Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
The race for this seasons La Liga title has been blown wide open after events at The Nou Camp last night. Real Madrid went into the game with a three point lead over their arch rivals Barcelona while also having an all important game in hand.
A win for them would have not only put them six points clear while playing a game less, but in effect it would have meant that they were as good as seven ahead due to the fact that the head to head difference is used as the first tiebreaker in the Spanish.
Were Barcelona to lose then it would have been all but over in regards to a title for Luis Enrique’s men but the Catalan giants had other ideas in mind and once again the headlines would be written but who else then Lionel Messi.
It would be Real though who would draw first blood though when Casemiro opened the scoring just before the half hour mark at that point it was very much advantage to the home side. That advantage would not last for long though as Messi scored his first of the night just minutes later.
Both sides had decent opportunities to edge in front but both Kaylor Navas and Marc andre ter Stergen were both equal to everything that was thrown at them. Gareth Bale’s role in the game was short lived, he was an injury doubt going into the game and he would be subbed off before the break.
After the break it was Barcelona who got their noses in front for the first time as Ivan Rakitic scored a stunning left foot strike from the edge of the box. Luis Enrique’s men were in the ascendancy and would be even more so when Sergio Ramos was sent off for a wild lunge on Lionel #Messi.
With Zinedine Zidane’s side now a man short there was surely no way back for Real, or was there. With five minutes to go it seemed like there would be as James Rodriguez ghosted in at the near post to silence what traveling Barcelona fans were in attendance at The Bernabeu.
But there was still time for one final dramatic twist in the tale. Sergi Roberto found a final piece of energy to whip a ball in from the right hand side and for all the people you want it to fall to in stoppage time you would want it to be Lionel Messi.
He was left unmarked with more than enough time to compose himself and slot the ball past the helpless Navas, Real Madrid were stunned as Messi scored his 500th goal for Barcelona. Let that sink in 500 goals. What a time to score that accolade and how important will that goal be as Barcelona go top of La Liga.
Here is all you need to know from last night.
