'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABkAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgcQAAICAQMFAQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxEABAcSBQYhIjKyAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBhEAAgAGAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAwQFEiFBYYL/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMb0+0HaEOkRtQJ2ntwXT44soC+pPkqbNXRyUfaDpvNqkhqzVxtf7xjIeXd7i8hWM7eR3io4HUBSsqCu3B8iP//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It was an exciting El Clasico as Barcelona scored a late goal to beat Real Madrid 2-1 in La Liga on Sunday, 19 March, at Camp Nou.
Barcelona came into the game with a comfortable nine-point lead at the top of the table. Following the win against Athletic Bilbao, manager Xavi Hernandez made a solitary change. It was a return from suspension for Ronald Araujo, who slotted into the right-back role to counter Vinicius Junior.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, came into the game on the back of a comfortable win against Liverpool in the Champions League. Manager Carlo Ancelotti named an unchanged lineup from that game as Los Blancos looked to cut the lead down to six.
Trending
It was an end-to-end start to the game. Barcelona had two good chances early on, with Thibaut Courtois called into action on a long shot from Robert Lewandowski and a header from Raphinha.
It was slightly against the run of play that Real Madrid took the lead. Camavinga ran down the left and found Vinicius, whose cross bounced off Araujo and into the net, completely wrong-footing ter Stegen (9').
Barcelona continued to create chances. Andreas Christensen's header from a cross from Raphinha went slightly over as the Blaugrana pushed for an equalizer.
They got it late in the first half through Sergi Roberto. Once again, Raphinha was involved as his shot was blocked. It fell for the Spaniard, whose calm finish beat Courtois to level the scores (45').
The teams went into half-time level with the home side holding a sizeable advantage.
Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo came on in the 60th minute as Ancelotti looked to change things up. The move paid almost immediate dividends, with the winger set up for a shot by Carvajal, only for him to miss high and wide.
Yet another substitute, Marco Asensio, thought he had given Real Madrid the lead. A sweeping counter-attack down the left saw Vinicius lift a ball into the box for Rodrygo. He found Carvajal, who clipped the ball into the box where Asensio guided the ball home. However, VAR review showed that he was offside and the goal was disallowed.
The moment of the match came in the 92nd minute, as Barcelona's pressure paid off. Lewandowski's brilliant pass to Alejandro Balde down the left saw the youngster find Franck Kessie in the box. The Ivorian showed nerves of steel to slot it past Courtois and get his first La Liga goal.
The match ended 2-1, a result that could all but lock up the title for Barcelona. Here are five talking points from the game.
#5. Real Madrid's front three never really got into the game
Overall, it was a mediocre performance from Real Madrid. Barcelona had the upper hand for most of the game and looked a regular threat to score. In particular, it was the potent front three of Los Blancos that had an off game.
Karim Benzema, Vinicius, and Federico Valverde were largely uninspiring. The goal they scored also had an element of luck as it was a deflection off Araujo. Apart from that, they were on the back foot for most of the match which meant that the attackers could never really get into the game.
#4. It could have been embarrassing if not for Thibaut Courtois
Despite the loss, Thibaut Courtois had an excellent game. The Belgian was remarkably sharp throughout the game and was a silver lining for Ancelotti. He was imposing in the Real Madrid goal and made save after save to deny the likes of Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Christensen multiple times.
#3. An offside call that could have a massive impact
It was an act of desperation from the usually calm Ancelotti when he made a triple change in the 77th minute. Dani Ceballos, Marco Asensio, and Aurelio Tchouameni replaced Luka Modric, Valverde, and Camavinga as the Italian was desperate for some inspiration in an otherwise poor performance.
He almost got it through Asensio. A quick counter-attack resulted in the Spaniard putting the ball in the net, only for VAR to rule it offside by a very tight margin.
#2. Frenkie de Jong had a dominant outing
Frenkie de Jong had a night to remember. The Dutch midfielder showed his class in the match, playing a slightly advanced midfield role on the left side ahead of Sergio Busquets.
His passing and vision were on full display, instrumental in the build-up play that was very threatening for Barcelona. He finished the game with five key passes, 94 percent passing accuracy and three completed dribbles.
#1. Barcelona effectively ended the title race
In the midweek, Real Madrid coasted to a win to continue their Champions League title defense. However, it was a completely different scenario on Sunday as their La Liga title defense seems all but over.
Coming into the game, Real Madrid knew they needed a win to cut the lead to six. However, Barcelona were the much better side, creating chance after chance to subdue Los Blancos.
