Ramos rescues Madrid in Clasico

Sergio Ramos added Catalonia to his list of scenes for late goals as his 90th-minute header rescued Real Madrid a 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the Clasico.

Andres Iniesta was not risked by Barca, having just returned from a five-week layoff, so Andre Gomes continued in the veteran’s absence. Madrid lined up as expected, with Raphael Varane and Isco preferred over Pepe and James Rodriguez.

The match started at a very high tempo and intensity, with both teams unwilling to sit back for too long. However, Luka Modric soon helped to take the sting out for Madrid and Barca failed to offer much of a response.

Indeed, Javier Mascherano, in ahead of Samuel Umtiti, didn’t appear to get any of the ball when he threw his leg in front of Lucas Vazquez in the Barca box. The winger went down, but so did the referee’s whistle.

Neymar was then slipped in behind down the left of Madrid’s box by Lionel Messi, but he fatally slipped just as he got the ball under control.

The Brazilian did manage to dink the ball towards the back post for Sergi Roberto, who attempted a half-volley, but his effort was blocked by Sergio Ramos’ arm, although the referee deemed the handball as more a case of ball-to-hand.

Neymar looked to be the most threatening out of MSN as he proceeded to reel in the Madrid defence down the left, before finding an unmarked Luis Suarez in the box. However, out of nowhere came Varane, who blocks the No 9’s shot.

The first real chance of the game, however, saw Gerard Pique show Cristiano Ronaldo too much respect as he backed off his opponent. The Portuguese subsequently fired a shot at Ter Stegen’s near post, but the goalkeeper made the stop.

Ronaldo then took the ball from the right, nutmegged Mascherano and got into the box, but he could only scuff his shot at Ter Stegen.

The third contentious shout of the afternoon, meanwhile, came when Jordi Alba’s cross was clearly blocked by the trailing arm of Dani Carvajal in the Madrid box. However, like twice before, the ref wasn’t interested.

Gerard Pique suddenly had to fly into the picture to block Karim Benzema’s drilled cross, and so did Ter Stegen, who got down quickly to save Varane’s header on his line.

The home fans were finally making some noise at the start of the second half as Iniesta began warming up down the sidelines, before he was eventually introduced on the hour mark.

Before that, however, Raphael Varane was unopposed when he ventured into the Barca half and played a diagonal ball into the box for Ronaldo, who peeled off his marker but couldn’t keep his close-range volley down.

Yet just moments later, Suarez ended his mini-drought in front of goal by heading Neymar’s free kick past Navas.

The tiki-taka that Barca’s midfield were synonymous began to be seen again, with Iniesta back on the pitch. The midfielder kept roaming around, wanting the ball, before playing it short and quickly to a teammate.

Sergio Busquets also grew into the match for the Catalans, replacing Modric in being the player breaking up the most attacks.

Madrid had to change something, and so they did, bringing off the ineffective Isco for Casemiro, who dropped into the role of midfield anchorman and allowed Modric to push on.

Neymar almost scored a ‘golazo’, the Brazilian surging into the box from the left, and cut inside with his right foot, with only Keylor Navas to beat, but bent his shot inches over. He followed that up by reading Messi’s through ball, but the forward’s effort was blocked.

The Argentine had a quiet game by his standards, yet he flunked a gilt-edged chance by his standards to secure the victory for Barca, when Iniesta zipped a wonderful pass his way, only for the No 10 to drag his shot wide of the far post.

It was left to Sergio Ramos, who climbed above everyone else in the Barca box to meet a right-wing delivery, but his header flew inches over, before Ronaldo’s downward attempt was denied on the line by Jordi Alba.

Still, he made no mistake when he headed a free kick past Ter Stegen in the first minute of stoppage time, adding to his dramatic late goals in the 2014 Champions League final and European Super Cup back in August.

Madrid subsequently survived a looping Barca header, which was cleared off the line, and stayed six points clear at the top, with Sevilla also having lost, now unbeaten in 33 matches.

Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid

Suarez 53 (B) Ramos 90 (RM)

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Rakitic (Iniesta 60), Busquets, Gomes (Arda 78); Messi, Suarez, Neymar (Denis 87)

Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Kovacic (Mariano 86); Vazquez, Isco (Casemiro 66), Ronaldo; Benzema (Asensio 77)

Referee: Clos Gomez

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