Real Madrid jumped to a 2-0 lead over Barcelona in El Clasico on Saturday and barely kept up, beating their fierce rivals 2-1 in a match with big title implications in La Liga. Real got help from the crossbar at the very end to save the result after going down to ten men.
Karim Benzema scored a beautiful goal with a great touch in the 13th minute to make the score 1-0 and set the tone:
When Real pushed forward, Toni Kroos got a happy bounce on a free kick 15 minutes later when Zinedine Zidane’s team took full control. But Barca fought back and came close a few times.
After Oscar Mingueza passed on the hour mark to make the score 2-1, numerous Barca players had a chance to equalize but could not. The young talent, Ilaix Moriba, put the ball in the field and threw a shot from the crossbar just seconds before the final whistle.
The result puts Real Madrid in first place in the league with 66 points, while Barca remains in third place with 55 points. Atletico Madrid, who penetrated first place at the weekend, are in second place with 66 points, while Real keep the break-even point on their head.