It’s time to enjoy the best player in the world and of all time.
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That goal left the two rivals level at the top on 75 points.
James can still make a big impactJames Rodriguez has endured a hugely frustrating two seasons since Zinedine Zidane took charge of Madrid.
However Los Blancos have a game in hand with six to play.
“Drawing the game with 10 men, to press high up the field is risky and we paid for that”, said Zidane. When you don’t kill the game off, this can happen, and it did. Overall we did not deserve to lose, although football is like this. These numbers suggest that Messi isn’t just a superb goal-scorer, he is perhaps the most decisive player in history of the game. With the last attack of the game, as all that was once sacred had been forsaken and as the reliable Marcelo, who had so battered and bruised Messi, together with an army of rotating hatchet men, had failed to track Sergi Roberto’s run, Messi delivered another superlative finish, his 500th Barcelona goal. “Just imagine, his 500 goal coming here, the Santiago Bernabéu, a victor in the 92 minute”.
“We are disappointed with the result, when you get back to 2-2 with 10 men you have to think a little more and defend together”.
Messi is the all-time leading scorer in the clasico with 23 goals.
Messi is enjoying another remarkable season, with 47 goals in 46 games.
Madrid opened scoring when Casemiro lashed on to a ball from Sergio Ramos which hit the post to net in for Madrid in the 28th minute of the game.
The Madrid centre-back was shown a straight red card in the 77th minute following a reckless two-footed tackle on Lionel Messi.
Sergio Ramos, the Real Madrid captain, is sent off by referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez after a foul on Lionel Messi. Picked alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in Madrid’s first choice front three, he appeared to lack confidence in his own physique.
“We thought that we could grab a third goal”.
Ter Stegen’s coming of ageThat Barca were still in the game for Messi to make the telling impact, though, was thanks in large part to the brilliance of Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal. His save on the 59th minute from a Pique header was a thing of legend and ten minutes later, Suarez was also denied from the point blank range by Navas. It was the final play in the match, which drove his team towards a huge victory.
Madrid forward Gareth Bale, who was doubtful before the game, came off the field injured again in the 39th.
“Nothing changes now”, he added.
He scored twice, but Barca aren’t just Messi. However, Madrid equalised, and it seemed till the last minute that the score would remain 2-2.
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If there was any doubt left as to whether or not Celta Vigo were still going to have a go at claiming the final European place in La Liga, then their squad selection for this weekend’s match against Real Betis dispelled them.
