SuperClassico - Madrid hosts Barcelona

A match that truly needs no introduction, and I won't provide one as it already started. I'll provide some running commentary.

1 - Madrid starts the match with Marcelo taking an ambitious run forward and drawing a corner. Van der Vaart's corner is sent out by Barcelona.

2 - Pedro gets cut down early and looks a bit hobbled. He gets up and doesn't seem too much worse off. Still, that might be something to keep an eye on.

3 - Barca has a 4-3-3 going and it appears that Dani Alves is playing up top with Messi and Pedro. Xavi, Kieta, and Busquets are in midfield. Maxwell, Pique, Milito, and Puyol are left to right in the back. Very curious choice to have Alves playing up front and I'm thinking Madrid will be hoping to catch Puyol a step behind.

8 - Strange moment there. The touch judge calls for off-side, ref doesn't see it and called and yellows Pique for a clear hand-ball. Should have been a red, but the ref seems to have overturned himself after Barca points out the off-sides.

11 - Madrid have most of the possession and Barca hasn't seen much of their attacking half at all.

12 - As I'm typing that, Messi receives a throw and gets to the end line inside the six, where Raul Albiol takes him down. No call of any sort. Replay shows Albiol not close to the ball and he takes Messi down. No appeals from Barcelona, which is flat out surprising.

13 - Xabi Alonso takes out Pedro and gets a yellow. This may be the third time Pedro has been taken down already.

15 - Gago takes down Xavi with a straight kick to the calf. Dangerous free kick for Barca. Alves and Xavi are over it. Casillas puts five in the wall. Alves takes it and it goes up, up, and away.

20 - Messi picks up a yellow for a hand ball. Very interesting attempt at retaining possession. Messi didn't have a shot at it, or getting away with the hand. Haven't seen much from him through 20. He's playing centrally at the top of the 4-3-3 and that really isn't a position for him.

23 - Marcelo with another attacking run. He's playing midfield tonight. He made a great run forward and then laid it off for a streaking Higuain. It went though for Xabi, who's shot went well wide.

25 - ESPN commentators make a comment that this is being played like an English Premier League game after a particularly rough sequence. Sounds about right...probably explains why I'm not very interested in this game thus far.

26 - Ronaldo is sprung by a brilliant pass from defense. Pique hangs with him and Barca clears after Ronaldo's cut back is cut off by a retreating defender.

29 - Ronaldo is hobbled. Didn't see what happened. He's been somewhat dangerous, but Marcelo has really been the one pressing the issue thus far. Replay shows him making minor contact while Puyol was clearing a header, but not much in it.

30 - Raul Albiol gets a yellow for taking down Messi after he laid it off to Xavi. Another dangerous chance with a free kick about 25 yards out. Three in the wall, Xavi to take it and sends it right into the wall.

31 - Xavi picks up a yellow. Not sure why as of yet. Barca are displeased that Xabi got away with a hand ball on the free kick. Very much ball playing hand ans there wasn't much Xabi could have done about it.

33 - MESSI GOAL!!!! Gago took down his country man on the right side, Messi takes a quick free kick and sets up a one-two with Xavi. Xavi chips it in, Messi chests it perfectly around Albiol and Messi makes it 1-0.

37 - Madrid are thugging at the moment. Messi got cleared out twice on consecutive restarts. Once by Gago, once by Garay.

38 - Madrid with another corner, ball bounces around a bit and Xabi Alonso gets an open chance inside the six, but sends it over the goal. Valdes wasn't particularly close to it either.

39 - Dani Alves takes down Marcelo and gets a yellow. The foul was a considerable distance from goal, but just wasn't a good one by Alves.

41 - Higuain gets a pass inside the box from an incredible free kick by Ramos from inside the Madrid half. Higuain was off to Valdes right, but can't control the kick to get a shot on goal. Sends a half volley well wide.

42 - Ramos tries to get a piggy back ride from Pedro and gives up a quick restart. Barca draw their first corner of the match from it. Cassilas gets to it, but right to Pedro who sends a kick in. Nothing doing for Barca, but a quick counter for Madrid. Marcelo brings it towards the 18, sends it wide for Van der Vaart, who returns it for Ronaldo, but hits it all wrong and sends it well over his head and out for a Barca throw.

45 - Pedro gets run over by Albiol after winning a corner. Albiol pays him some interest as he falls on him with an elbow off the side of the head. Corner bounces around to no avail for Barca and that's the half.

Madrid can't make that last part of the attack work through 45. Barca haven't had many chances, but Messi got one and that's all it takes to put Barca up 1-0. Not too many stand outs in the match thus far as its really been all about the defense. Marcelo has been dangerous for Madrid, until he has to pass or shoot. Barca looks threatening as always, but have been thrown off a bit by Madrid's strong-arm tactics.

 

Messi, the best

 

van der Vaart is fucking awful.

 

47 - Second half begins. Marcelo again looks dangerous and then sends a poor, swirling cross to get Higuain away from goal. He was offsides anyway.

48 - Barcelona changes a bit. No subs, but different positioning. Puyol has moved to the left with Alves returning to his usual right back. Pedro moves across to the right flank, while Maxwell is playing left of Messi.

51 - Sergio Ramos retains possession and gets hacked down by Maxwell. Ramos completed a pass and it led to some strong attacking from Madrid. Marcelo gets a shot that curls away from Valdes looking top corner, but Valdes made the save. Maxwell picks up a delayed yellow for the foul which really wasn't too far off from being a stomp as he really came down on Ramos' upper ankle.

55 - Barcelona are passing around like Madrid isn't there. Flash to a shot of Guti getting ready to get in. Looks like Barca have had possession since the Maxwell card.

56 - Barca final lose possession and Higuain gets off to a break away, send a pass across to Ronaldo. Ronaldo sends a shot, low on Valdes, but its weak and Valdes with an easy save.

56 - PEDRO GOAL!!! Xavi hangs out with the ball for a moment with no one closing in and Pedro makes a run. Brilliant pass from Xavi, Pedro fends off Albiol and slots one home across the goal.

57 - Marcelo off for Guti. Marcelo was dangerous...until it was time to shoot or pass as I already said.

58 - Gago gets the ball in midfield and takes a strong shot from distance. Valdes saves. A few moments later, Guti sets up Higuain who sends it past Valdes, but well wide of goal.

59 - Guti is the danger man again. He sets up Van der Vaart while Barca is going for an off-side trap. The Dutchman rocks the shot in on goal, but Valdes makes the save and sends it wide. Milito wasn't in on the trap and kept VdV onside.

61 - Lots of confusion here. Alves takes out Ronaldo. Ref takes out the card. The yellow for Alves would have sent him off. As it is, Ronaldo is lining up a kick from just outside the D, straight away.

62 - Ronaldo sends it right into the wall. Appeals for hand ball are waved away.

63 - Sergio Ramos picked up the previously unidentified yellow. Not really sure why, haven't seen anything to indicate that he did anything at all.

63 - Maxwell comes off for Andres Iniesta. Iniesta will go to the left.

64 - Messi just dribbled down the center of the pitch, through the Madrid midfield and right up to a retreating defense, before sending a poor pass off and getting Madrid into the counter.

65 - Ronaldo with a free kick from about 35 yards out. Gets it over the wall and down to send a bouncer into Valdes' stomach. Valdes didn't have to move in the Barca goal and makes a strong save.

66 - Puyol nutmegs Ramos. Barca are just too good. Ramos gets a forearm up in Puyol's mouth though.

67 - Restart on the foul. Messi takes it quick and gets hacked down by Gago. Stays down for a moment, but he's up as the ball gets played off for him.

68 - Ramos is playing foolish now. Messi was shielding the ball out for a corner and Ramos comes up from behind when its already out and nearly kicks him in the face. Why the yellow stayed in the ref's pocket is beyond me.

69 - Poor corner for Barca springs Ronaldo and he gets in deep. No one is near by defending, but his shot is in from too tight and Valdes gets down for a foot save. Cleared by Pique.

69 - Raul comes on for Van der Vaart.

70 - Guti pops up again. Sends a strong shot in low, bouncing along the ground, which Valdes smothers. Good thing as Ramos was on top of him waiting for that rebound.

72 - Xavi springs Messi in a two on one situation with Albiol and Casillas to beat. Messi takes it all the way, but Iker makes the save and it goes out for a corner. Xavi takes the corner like he belongs in MLS.

73 - Pedro is down again with Garay standing over him. Trainers are out as Pedro is doing a bit of writhing with his hands on his back. Looks like some considerable pain. View of the incident now and he took a bit of a kick from a leaping Garay. Not sure what Garay was even doing in there on him.

75 - Pedro walks off after about 90 seconds, but is back on already.

78 - Messi gets in again. Strong chip from Xavi. Messi chests it down and rips a shot before it reaches the ground, but it goes out wide. Could have been a third.

79 - Milito is down for Barca now. Looks like it could be a calf injury or a cramp. He'll hobble off with Rafa Marquez coming in. Gonzalo Higuain is coming off with Karim Benzema entering.

80 - Now that Marcelo is off, there isn't really anyone pushing the issue for Madrid. Guti has popped up here and there, but nothing too dangerous after his first few moments in the match.

82 - Pedro hacked down again. I'm starting to wonder if he ran over Florentino Perez' dog or something.

84 - Garay hacks at Pedro again, immediately after Gago stepped on Alves' foot. Alves went down and is still there. Pedro got back up...again.

86 - Ronaldo sends in a cross from just outside the 18. Benzema nearly catches it after getting run into by Puyol. The ball bounces around between Puyol, Benzema, and Raul before Raul sends it into the back of the net. Hand ball was already given though and its still 2-0 to the visitors.

88 - Here's why Barcelona is winning and dominating, effort. Albiol receives a throw in and Messi is harassing him defensively from one side of the 18 to the other. There just hasn't been that sort of effort from Madrid.

89 - Guess to takes another foul. Its Pedro getting brought down by Ramso this time.

90 - Lots of empty seats and fans vacating the Bernabeau. Its been clear since about 20 minutes in that Barcelona was going to win this and the fans are done.

92 - The 500 Barca fans in the 80k seat Bernabeau are out-shouting the departing Madrid fans. We'll have four minutes of stoppage time, but this one is done.

And there's the full time whistle. Barcelona controls this match and wins 2-0. Its no 6-2 win like last season, but Madrid never looked like serious participants in this match.

Xavi is man of the match, Pique is a close second as most failed attacks by Madrid ended up at his feet or head.