Sid Lower’s match report has arrived, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and emails; night.
Full time: Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid
Peep peep! Barcelona move 12 points clear with 12 games to play after a dramatic victory, sealed by Franck Kessie’s injury-time goal. They won’t say it, but deep down both teams know that goal has ended the title race.
90+6 min Unsurprisingly, it’s kicking off. Ceballos is booked after a bit of aggro with Ansu Fati, and then a number of players on both sides get involved.
90+5 min Real’s heads have gone, and Carvajal looks in the mood to boot someone.
Lewandowski released Balde on the left side of the area with a terrific backheel. Balde looked up and arrowed a low cross towards Kessie, who opened his body to slide a cool finish past Courtois from 10 yards. It’s his first goal in La Liga, and it’ll probably go straight into clasico folklore.
FRANCK KESSIÉ! 👏🇨🇮
— Watch ElClásico live on Viaplay (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 19, 2023
It's a first LaLiga goal for the Ivorian and what a time to get it 🔵🔴
The Spotify Camp Nou is rocking as the midfielder finds the net against Real Madrid 🔥#ElClásico pic.twitter.com/sjS99jatNJ
Updated
GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid (Kessie 90+2)
Franck Kessie wins the match – and surely the title – for Barcelona!
90+1 min Five minutes of added time.
90+1 min Ansu Fati replaces Gavi for Barcelona.
90 min Gavi’s shot is blocked by Militao; then Balde is booked for a tactical foul on Asensio.
88 min It’s now or never for Real, who are playing with an urgency that has been lacking for most of the game.
86 min Madrid are having their best spell of the entire match. After a good break down the left by Rodrygo, Benzema and Tchaoumeni both have shots blocked in the space of a few seconds.
Updated
84 min: Barcelona substitution Ferran Torres on, Raphinha off.
NO GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid
It’s offside, by a whisker, and the Camp Nou hearts VAR.
A massive moment in the title race! 👀
— Watch ElClásico live on Viaplay (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 19, 2023
Marco Asensio had the ball in the back of the net but the Real Madrid goal was ruled out for the slightest of offsides ❌#ElClásico pic.twitter.com/QNdLTML4SZ
Updated
VAR check We’re still waiting.
Vinicius played a good ball to release Rodrygo, who ran from the halfway line to the edge of the area before finding Carvajal. He slid a low cross into the middle, where Asensio opened his body to guide the ball past ter Stegen and into the corner. But he might be offside.
GOAL! Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid (Asensio 81)
The substitute Marco Asensio scores a huge goal for Real Madrid!
79 min Kounde allows Christensen square pass to evade him, 25 yards from goal, and Benzema is all over it. He moves to the edge of the area and curls a low shot that is too close to ter Stegen.
78 min Vinicius’s long-range shot is comfortably saved by ter Stegen.
77 min: Barcelona substitution Franck Kessie replaces the goalscorer Sergi Roberto.
76 min: Triple substitution for Madrid Dani Ceballos, Marco Asensio and Aurelio Tchouameni replace Modric, Valverde and Camavinga.
76 min Barcelona work the ball patiently on the edge of the Madrid area. Eventually De Jong slides a straight pass down the inside-left channel to Lewandowski, who drags a first-time shot into the side netting. Courtois had it covered, and I think he was offside anyway.
74 min The lively Raphinha plays a quick one-two with Sergi Roberto and rattles the bouncing ball towards goal from the edge of the area. It takes a big deflection off Rudiger and Courtois dives to his left to make a good save.
Updated
74 min This hasn’t been a great game, in truth. Real have been disappointing, Benzema in particular.
70 min A decent Madrid break ends with Vinicius wafting high and wide from the edge of the area.
69 min Modric is booked for a cynical foul on Gavi.
67 min Busquets’ clipped cross is volleyed over acrobatically by Lewandowski, six yards out at the far post. That was a really chance – he might even have had time to control the ball first.
66 min It looks like Madrid have switched to a box midfield, with Rodrygo and Modric closest to Benzema. Vinicius is still on the left and there’s no right winger, just the full back Carvajal.
65 min Sergi Roberto is booked for a cynical foul on Modric.
63 min: Chance for Madrid! Rodrygo almost scores straight away, thrashing high and wide from the edge of the area after Carvajal pounced on a loose pass from Busquets and foced the ball through to him.
62 min: Double substitution for Madrid Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo replace Nacho and Toni Kroos. That means Valverde will move back into midfield.
59 min Lewandowski spins Rudiger expertly on the edge of the D and hits a left-footed shot that deflects just wide of the right-hand post. The resulting corner is taken quickly to De Jong, who sprays over from a tight angle on the right side of the area.
59 min “Real may have won the odd European Cup, Rob, but are they even that good?” says Simon McMahon. “I mean, beating Barca in the Nou Camp ain’t all that difficult.”
Regular readers will know which team Simon McMahon supports.
57 min Carvajal goes down holding his mouth after a challenge with Gavi. Replays show that he did eat Gavi’s elbow, in fairness, though I don’t think it was deliberate and the referee doesn’t think much of it.
54 min Modric cuts inside from the left and curls a long-range shot that is blocked by Kounde.
53 min Vinicius plays a one-two with Modric and slides a cross towards Benzema that is cut out by Christensen at the near post. Vinicius ha been Madrid’s main/only threat.
51 min Sergi Roberto’s angled through pass towards Raphinha is crucially intercepted by the last man Nacho, who pokes the ball behind for a corner. Nothing comes of it.
49 min A reminder that a draw isn’t much use to Madrid: it would leave them nine points behind Barcelona with 12 games remaining.
47 min Vinicius scorches past Araujo on the left, gets to the byline and pokes the ball back to Valverde, who slices wide from 12 yards. The bounce made it an awkward chance for Valverde, though I’m not sure it would have counted anyway - I think the ball had just gone out of play before Vinicius crossed it.
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46 min Peep peep!
“Barça didn’t get off to a good start,” says Peter Oh. “I mean, just look at the expression on Robert Lewandowski’s face in the lineup photo that the club posted on Twitter. That expression looks about as genuine as a replica kit in a souvenir shop.
“As a Barcelona fan, I sure hope he will do something in this match that will put a real smile on his face.”
Imagine the puss on Roy Keane if he’d been asked to pose like this for a game against Arsenal.
🚨 BARÇA XI 🚨#ElClásico pic.twitter.com/yyuiOzIhIz
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 19, 2023
“Some dazzling skills, plenty of tension on the verge of boiling over into something spectacular and a bit of sh..housery,” says Colum Fordham. “All you could want from the first half of el clasico. And a stunning finish from Sergi Roberto, almost outLewandowskiing his esteemed colleague.”
Half time: Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid
Talk about good timing: Sergi Roberto equalised on the stroke of half-time after an unfortunate own goal from Ronald Araujo had put Madrid ahead. On balance, Barcelona deserve to be level. See you in a bit for the second half.
It was such a cool, precise finish that I thought it was Robert Lewandowski. Raphinha had two chances, missing his kick and then having a shot blocked. But the ball rebounded to Sergi Roberto, who took a touch and calmly sidefooted the ball past the diving Courtois from 12 yards.
Sergi Roberto with a beautiful finish for the Barça equaliser! 🔥
— Watch ElClásico live on Viaplay (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 19, 2023
He hasn't always been the most popular player with the fans but one of Xavi's favourite players has come up with a big moment to send the crowd wild 🙌#ElClásico pic.twitter.com/KaMS7ZaNRQ
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GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid (Sergi Roberto 45)
Sergi Roberto equalises on the stroke of half time!
Updated
41 min Nacho is lucky to get away with a hand to the face just outside the Madrid area. He’s already been booked as well. I don’t think it was enough for a second yellow card, but it was certainly a foul.
Updated
38 min Vinicius has a moan at the assistant referee after being penalised for shoving Raphinha over. It was a soft free-kick but no matter: the ball into the box comes to nothing.
34 min Raphinha cuts inside from the right and smashes a shot that is pushed over by the leaping Courtois. It was above his head and thus a fairly comfortable save.
33 min Raphinha is booked for a foul on Kroos.
32 min Raphinha takes a short corner to De Jong, whose cross is flicked towards goal by Christensen. Courtois falls to his right to make a comfortable save. It was a stylish effort by Christensen though, a flying volley behind his front leg.
30 min Balde’s cross is chested calmly back to the keeper by Nacho. Though they have dominated possession throughout, Barcelona have slightly lost their way since going behind.
27 min Vinicius zig-zags thrillingly away from Kounde and Araujo, but ter Stegen is quickly off his line to grab the ball.
24 min: Chance for Christensen! Raphinha takes a corner on the left, then gets the ball back a few seconds later. His outswinging cross is headed across goal and wide by Christensen, eight yards out. It was a decent chance, though he moving slightly away from goal when he made contact.
Updated
22 min Modric sprays a long pass out to Valverde on the right. He cuts the ball back to Benzema, who lays it off to the onrushing Carvajal on the edge of the area. His first touch is too excitable and runs out of play.
20 min Now Raphinha’s inswinging cross just evades the leaping Araujo at the far post.
18 min Nacho is booked for a poor tackle on Araujo.
17 min Vinicius beats Araujo with ease and curls an early, inswinging cross that is a couple of yards in front of Benzema. We’ve seen him put those on Benzema’s head in the past.
14 min A fierce shot from Benzema smacks Kounde straight in the face, with his head snapping backwards. He says he’s fine to continue. If there was a medical check, it was a cursory one.
12 min Balde surges down the left and is challenged by Carvajal. The runs into the area towards Lewandowski, who shifts the ball away from Rudiger and is about to shoot when Carvajal comes on the blind side to make a crucial block tackle. That was a brilliant recovery from Carvajal.
Updated
11 min We know Vinicius v Araujo would be a key battle, but I don’t think anybody anticipated a goal like that. Araujo was essentially blameless; he was very close to Vinicius and couldn’t get out of the way.
Camavinga made a good run into the area on the left, then gave the ball to Vinicius. He danced round the houses, away from goal, and lifted a cross that hit the head of Araujo, wrongfooted ter Stegen and drifted miserably into the net!
Madrid strike first! ⚪
— Watch ElClásico live on Viaplay (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 19, 2023
It's an early lead for the visitors as Vini Jr's cross deflects off Ronald Araújo and into the back of the net 😱
The Brazilian is winning the battle between the pair in the opening stages 👀🇧🇷#ElClásico pic.twitter.com/2sXdfaByOC
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GOAL! Barcelona 0-1 Real Madrid (Araujo og 9)
Madrid take the lead out of nothing!
Updated
7 min Vinicius tries to run Araujo, who matches him for pace and then eases him out of play. Good defending. That will be a fascinating battle.
6 min: Excellent save from Courtois! Busquets guided a terrific angled cross towards the unmarked Raphinha at the far post. He powers a header back across goal, and Courtois dives to his right to make a fine one-handed save. Moments later, Sergi Roberto swishes just over the bar from 20 yards.
5 min Lots of early possession for Barcelona. Real Madrid don’t seem too perturbed, mind you; they have a helluva collective poker face.
3 min: Good save by Courtois! Lewandowski rolls Kroos, 25 yards from goal, and pings a shot that is pushed away to his right by the diving Courtois. It’s been a cracking start to the game.
1 min Benzema forces ter Stegen to make a save after 23 seconds. It was comfortable enough, low to his right, after Benzema hit one from just outside the area with his left foot.
1 min Karim Benzema gets the game under way, and why not.
Updated
Here come the players. There’s a cracking atmosphere, and no wonder: Barcelona could effectively win the league tonight.
“I genuinely think if Real win this game, they have every chance of coming back and winning the league,” writes Arhaan Sayed. “I definitely hope that is NOT the case, as we Barca fans have not tasted the league title since 2019. Visca el Barca!”
The teams in formation
Barcelona (4-3-3) ter Stegen; Araujo, Kounde, Christensen, Balde; Roberto, Busquets, De Jong; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Gavi.
Substitutes: Fati, Torres, Sotorres, Alonso, Alba, Kessie, Garcia, Torre, Tenas, Galiot.
Real Madrid (4-3-3) Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Nacho; Modric, Camavinga, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.
Substitutes: Vallejo, Hazard, Asensio, Lunin, Odriozola, Vazquez, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Rodrygo, Mendy, Diaz, Lopez.
Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.
Updated
“Evening Rob, evening everyone,” says Adam Griffiths. “I have no horse in the race so am just hoping for lots of scenes that apparently noone wants to see, and maybe some quality football. But mostly those scenes.”
How the table looks
Thirteen games, nine points. You’d think, realistically, that Real need to win today. And they sure as flip can’t afford to lose.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 25 | 39 | 65 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 25 | 31 | 56 |
| 3 | Atletico Madrid | 26 | 23 | 51 |
| 4 | Real Sociedad | 26 | 11 | 48 |
| 5 | Real Betis | 26 | 8 | 45 |
Team news
Xavi makes one change for last weekend’s win in Bilbao. Ronald Araujo replaces Ferran Torres, so Sergi Roberto moves into midfield and Gavi replaces Torres as the left-sided attacker.
Real Madrid are unchanged from their 1-0 victory over Liverpool in midweek.
🚨 BARÇA XI 🚨#ElClásico pic.twitter.com/yyuiOzIhIz
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 19, 2023
📋✅ Our starting 𝗫𝗜 🆚 @FCBarcelona! #ElClásico pic.twitter.com/u0lUnFdxWg
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) March 19, 2023
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Preamble
It’s el clasico, Madrid need to win to keep the title race alive, and a scandal’s a-brewin. There’s your preamble!
