Franck Kessie scored a stoppage-time winner to offer Barcelona a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in Sunday’s Clasico at Camp Nou and take an enormous 12-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid with 12 video games of the LaLiga season remaining.
A freak personal aim from Ronald Araujo put Real Madrid forward in simply the ninth minute however Barcelona responded to assert a deserved equalizer by way of Sergi Roberto’s composed end proper on the stroke of half-time.
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Real Madrid thought they’d a doubtlessly important winner with 9 minutes remaining when substitute Marco Asensio turned in Dani Carvajal’s cross. However, after a protracted VAR evaluation, it was dominated that Asensio had initially been in an offside place.
Instead, as Madrid surged ahead seeking a successful aim they absolutely wanted to keep up practical hopes of overhauling their opponents’ LaLiga lead, Kessie turned in a cut-back from Alex Balde within the second minute of stoppage time to ship the Camp Nou crowd wild with delight.
A draw might nicely have been sufficient for Barcelona, as an alternative they now have an enormous 12-point cushion and a primary title in 4 years is inside touching distance for Xavi Hernandez’s aspect.
With Pep Guardiola in attendance, Barcelona had been aiming to win three straight Clasicos for the primary time for the reason that now-Manchester City boss was in cost at Camp Nou throughout the 2011-12 season.
And they began as if intent on getting that victory. Pressing excessive and with ferocious depth, Barcelona had Madrid rattled within the opening minutes. Thibaut Courtois needed to be at this greatest to maintain out efforts from Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha whereas Sergi Roberto shot simply over the bar.
Within the primary 10 minutes, the sport had already witnessed extra pictures on aim than the final assembly between the edges, which Barcelona gained 1-0 within the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg earlier this month.
Just like in that recreation, although, it was an personal aim that opened the scoring. Out of little or no, Vinicius Junior chipped a cross again from close to the byline down the left and Araujo discovered his head within the flawed place on the flawed time to divert the ball previous Marc-Andre ter Stegen at his close to publish.
The aim was the primary Barcelona had conceded from open play at dwelling in LaLiga this season and dented their early momentum as Madrid gained confidence and composure.
But because the opening half reached its conclusion, Barcelona cranked up the stress as soon as extra to enter half-time with the scores degree.
Madrid did their greatest to maintain the hosts at bay however after a Raphinha effort was nicely blocked the ball fell to Sergi Roberto, who struck a wonderfully positioned side-footed effort to beat Courtois from 12 yards.
The two sides exchanged probabilities at the beginning of the second half, as Federico Valverde slashed an effort huge for Madrid and Lewandowski had a shot deflected simply huge.
But it was Madrid that wanted the win extra and because the clock ticked previous the hour mark, coach Carlo Ancelotti duly went to his substitutes bench for 2 attack-minded substitutions — bringing on Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy for Toni Kroos and Nacho.
Almost instantly, Rodrygo had a golden probability to place Madrid again in entrance. But after Sergio Busquets gave the ball away to permit a transparent shot at aim from the sting of the field, the younger Brazilian lashed his effort excessive over the crossbar.
As the sport reached the ultimate 10 minutes, Madrid poured ahead seeking a title-race altering aim. But, with the assistance of VAR, Barcelona survived earlier than Kessie caught a late dagger into Madrid’s hopes of retaining their title.
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