Sports

Messi strike helps 10-man Barca earn draw as Ronaldo goes off injured

Published

7 years ago

May 6, 2018

Lionel Messi weaved his magic to keep 10 -man Barcelona ’ s unbeaten season alive as a 2 – 2 draw at the Camp Nou on Sunday left Real Madrid sweating over an injury to Cristiano Ronaldo .Ronaldo was forced off at half – time after appearing to hurt his ankle and Real will be hoping their star striker can now recover in time for the Champions League final against Liverpool on May 26 .

“ It ’ s a small thing , ” Real coach Zinedine Zidane said afterwards . “ He is a bit worried , right now the ankle is a bit swollen , but he said it is not so bad . ”

Gerard Pique ’ s challenge had come as Ronaldo cancelled out Luis Suarez ’ s opener before Sergi Roberto was sent off on the stroke of half – time for an altercation with Real defender Marcelo .

Barca , however , took the lead in the second half as Messi scored a brilliant individual goal only for Gareth Bale , who could earlier have been sent off , to have the last word in a thrilling Clasico , his emphatic strike earning Real a deserved draw .

After initially taking treatment , Ronaldo played on for 31 minutes here before Zidane decided to substitute him at half -time , which may at least offer Real encouragement .

“ It ’ s just the movement, tomorrow we ’ ll see , ” Zidane told Movistar . “ The Champions League final ? We ’ re going to do everything to make it . ”

Fears this meeting , which meant little in terms of the table , might lack intensity proved well wide of the mark as a pulsating contest , littered with controversy, could have been won at either end right up until the final whistle .

Ronaldo ’ s injury , however , coupled with Barcelona avoiding defeat , despite playing a man down for the whole of the second half , meant the Catalans departed the happier side .

Ernesto Valverde ’ s men , already crowned champions , are now three matches away from becoming the first team ever to finish a 38 – game La Liga season unbeaten .

Andres Iniesta overcame, or perhaps ignored , a niggling calf problem to play his 38 th and final Clasico while Philippe Coutinho was picked to start his first . Iniesta went off to a standing ovation in the second half .

Barca exploded out of the blocks and they were ahead within 10 minutes . Suarez swept the ball out to the right where Sergi ignored Messi ’ s run to the near post and returned the cross deep to Suarez . He finished into the bottom corner .

– Equaliser comes at a cost –

The lead , however , lasted four minutes . Just as Suarez initiated his goal, so did Ronaldo , a neat backheel freeing Toni Kroos , who found Karim Benzema at the back post. The Frenchman was cool enough to head back into the six – yard box , where Ronaldo bundled home .

Ronaldo took treatment but was able temporarily to continue and could twice have given Real the lead . His first shot was saved by Marc – Andre Ter Stegen , the second fired wide of the far post.

In between , Messi had played in Jordi Alba with a sumptuous ball over the top but even he lost his cool during five mad minutes at the end of the first period .

Suarez felt he had been elbowed by Sergio Ramos , prompting the first round of scuffles , before Messi was booked for flying into the defender on the touchline .

Bale was then lucky not to be sent off for stabbing his studs into Samuel Umtiti ’ s calf and moments later Sergi did see red , as he threw a hand into the face of Marcelo .

The home fans were raging as the half -time whistle blew but , with Marco Asensio on for Ronaldo , they were celebrating eight minutes after the restart.

Suarez ’ s blatant kick on Raphael Varane went unpunished and from there it was all about Messi . He skipped away first from Ramos , and then Casemiro, before firing into the bottom corner .

Even Zidane was smiling on the touchline .

Real struggled to capitalise on their one -man advantage until the 72 nd minute , when Bale raced onto Asensio ’ s pass and whipped the ball first – time into the top corner . It was the Welshman ’ s 15 th goal in 24 matches this year .

Real should have had a late penalty when Alba cleared out Marcelo but referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez somehow decided the challenge was clean . It was the final controversy of a surprisingly heated derby .

AFP .