barça! pic.twitter.com/ypHdltokGa
— FC Barcelona 🏆🏆 (@FCBarcelona) May 6, 2018
Barca exploded out of the blocks and they were ahead within 10 minutes. Suarez swept the ball out to the right where Sergi drove forward, ignored Messi’s run to the near post, and returned the cross deep to Suarez. He finished into the bottom corner.
The lead, however, lasted four minutes. Just as Suarez initiated his goal, so did Ronaldo, a neat back-heel freeing Toni Kroos, who found Karim Benzema at the back post.
The Frenchman was cool enough to head back into the six-yard box, where Ronaldo bundled home.
Pique’s last-ditch attempt had been robust enough to hurt the Portuguese, who stayed down as Barca attempted to kick off. Ronaldo took treatment, but was able temporarily to continue.
Real dictated the rest of the half, and Ronaldo could twice have given them the lead. His first shot was saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the second fired wide of the far post.
In between, Messi had played in Jordi Alba with a sumptuous ball over the top, but even he lost his cool during five mad minutes at the end of the first period.
⚽ 14' @Cristiano
⚽ 72' @GarethBale11 #RMClasico| #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/po3A6ZDnyT
— Real Madrid C.F.🇺🇸🇬🇧 (@realmadriden) May 6, 2018
Suarez felt he had been elbowed by Sergio Ramos, prompting the first round of scuffles, before Messi was booked for flying into the defender on the touchline.
Bale was then lucky not to be sent off for stabbing his studs into Samuel Umtiti’s calf, and moments later Sergi did see red as he threw an arm into the face of Marcelo.
The home fans were raging as the halftime whistle blew, but with Marco Asensio on for Ronaldo, they were celebrating eight minutes after the restart.
Suarez’s blatant kick on Raphael Varane went unpunished, and from there, it was all about Messi. He skipped away first from Ramos, and then Casemiro, before firing into the bottom corner.
Lionel Messi whips in a stunning strike that put Barcelona 2-1 ahead against Real Madrid. Photo: Alejandro Garcia/EPA
Even Zidane was smiling on the touch-line.
Iniesta went off just before the hour, and Messi could have put Barca out of sight soon after. He sped away from Varane, but his shot was parried away by Keylor Navas.
Real tried to make the most of their one-man advantage, but in truth, they had been far more assertive 11 against 11.
Instead, their goal in the 72nd minute came out of the blue as Bale raced on to Asensio’s pass and whipped the ball first-time into the top corner.
It was the Welshman’s 15th goal in 24 matches this year.
Real should have had a late penalty when Alba cleared out Marcelo, but referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez somehow decided the challenge was clean. It was the final controversy of a surprisingly heated derby.