Barcelona1 vs 1 Real Madrid
In Progress — Halftime
October 7, 2012 1:50 PM EDT
Camp Nou — Barcelona
Referee: Carlos Delgado Ferreiro
HALF-TIME: BARCELONA 1-1 REAL MADRID. It's all square here at Camp Nou, despite Real Madrid dominating. Jose Mourinho's side took the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo (of course), when he slammed the ball past Valdes from the left side of the penalty area, before Lionel Messi equalised from close-range following a horrible misjudgement from Pepe inside the Real Madrid box. The away side have been far the better side, but it is 1-1 with everything still to play for.
45′ +2
And there is the referee's whistle to mark the end of the first half here at Camp Nou.
45′ +1
The attack breaks down though, as Alonso's pass to Ronaldo floats over his head and goes out for a Barcelona throw-in.
45′
Barcelona have a free kick in a dangerous position after Ozil charges through the back of Messi 30 yards from goal. The home side waste the set piece opportunity though, and Madrid look to counter attack down the left through Ronaldo.
44′
Alba is losing his head at the moment, first he barged into Arbeloa in an attacking position on the left, and he has since thrown himself into a couple of challenges and not got anywhere near the ball. He needs to be careful!
43′
Yellow Card Xabi Alonso
42′
The home side are being whistled by their own fans as we head towards half-time. They have been disappointing in this first half, and Los Cules are letting them know it.
40′
Pedro goes into the book after a high foot in a collision with Sergio Ramos. The Barca attacker was slightly unfortunate there, I don't think there was much he could do to avoid that.
39′
Yellow Card Pedro
39′
Messi has also now scored 16 goals in Clasico matches, which takes him just two behind the leading all-time Clasico scorer Alfredo Di Stefano, who has 18.
38′
A clear push from Alba on Arbeloa hands Madrid possession in their own half, and draws the attention of the referee, who looks for a second like he might show the Spain international a yellow card, but in the end decides against doing so.
37′
HERE'S A LOVELY STAT!! Lionel Messi has now scored 99 Liga goals for Barcelona at Camp Nou, with five of those coming against this evening's opponents, Real Madrid.
35′
Messi is chasing the ball all over the pitch at the moment, as he looks to drag his side into this game. They are fortunate to be level as we head towards the break, Madrid have been well on top, but Messi's goal a few moments ago keeps them right in it.
34′
Xabi Alonso tries to curl the set piece to the back post, where Ramos and Pepe are lurking, but the cross is poor and fails to beat the first man, allowing Barcelona to clear the ball to safety.
33′
Montoya flies into a challenge on Ronaldo with both feet raised, and although the young full-back wins the ball, the referee awards the visitors a free kick.
32′
There were hints of offside in the build-up to that Messi goal, with Pedro looking to have received the ball on the right in an offside position. I'm sure Jose Mourinho will have something to say about that after the game.
31′
Goal Lionel Messi
GOALLL!! MESSI EQUALISES FOR BARCELONA!! The Argentine blasts the ball home from close-range after Pepe failed to clear the ball as it bounced up in the air following a cross from the right from Pedro. Simple stuff from Messi. It's all square here, despite Madrid dominating.
30′
He curls it towards Busquets on the penalty spot but the cross is met by a firm header from Sergio Ramos. Madrid look solid here at Camp Nou, Barcelona are struggling to break through them and create chances.
29′
Barcelona have a corner on the right. Xavi is set to take the set piece...
28′
Substitution Daniel Alves Montoya
27′
Barcelona with a back four now, as Montoya replaces Alves. So from right to left: Montoya, Mascherano, Adriano, Alba.
26′
Alves looks to be in trouble here, and Martin Montoya is warming up and is set to replace the Brazilian full-back.
25′
That Ronaldo goal is his sixth successive strike in Clasico matches, an unprecedented achievement. Take a bow, Cristiano, you're a record breaker.
24′
DI MARIA COULD MAKE IT 2-0!! The Argentine attacker shoots wide after Benzema had hit the post from inside the box after Ozil had bombed down the right-hand side and pulled a pass back to him.
23′
Assist Karim Benzema
23′
Goal Cristiano Ronaldo
GOALLL!!!! CRISTIANO RONALDO SCORES!!! Karim Benzema slips a pass through to Ronaldo on the left-hand side of the penalty area, and he smashes the ball past Valdes at his near post with his left foot to give Madrid the lead. Advantage to the away side.
21′
Madrid are committing men forward with far greater gusto than they have done in recent Clasicos, Pepe in particular is roaming forward from centre-back whenever he can as the away side look to profit from a slow start from Barcelona.
20′
Fabregas has started the match well for Barcelona, and he fashions another chance for his team, dancing into the box and pulling the ball back to the on-rushing Andres Iniesta, who fails to connect cleanly with the pass and it is dealt with by Casillas.
19′
RAMOS SHOULD SCORE!! Ozil clips the ball into the box and the Spain international wastes a glorious opportunity to open the scoring for the away side.
17′
Keep an eye on Cristiano Ronaldo guys, should he score tonight, he will set a record for scoring in six consecutive Clasico matches.
16′
Barcelona go all the way back to Valdes as the are pressed high up the pitch by Madrid's attackers. Their makeshift defence is standing firm at the moment, but they are not enjoying the intensity of Ronaldo, Benzema and Di Maria.
14′
Pepe has gone down inside his own half under a challenge from Fabregas and the referee has awarded the away side a free kick.
12′
Cesc Fabregas cuts into the Madrid box on the left-hand side and looks to slide a pass through to Messi on the six-yard box but Pepe hoofs the ball away and averts the danger for the time being.
10′
Pepe brings the ball out of defence for Madrid brilliantly before shifting the ball out to Di Maria on the right. The Portugal international continued his run forward and was screaming for the return pass from Di Maria but his pass strayed out of play. Madrid are committing men forward which is nice to see, and promises an exciting game!
9′
Madrid are trying to play Ronaldo in more and more in these opening exchanges, and a fine Ozil pass nearly does just that, only for Mascherano to step in and clear the ball away. Good positioning there from the Barcelona defender.
8′
Ozil crumples to the turf following a challenge from Dani Alves, and looks up imploringly at the referee Carlos Delgado Ferreiro for a free kick but the official dismisses the Germany international's request and tells him to get to his feet.
7′
Mesut Ozil and Marcelo combine well on the left, with the latter lifting an enticing ball over the Barcelona defence towards Ronaldo, but the Madrid man cannot get there ahead of Valdes, the goalkeeper rushing off his line to grab the ball.
6′
Angel Di Maria sends a hopeful effort at goal for Madrid from long-range on the right-hand side but his shot is a long way from troubling Victor Valdes in the Barcelona goal, and flies out for a goal-kick.
5′
Adriano's inclusion tonight means Barcelona have had a different centre-back pairing for each of their seven Liga matches so far this season. For a team that loves stats, that is not a good one...
4′
Dani Alves catches Ronaldo, and Madrid have an early free kick in the centre circle. The atmosphere is electric at Camp Nou, with the crowd making one hell of a noise out there.
4′
We weren't sure before kick-off about where Adriano would be playing for Barcelona tonight, but it looks like he is playing at centre-back alongside Mascherano tonight. That's a short centre-back pairing! It will be interesting to see how they deal with the intimidating figures of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
3′
Some sharp interplay from Xavi, Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi right on the edge of the Madrid box nearly results in a goalscoring chance for the Catalan side but Pepe stands firm and nicks the ball off Xavi as he tries to ghost into the box.
2′
Xabi Alonso looks to play Angel Di Maria in on the right-hand side with an early through-ball, but Javier Mascherano reads the danger and picks up the ball for the home side.
1′
The first passage of play is ended by Cristiano Ronaldo, as he heads the ball behind for a Barcelona goal-kick under pressure from Dani Alves.
1′
Strap yourselves in ladies and gentleman, we are off and running here at Camp Nou...
I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting goosebumps... That's what El Clasico does to me. It's hard not to love it.
Out come the teams ahead of kick-off, Los Cules giving their team a rousing reception as they make their way out on to the pitch at Camp Nou.
Don't forget guys, as always you can get in touch with your views on the match as it unfolds by sending your thoughts to either @charliefscott or @goal_intl. We would love to hear from you!
According to the people that matter, Goal.com's valued readers, Real Madrid are favourites tonight, with 5,071 votes (51.6 per cent) being cast in favour of Los Blancos in our poll that has been running this week, with 4,193 votes predicting a Barcelona win. We shall see if those 51.6 per cent of you that backed Madrid are right!
Patrick Kluivert is the latest figure to come out and claim that even if Barcelona win tonight, the Liga race will not be over. I'm not so sure to be honest. Should Barcelona secure all three points they would move 11 points clear of Madrid, with just seven matches played. A win for Mourinho's side cuts the deficit to five, while a draw would sustain the current eight-point gap. Those are big, big numbers at such an early stage in the season!
REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS: The debate surrounding who would start out of Mesut Ozil, Luka Modric and Kaka in attacking midfield has been resolved, with Los Blancos' Portuguese trainer opting to play Ozil alongside Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo in an attacking three supporting lone striker Karim Benzema. Marcelo continues at left-back for the away side, while Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira start in defensive midfield in Mourinho's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
BARCA TEAM NEWS: The big surprise for the home side is that Adriano starts in defence ahead of Alex Song, after Gerard Pique failed to prove his fitness to boss Tito Vilanova ahead of the game. Elsewhere the Catalan giants line up as expected, with Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets and Xavi completing a midfield three and Andres Iniesta and Pedro operating either side of Lionel Messi up front.
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Casillas; Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Khedira, Alonso; Ozil, Cristiano, Di Maria; Benzema
Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes; Alves, Adriano, Mascherano, Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Fabregas; Iniesta, Messi, Pedro
Without further ado, let's get stuck into some team news! I've got both side's starting XIs coming right up...
All eyes are on the Camp Nou tonight with media representatives from 139 media outlets from 28 different countries attending the match, AND there being an expected global audience of around 400 million watching the game live on television.
The two teams have already met twice this campaign, in the Supercopa, with Mourinho's men emerging victorious courtesy of away goals despite both sides winning their separate home matches.
My name is Charlie Scott, and I will be bringing you LIVE updates on the match at Camp Nou, as Barcelona host Real Madrid in the first Liga Clasico of the season.
It's the big one tonight, El Clasico, Barcelona against Real Madrid, Tito Vilanova versus Jose Mourinho, the eye-gouged against the eye-gouger. It doesn't get much better than this ladies and gentlemen, and I'm honoured to be sharing this match with you.
"When Madrid plays Barcelona, the world stops," the Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said earlier this month. Well, I'm delighted to inform you that Goal.com doesn't stop, oh no, not even for Mr. Mourinho.
In Progress — Halftime
October 7, 2012 1:50 PM EDT
Camp Nou — Barcelona
Referee: Carlos Delgado Ferreiro
HALF-TIME: BARCELONA 1-1 REAL MADRID. It's all square here at Camp Nou, despite Real Madrid dominating. Jose Mourinho's side took the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo (of course), when he slammed the ball past Valdes from the left side of the penalty area, before Lionel Messi equalised from close-range following a horrible misjudgement from Pepe inside the Real Madrid box. The away side have been far the better side, but it is 1-1 with everything still to play for.
45′ +2
And there is the referee's whistle to mark the end of the first half here at Camp Nou.
45′ +1
The attack breaks down though, as Alonso's pass to Ronaldo floats over his head and goes out for a Barcelona throw-in.
45′
Barcelona have a free kick in a dangerous position after Ozil charges through the back of Messi 30 yards from goal. The home side waste the set piece opportunity though, and Madrid look to counter attack down the left through Ronaldo.
44′
Alba is losing his head at the moment, first he barged into Arbeloa in an attacking position on the left, and he has since thrown himself into a couple of challenges and not got anywhere near the ball. He needs to be careful!
43′
Yellow Card Xabi Alonso
42′
The home side are being whistled by their own fans as we head towards half-time. They have been disappointing in this first half, and Los Cules are letting them know it.
40′
Pedro goes into the book after a high foot in a collision with Sergio Ramos. The Barca attacker was slightly unfortunate there, I don't think there was much he could do to avoid that.
39′
Yellow Card Pedro
39′
Messi has also now scored 16 goals in Clasico matches, which takes him just two behind the leading all-time Clasico scorer Alfredo Di Stefano, who has 18.
38′
A clear push from Alba on Arbeloa hands Madrid possession in their own half, and draws the attention of the referee, who looks for a second like he might show the Spain international a yellow card, but in the end decides against doing so.
37′
HERE'S A LOVELY STAT!! Lionel Messi has now scored 99 Liga goals for Barcelona at Camp Nou, with five of those coming against this evening's opponents, Real Madrid.
35′
Messi is chasing the ball all over the pitch at the moment, as he looks to drag his side into this game. They are fortunate to be level as we head towards the break, Madrid have been well on top, but Messi's goal a few moments ago keeps them right in it.
34′
Xabi Alonso tries to curl the set piece to the back post, where Ramos and Pepe are lurking, but the cross is poor and fails to beat the first man, allowing Barcelona to clear the ball to safety.
33′
Montoya flies into a challenge on Ronaldo with both feet raised, and although the young full-back wins the ball, the referee awards the visitors a free kick.
32′
There were hints of offside in the build-up to that Messi goal, with Pedro looking to have received the ball on the right in an offside position. I'm sure Jose Mourinho will have something to say about that after the game.
31′
Goal Lionel Messi
GOALLL!! MESSI EQUALISES FOR BARCELONA!! The Argentine blasts the ball home from close-range after Pepe failed to clear the ball as it bounced up in the air following a cross from the right from Pedro. Simple stuff from Messi. It's all square here, despite Madrid dominating.
30′
He curls it towards Busquets on the penalty spot but the cross is met by a firm header from Sergio Ramos. Madrid look solid here at Camp Nou, Barcelona are struggling to break through them and create chances.
29′
Barcelona have a corner on the right. Xavi is set to take the set piece...
28′
Substitution Daniel Alves Montoya
27′
Barcelona with a back four now, as Montoya replaces Alves. So from right to left: Montoya, Mascherano, Adriano, Alba.
26′
Alves looks to be in trouble here, and Martin Montoya is warming up and is set to replace the Brazilian full-back.
25′
That Ronaldo goal is his sixth successive strike in Clasico matches, an unprecedented achievement. Take a bow, Cristiano, you're a record breaker.
24′
DI MARIA COULD MAKE IT 2-0!! The Argentine attacker shoots wide after Benzema had hit the post from inside the box after Ozil had bombed down the right-hand side and pulled a pass back to him.
23′
Assist Karim Benzema
23′
Goal Cristiano Ronaldo
GOALLL!!!! CRISTIANO RONALDO SCORES!!! Karim Benzema slips a pass through to Ronaldo on the left-hand side of the penalty area, and he smashes the ball past Valdes at his near post with his left foot to give Madrid the lead. Advantage to the away side.
21′
Madrid are committing men forward with far greater gusto than they have done in recent Clasicos, Pepe in particular is roaming forward from centre-back whenever he can as the away side look to profit from a slow start from Barcelona.
20′
Fabregas has started the match well for Barcelona, and he fashions another chance for his team, dancing into the box and pulling the ball back to the on-rushing Andres Iniesta, who fails to connect cleanly with the pass and it is dealt with by Casillas.
19′
RAMOS SHOULD SCORE!! Ozil clips the ball into the box and the Spain international wastes a glorious opportunity to open the scoring for the away side.
17′
Keep an eye on Cristiano Ronaldo guys, should he score tonight, he will set a record for scoring in six consecutive Clasico matches.
16′
Barcelona go all the way back to Valdes as the are pressed high up the pitch by Madrid's attackers. Their makeshift defence is standing firm at the moment, but they are not enjoying the intensity of Ronaldo, Benzema and Di Maria.
14′
Pepe has gone down inside his own half under a challenge from Fabregas and the referee has awarded the away side a free kick.
12′
Cesc Fabregas cuts into the Madrid box on the left-hand side and looks to slide a pass through to Messi on the six-yard box but Pepe hoofs the ball away and averts the danger for the time being.
10′
Pepe brings the ball out of defence for Madrid brilliantly before shifting the ball out to Di Maria on the right. The Portugal international continued his run forward and was screaming for the return pass from Di Maria but his pass strayed out of play. Madrid are committing men forward which is nice to see, and promises an exciting game!
9′
Madrid are trying to play Ronaldo in more and more in these opening exchanges, and a fine Ozil pass nearly does just that, only for Mascherano to step in and clear the ball away. Good positioning there from the Barcelona defender.
8′
Ozil crumples to the turf following a challenge from Dani Alves, and looks up imploringly at the referee Carlos Delgado Ferreiro for a free kick but the official dismisses the Germany international's request and tells him to get to his feet.
7′
Mesut Ozil and Marcelo combine well on the left, with the latter lifting an enticing ball over the Barcelona defence towards Ronaldo, but the Madrid man cannot get there ahead of Valdes, the goalkeeper rushing off his line to grab the ball.
6′
Angel Di Maria sends a hopeful effort at goal for Madrid from long-range on the right-hand side but his shot is a long way from troubling Victor Valdes in the Barcelona goal, and flies out for a goal-kick.
5′
Adriano's inclusion tonight means Barcelona have had a different centre-back pairing for each of their seven Liga matches so far this season. For a team that loves stats, that is not a good one...
4′
Dani Alves catches Ronaldo, and Madrid have an early free kick in the centre circle. The atmosphere is electric at Camp Nou, with the crowd making one hell of a noise out there.
4′
We weren't sure before kick-off about where Adriano would be playing for Barcelona tonight, but it looks like he is playing at centre-back alongside Mascherano tonight. That's a short centre-back pairing! It will be interesting to see how they deal with the intimidating figures of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
3′
Some sharp interplay from Xavi, Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi right on the edge of the Madrid box nearly results in a goalscoring chance for the Catalan side but Pepe stands firm and nicks the ball off Xavi as he tries to ghost into the box.
2′
Xabi Alonso looks to play Angel Di Maria in on the right-hand side with an early through-ball, but Javier Mascherano reads the danger and picks up the ball for the home side.
1′
The first passage of play is ended by Cristiano Ronaldo, as he heads the ball behind for a Barcelona goal-kick under pressure from Dani Alves.
1′
Strap yourselves in ladies and gentleman, we are off and running here at Camp Nou...
I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting goosebumps... That's what El Clasico does to me. It's hard not to love it.
Out come the teams ahead of kick-off, Los Cules giving their team a rousing reception as they make their way out on to the pitch at Camp Nou.
Don't forget guys, as always you can get in touch with your views on the match as it unfolds by sending your thoughts to either @charliefscott or @goal_intl. We would love to hear from you!
According to the people that matter, Goal.com's valued readers, Real Madrid are favourites tonight, with 5,071 votes (51.6 per cent) being cast in favour of Los Blancos in our poll that has been running this week, with 4,193 votes predicting a Barcelona win. We shall see if those 51.6 per cent of you that backed Madrid are right!
Patrick Kluivert is the latest figure to come out and claim that even if Barcelona win tonight, the Liga race will not be over. I'm not so sure to be honest. Should Barcelona secure all three points they would move 11 points clear of Madrid, with just seven matches played. A win for Mourinho's side cuts the deficit to five, while a draw would sustain the current eight-point gap. Those are big, big numbers at such an early stage in the season!
REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS: The debate surrounding who would start out of Mesut Ozil, Luka Modric and Kaka in attacking midfield has been resolved, with Los Blancos' Portuguese trainer opting to play Ozil alongside Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo in an attacking three supporting lone striker Karim Benzema. Marcelo continues at left-back for the away side, while Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira start in defensive midfield in Mourinho's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
BARCA TEAM NEWS: The big surprise for the home side is that Adriano starts in defence ahead of Alex Song, after Gerard Pique failed to prove his fitness to boss Tito Vilanova ahead of the game. Elsewhere the Catalan giants line up as expected, with Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets and Xavi completing a midfield three and Andres Iniesta and Pedro operating either side of Lionel Messi up front.
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Casillas; Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Khedira, Alonso; Ozil, Cristiano, Di Maria; Benzema
Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes; Alves, Adriano, Mascherano, Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Fabregas; Iniesta, Messi, Pedro
Without further ado, let's get stuck into some team news! I've got both side's starting XIs coming right up...
All eyes are on the Camp Nou tonight with media representatives from 139 media outlets from 28 different countries attending the match, AND there being an expected global audience of around 400 million watching the game live on television.
The two teams have already met twice this campaign, in the Supercopa, with Mourinho's men emerging victorious courtesy of away goals despite both sides winning their separate home matches.
My name is Charlie Scott, and I will be bringing you LIVE updates on the match at Camp Nou, as Barcelona host Real Madrid in the first Liga Clasico of the season.
It's the big one tonight, El Clasico, Barcelona against Real Madrid, Tito Vilanova versus Jose Mourinho, the eye-gouged against the eye-gouger. It doesn't get much better than this ladies and gentlemen, and I'm honoured to be sharing this match with you.
"When Madrid plays Barcelona, the world stops," the Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said earlier this month. Well, I'm delighted to inform you that Goal.com doesn't stop, oh no, not even for Mr. Mourinho.