Real Madrid v Barcelona: Player ratings
Barcelona boosted their chances of reviving their title hopes in a thrilling 4-3 win against 10-man Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. It was an El Clasico served hot as Leo Messi scored a hat-trick and Sergio Ramos sent off for hauling down Neymar. Argentine Leo Messi became the top scorer in the derby ( 21 goals ), overtaking Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano in the process.
Here are the match ratings:-
Real Madrid
1. Diego Lopez – 6.5/10
The Portugese stood no chance of saving any of the four Barcelona strikes. He was relatively consistent and made top saves to deny Neymar in the opening minutes of the game. His position is under fire as Madrid fans are considering Iker Casillas to take in charge at the goal.
2. Daniel Carvajal – 5.5/10
Blamed for Barcelona’s opener as he gave Iniesta the much required space to unleash his strike. He simply could not attack down the flank as he was busy putting a stop to Iniesta’s stupendous moves. He was selected in place of injured Arbeloa.
3. Pepe - 7.5 /10
Pepe was defensively solid throughout the game. He struggled to halt Messi’s equaliser as well as through balls from Fabregas and Xavi at times. One of his most noted actions on the field was clutching his face and going down after a bust up with Fabregas following Messi’s equalizer.
4. Sergio Ramos 7/10
The Spaniard was harshly sent off after clipping Neymar from behind in the 63 rd minute. He earned the 19 th red card of his club career. Once again, he formed a brick wall with Pepe to stop crosses and shots into the box.
5. Marcelo 6.5/10
Marcelo performed extremely well in the opening half of the game and dis just enough to subdue Neymar at crucial moments. He Failed to close in on Messi, which eventually lead to Barcelona’s second goal. The Brazilian was shifted defensively after Ramos was sent off in the second half.
6. Xabi Alonso 6/10
The Spanish International did not play his usual self on the auspicious night. He played deep in his own half, tracking Messi’s movements. Later, he committed an unnecessary challenge which gave away the penalty for Messi to score his the winning goal.
7. Angel Di Maria 8/10
Brilliant as well as sensational in the opening 20 minutes of the ‘ El Clasico’ as he claimed two assists. He did wonderful to win the ball back on countless occasions and the Barca players failed to keep up with his pace. He was really unlucky to be on the losing side.
8. Luca Modric 5.5/10
A below average performance from the Croatian. He Could not assert his authority on the pitch and made some nice touches and supplied the ball well in to the final third.
9. Cristiano Ronaldo 7/10
Converted the penalty with great accuracy into the back of the net to put Madrid 3-2 ahead. The Madrid fans failed to witness any of the long bursting CR-7 shots or runs.
10. Gareth Bale 5/10
Looked like he was not mentally fit for the game. The Welshman lacked vulnerability and threat in going forward and was less involved in the game. Jordi Alba proved to be a constant nuisance for the Welshman.
11. Karim Benzema 7.5/10
Scored two quick goals to give Madrid a 2-1 lead. The Frenchman squandered a couple of chances in the first half that cost Madrid a deserved win. He sacrificed himself for Raphael Varane after Ramos was sent off.
Barcelona
1. Victor Valdes 6/10
His last El Clasico resulted in a joyous victory as he prepares to depart Camp Nou at the end of the season.He should have done better to keep out Benzema’s bullet header. Also,, he made some spectcular saves in the closing stages of the match.
2. Dani Alves 7/10
He was successful in keeping Ronaldo at bay. He gave away a controversial penalty after the Brazilian tripped Ronaldo just outside the box. In the dying moments of the game, he drove a powerful shot that beat Lopez but struck the the woodwork.
3. Pique 7/10
Made a wonderful goal line clearance to deny Benzema a hat trick. He was seem defending deep and covered the mistakes made by Mascherano with well timed challenges. He’s desperately in need of a world class defender to partner him at the moment.
4. Mascherano 6.5/10
He could not track the movements of Di Maria and looked clueless in the first half. Made a superb challenge on Cristiano that denied him the chance to shoot, despite the Portugese calling for a penalty. Moreover, he got the latter booked after the Argentine went down claiming a foul during aerial collision with Ronaldo.
5. Jordi Alba 7.5/10
He was solid as a piece of boulder,when it came to handling Bale’s threat. As instructed by Martino, he was not attacking down the flanks, like he usually does in fear of Bale’s attack minded approach.
6. Busquets 7/10
He pivoted at the heart of Barca midfield zone and kept out Modric and Alonso during Madrid’s counter attacks. It was a game where the duties of a defensive midfielder was not a priority, considering the free flow pace of the game .
7. Xavi 6/10
The 34 year old cannot be blamed if he could not play his usual. At times overrun by Di Maria although he made the most number of passes.
8. Fabregas 7.5/10
Creative and ambitious and did extremely well in linking the midfield and attack. Played neat and tidy and provided the first chance of the game with a through ball to Messi. .Substituted for Sanchez.
9. Neymar 6.5/10
Not a great performance from the 21-year old. He kept on pressing Madrid defense and had a few chances at goal denied by Pepe and Lopez. He later won a penalty after he fell inside the box following a clear and obvious challenge from Ramos. Substituted for Pedro.
10. Lionel Messi 9/10
The best player on the pitch and a match winning performance as he scored a hat trick. Became El Clasico’s all time top scorer with 21 goals. Collected the ball well from Neymar to score the equalizer besides providing the assist to Iniesta and coring two sharp penalties.
11. Iniesta 8.5/10
His presence on the pitch gave the Barca players a hope of winning mentality.He drifted a powerful shot into the top corner to open the score line. Although, Iniesta is not renowned for his goal scoring abilities, the 29 year old makes it extraordinary when he finds the ball at the back of the net. Won a decisive late penalty after a Xabi Alonso foul, which lead to Messi’s hat trick and Barca’s winning goal.