A remarkably contentious — almost hilariously so — El Clasico ended 2-2, a result that won’t particularly bother Real Madrid but one that sees Barcelona extend this season’s unbeaten league run to 35 matches. If you’re a Real Madrid fan, Barcelona got away with murder; if you’re a Barcelona fan, Real Madrid got special treatment. So just another El Clasico, really.
It’s never a proper El Clasico without a bit of blood and thunder (coupled with some extremely cringeworthy theatrics), but a brilliant opening 15 minutes has been followed by some pretty pathetic (but extremely entertaining) bickering from both sides, culminating in a straight red card to Sergi Roberto just before the halftime whistle.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise but El Clasico is lit. Barcelona began the match on the front foot with Lionel Messi getting on the ball in some dangerous areas for the champions-elect.
However, the opening goal was started and finished by Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan releasing Sergi Roberto on the wing before expertly finishing the Spanish full back’s immaculate cross in the 10th minute.
Roberto’s final ball was spectacular, but this is just brilliant forward play from Suarez.
Although Barcelona has already celebrated its La Liga title, the stakes are as high as ever ahead of this spring's edition of El Clasico. Real Madrid will almost certainly finish the season in second or third, but they'll be plenty motivated to keep Barcelona from joining the ranks of invincible soccer teams.
Another Real Madrid game yesterday, another game Gareth Bale started on the bench.
But this wasn’t just another game; this was the second leg of the Champions League semifinals. For Real Madrid, this was the most important game of the season. It’s the only trophy they still have a chance to win. The fact Gareth Bale started this game on the bench and didn’t even play at all in the first leg is telling. It’s telling no matter what Zinedine Zidane tells you.
The showdowns between Real Madrid and Barcelona, taking place at least twice per year, are the premier sporting events in Spain. Millions around the world tune in to watch the two richest teams in the world’s most popular sport face off in perhaps the world’s greatest rivalry. Earlier this week, we took a look at how the number of worldwide El Clasico viewers compared to the Super Bowl, the biggest event in Spain compared to the biggest event in the U.S.
If Real Madrid wins a third straight Champions League title on May 26 in Kiev, Cristiano Ronaldo and company will have earned every bit of it. Karim Benzema scored two goals for Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich on Tuesday at the Bernabeu as the Merengues advanced to the Champions League final for the third straight year with a 2-2 draw and 4-3 aggregate victory.
Real Madrid and Barcelona play each other in El Clasico on Sunday, May 6th at 2:45 PM Eastern time. The first time these two giants met during the 2017/18 LaLiga season, the match kicked off at 4 AM Eastern time. We strongly believe that this will be the best way to spend your afternoon.
Poor Sven. All he wanted to do was hang out on the Bayern bench and rack up trophies, but then Manuel Neuer had to go and get injured in September. Now, after another Sven Ulreich howler against Real Madrid on Tuesday, the Bayern Munich backup is making a name for himself in all the wrong ways.
“The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost; for none now live who remember it.” -What middle-aged soccer fans will be saying come 2040