✍️ Summary of the game:
A game to remember tonight as Xavi's team showed character, determination and class!
Real Madrid went ahead early on after an unlucky own goal from Araujo. However, Barca pushed through, mainly through Raphinha, and created many chances to score. The equalizer came right before the break as Roberto picked up the ball inside the penalty box and sent it past Courtois.
Barca continued to dominate in the second half and, despite creating chances again, could not find the second goal. All hope seemed lost when Asensio scored after a counter but VAR ruled it out for offside.
And in the dying minutes of the game, Kessie gave us the win as he finished off a cross from Balde. Lewandowski deserves massive credit for the backheel pass in the buildup.
⏰ FULL TIME!
🟨 Ansu Fati booked but who cares anymore
⚽ 90+2: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAL! Kessie smashes it in after Balde's long march down the left flank and pass inside! Great from Lewandowski with the backheel pass in the buildup!!!!
FefeChase (Reddit): "What a fucking play by Lewandowski. That was unbelievable. He's been invisible since the WC break but that backheel just won us the league."
⏱️ 86-90+: Christensen blocks a shot from close range with a heroic tackle! Counter for Barca, Lewa's final pass to Ferran is poor. Ansu in the box but takes too long to shoot.
GreekCule (Twitter): "Remember those challenges by Xavi? Well, the next one should be scoring a second goal in a game."
FootballFTW (Reddit): "How are our players more tired than them? Didn’t we have more rest?"
🟨 Balde booked
🔄 Ansu in / Gavi out
⏱️ 76-85': Lewandowski on the half-turn but misses the target (he might've been offside). Kounde's mistake leads to a shot from Karim, saved by Ter Stegen easily. Asensio scores but it's ruled out for offside - it was really close. Marco with a long shot but misses the target.
Barca19stats (Twitter): "Play clever and don't act stupid. A draw keeps the 9 point gap."
FloReaver (Reddit): "Could see it coming a mile away. We should have gone for the kill, and once again a top coach shows what it takes to kill a game. If it's offside we're really lucky."
🔄 Sub: Ferran on / Raphinha off
🔄 Sub: Kessie on / Roberto off
⏱️ 66-75': Roberto's acrobatic kick flies high, Busi with the cross. Busquets then turns 3 players in midfield before Modric has to get booked to stop Gavi's run. Another attempt from Raphinha saved after a good play involving Lewandowski.
Feelthebern2020 (Reddit): "This might be Balde's worst game for us so far. Scared to dribble past f*cking Carvajal ffs."
brilliantbusi (Twitter): "Busquets was making me mad and then he spun Rodrygo & Cumavinga like a fidget spinner."
⏱️ 56-65': Lewa's effort from outside the box takes a deflection and goes out for a corner kick. De Jong in the penalty box but his shot is over the bar. Busquets loses the ball near the area, Rodrygo's shot is off target.
socraticjuan (Twitter): "Lewa is not beating the big game bottler allegations with this performance."
SpiritucalBet6355 (Reddit): "Lewy went from having tap-ins served on a plate in Bayern to farming low xG shots outside the box."
🟨 Roberto booked
⏱️ 46-55': Fede misses from inside the box but it appears the ball went out in the buildup. Roberto nearly picks Raphinha's run but the pass is interrupted by Nacho. Kounde blocks a long shot from Modric.
RafaelH117 (Twitter): "Long time coming but now I can admit that Frenkie De Jong has redeemed himself this season."
Angelinho6 (Reddit): "Ever since Gavi showed the word his cheeks he hasn’t been the same player, sub him out right now."
⏰ Second half, here we go!
📝 Here are our half-time ratings:
Impressed: Raphinha 8, Kounde 7.5, Christensen 7.5
Good: Araujo 7, De Jong 7
Decent: Roberto 6.5, Blade 6.5, Ter Stegen 6, Busquets 6, Lewandowski 6
Poor: Gavi 5.5
✍️ Brief summary of the game so far:
Xavi's men were clearly the better side in the first half as they dominated possession and created several half-chances.
However, it was Real Madrid who went ahead after an early own goal from Araujo -- he was unlucky to head the ball in following a cross from Vinicius. Barca went on to control the ball for the majority of the game although they did allow a few counters.
The Catalans struggled to create clear-cut chances, as Raphinha tried his best to find players in the box with his crosses. Finally, Roberto scored just before the break after picking up the ball in the penalty box (after a Raphinha blocked shot).
⏰ Half-time!
⚽ 45': GOAL! Roberto smashes it into the corner after picking up the ball inside the penalty box.
⏱️ 41-44': Nacho punches Raphinha in the face but it goes unnoticed. Ter Stegen makes a mistake coming out but Vini doesn't punish him. Raphina in a great position but fails to hit the ball...
RashJuniorr (Twitter): "Clearest second yellow I've ever seen on Nacho and that sl*t of a ref doesn't even whistle for a foul but it's us who pay refs apparently."
LarryPeru (Reddit): "Just because we have possession doesn’t mean we are playing amazing. Haven’t done much with the ball."
⏱️ 31-40': Christensen with a backheel shot, too poor to bother Courtois. Raphinha with a curler from the edge of the box, saved again. Barca again dominating possession but without clear scoring chances.
abbytarar (Reddit): "I miss Dembele and Pedri, they were keeping this team together."
BarcaMVP (Twitter): "This is just a reverse of the last Clasico, we are the much better team this time but we are the ones who are losing."
🟨 Raphinha booked
⏱️ 21-30': Christensen's header goes inches off target. Vini squeezes through Barca's defence but Ter Stegen comes out to stop the attack. Barca have not been able to calm down the game and could've been count on the counter twice.
RadioFCB (Twitter): "Sergi Roberto always late and always bad, I hope Kessie comes on as soon as possible."
-_OniGir_- (Reddit): "This crosses at least need to be 50% accurate cause it just looks bad when you cross and it doesn't even touch or players."
⏱️ 10-20': Lewa from inside the box but his shot is blocked. Kounde blocks a shot from Benzema with his face. Nacho gets booked after a nasty foul on Araujo.
GaviFPS (Twitter): "Well... The " good " thing is that we have to score 2 goals. The bad thing, is that I am not sure we're capable of doing that given how much we've been riding these 1-0 games. Draw incoming?"
⚽ 9': Goal. Vini's pass takes a deflection off Araujo and enters the net. Own goal.
Barca__pictures (Twitter): "It’s too early in the game for me to get this pissed."
Aware-Guess3967 (Reddit): "Better to be lucky than good lol. After we almost scored a few times."
⏱️ 1-8': Benzema's early shot on target is easily saved by Ter Stegen. Long-range effort from Lewa, palmed away by the keeper. Busquets finds Raphinha in the box, the header is saved. Roberto on the rebound and it's just over the bar.
2010MisterChip (Twitter): "Nothing left of the mess we saw at the Bernabeu 17 days ago. This is a real match."
doxqwae3 (Reddit): "Created more in these 5 minutes than in the previous 2 matches, love to see it."
⏰ Kick-off!
👉 Starting XI reminder
Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen; Araujo, Kounde, Christensen, Balde; Roberto, Busquets, De Jong; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Gavi.
Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Nacho; Modric, Camavinga, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.
👋 Hello, Cules! Welcome to Tribuna.com's live coverage of the La Liga match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. What are your thoughts ahead of the clash? Let's hear them in the comments 👇
