Barcelona moved 12 points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with only 12 games left to play thanks to a 92nd minute winner from Franck Kessie. The win was Barcelona’s 100th Clasico win and left them on track to win their first title since 2018-19
Real went ahead in El Clasico against the run of play as Vinicius Jr’s cross was headed into his own net by Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.
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Barca equalised just before half-time through Sergi Roberto’s shot after Raphinha’s effort had been blocked. Marco Asensio saw a late strike for Real ruled out for offside, before Kessie scored the injury-time winner.
Roberto said:
“You can never say [the title] is over but we have now gone 12 points clear so it’s difficult for them.
“It’s down to us and that’s the most important thing. I’m just glad to have helped the team with a goal. It was epic at the end and I’m pleased for Franck to get the goal.
“The game swung when we thought Asensio had scored, it was ruled offside and we scored. It feels even better when you win with a late goal and it’s fantastic to do so in front of our supporters.”
Reigning Spanish champions Real came into this game having beaten Liverpool 1-0 on Wednesday to complete a 6-2 aggregate victory to move into the Champions League quarter-finals.
Karim Benzema, who scored against the Reds, had the first shot of the match inside the opening minute but saw his effort from outside the penalty area well held by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
But the visitors were then indebted to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois as he made excellent saves to keep out Robert Lewandowski’s well-struck 25-yard effort and Raphinha’s header.
Real took a ninth-minute lead, but Barcelona, 26-time Spanish champions, had the better of the first half.
Andreas Christensen was unable to take two opportunities and Raphinha had a shot tipped over by Courtois before Roberto levelled in the 45th minute.
Lewandowski, the top scorer in La Liga with 15 goals, had a shot deflected just wide, before Real substitute Rodrygo fired over at the other end in his first involvement.
Raphinha nearly won it in the 74th minute but was denied by another excellent Courtois save while Lewandowski also shot into the side netting.
Asensio had only been on the pitch for six minutes when he put the ball in the net for Real late on, but the goal was ruled out after a tight video assistant referee offside decision.
Substitute Kessie was then Barcelona’s hero in the 92nd minute, finishing after good work from Alejandro Balde.
Barcelona manager Xavi said:
“The league is not decided but it’s a huge win of course.
“I think we deserved the win and we were better than Real Madrid, we created more opportunities.”
Barcelona are next in action on 1 April with an away game at Elche before Real Madrid entertain Real Valladolid the following day.
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El Classico Frequently Asked Questions
What is clasico match?
El Clasico is the term used to refer to football matches between Spain’s most famous and bitterest rivals: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid C.F. The two teams meet twice during a season, with an additional two times in the Copa del Rey, Champions League, and the Supercopa de España, and possibly in the UEFA Super Cup as well
What is the meaning of El Clasico?
El Clásico (English: The Classic, Catalan: El clàssic) is a football match between two Spanish rival football clubs, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, in the Spanish football league La Liga. It is one of the most famous football matches in the world
When was the first El Clasico played?
The inaugural El Clasico was played on May 13, 1902. This match was a friendly and played 27 years before the establishment of the La Liga championship in 1929 so not official an ‘El Clasico’ match. Barcelona founder Joan Gamper scored in the match
How many times has Barcelona beat Real Madrid?
Barcelona leads the head-to-head results in competitive matches with 96 wins to Real Madrid’s 95; Barcelona also leads in total matches with 115 wins to Real Madrid’s 99 as of match played on 2 March 2019.
What is the biggest win in El Clasico?
The biggest win in El Clasico came in 1943 in the Copa Del Rey when the Los Blanco thrashed FC Barcelona 11-0 on 13 June, 1943. The second biggest win was another Real Madrid in 1935 which ended 8-2 in a La Liga fixture
Which player has scored the most goals in El Clasico?
In total, Messi has scored 25 goals against Real Madrid – well ahead Los Blancos legends Alfredo di Stéfano (who scored 18 goals against Barcelona) and Cristiano Ronaldo (17).
