Messi magic: Two goals from Barca's talismanic
forward settled the first leg
For those who came to
Madrid in search of pure football, Lionel Messi supplied it with a
flash of brilliance three minutes from time. Until then, it was
pure poison. Tense and disjointed as a football match, truly
absorbing as a piece of theatre.
Real Madrid's Pepe was sent
off for lunging over the ball at Daniel Alves, Jose Mourinho was
ordered into the stands for persistently disputing the decision and
Barcelona's reserve goalkeeper was dismissed for his part in a
tunnel skirmish.
Messi scored both goals. The
first, a deft finish at the near post. The second, a divine piece
of skill, a jinking dribble from almost halfway capped with a
precise finish.
It was a beautiful goal from a
beautiful player but this was far from beautiful football. At times
it was downright ugly, undoubtedly influenced by the proximity to
two previous games in this El Clasico series and an inflammatory
verbal duel between Mourinho and Pep Guardiola on the eve of this
Champions League semi-final.
As Barca's players cavorted in
celebration after the final whistle, referee Wolfgang Stark left
the pitch beneath two police riot shields and UEFA locked both
teams inside the dressing rooms for a 'cooling off ' period. Expect
the sanctions to fly - mainly in the direction of the Real
manager.
Mourinho can expect to be
banned from the touchline for next week's second leg. Sergio Ramos
will also be missing in the Nou Camp next week, having collected a
booking, as will Pepe.
Flashpoint: Players and club officials clash as the two
teams head to the tunnel at half time
This did not prevent
Mourinho launching into another controversial monologue after the
defeat, accusing UEFA of conspiring to help Barcelona. This time,
Guardiola refused to engage in the squabble.
Guardiola's team did
themselves little credit either, guilty of diving and play-acting,
pressurising the referee. This was as unpalatable as any of Real's
dirty tricks. Where they can take some plaudits is for their
philosophy. Never did they stop trying to pass the ball and attack
a team sent out to draw 0-0.
Early on, Ramos misjudged a
header on halfway and pawed it down with his hand. Stark and his
assistants missed the offence and the visitors were spitting mad,
crowding the German referee, hands on heads in shock.
Heated: The match was marked by the number of stoppages
for fouls
Seeing red: Pepe receives his marching orders for a
late challenge in the second half
Barca passed and
passed. Xavi caught a volley sweet from 25 yards but it was
straight at Iker Casillas, then David Villa ducked in from the
right and curled a low shot inches wide of the far
post.
Cristiano Ronaldo became
frustrated as the visitors zipped the ball around him. At one
point, midway through the first half, he threw his hands down in
anger and refused to chase any more. He stood and sulked, hands on
hips, inside the centre circle.
Ronaldo glanced right, seeking
encouragement from Mourinho.
None came. The Bernabeu crowd
registered its disapproval and he stirred into life again but the
former Manchester United winger was never at his electrifying best.
There is unlikely to be a Wembley reunion with Sir Alex Ferguson,
who was in Madrid to see the game.
Pepe forced a save of sorts
from Victor Valdes, with a header from an Alonso free-kick. Real
were tempted out a little more, with Marcelo becoming influential
from left back, linking with Angel di Maria.
This would prove to be their
best spell but it was soon eclipsed by more confrontation.
Barcelona claimed Di Maria had dived when Stark booked Alves as
half-time loomed.
Pedro was checked by Alvaro
Arbeloa as he broke on a counterattack and the Barca striker rolled
on the turf clutching his face in an at tempt to get the former
Liverpool defender into trouble.
Guardiola had to be restrained
as he tried to invade the pitch and opponents clashed. Barcelona
players were miming use of the elbow at the referee but replays
showed there was no elbow involved and Pedro had over-reacted.
Sergio Busquets was soon at it, too, writhing in faux agony after
being brushed off the ball as Marcelo rampaged forward.
Another skirmish erupted as
the players and staff funnelled into the tunnel at half-time.
Ramos, Seydou Keita and Valdes were all involved and Mourinho's
sidekick Rui Faria was not far away but it was Jose Pinto,
Barcelona's reserve keeper, who pushed a UEFA delegate and was
dismissed during the interval.
Pinto has a reputation for
misbehaviour on the bench. Earlier this season, he was punished for
mimmicking the referee's whistle and stopping opponents in their
tracks.
Banished: Mourinho watched most of the second half
from the stands after being asked to leave his technical area by
the referee
Mourinho replaced
Mesut Ozil with Emmanuel Adebayor at halftime. He had started with
the same system he used in last week's Copa del Rey final win, with
Ronaldo and Di Maria as wide strikers and Ozil drifting behind
them. They did not ave enough possession to make it work, so on
came Adebayor to hold the ball up. He had little effect either. Not
much you can do without the ball.
Ramos was shown yellow in the
second half when he checked Messi in full flight. Javier Mascherano
was also booked for an innocuous trip which had Pepe flipping
around.
The next card was red for Pepe
for a studs-up challenge on Alves. The Bernabeu revolted and
Mourinho applauded sarcastically. Had he left it at that, he would
probably have escaped but he continued his dissent, sticking up his
thumbs and shouting on to the pitch. The Special One was sent to
the stands.
Amid the chaos, Messi pounced
with his 51st and 52nd goals of the season. After the second, the
little Argentine turned to soak the applause from the small section
of Barcelona fans wedged into a top corner of the Bernabeu. Various
objects rained down on him from the tiers of white.
It was that kind of
night.
Brace yourself: Messi slides home his second, late in
the game
Light show: Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes was targeted
by a fan with a laser in the crowd
Let's be friends: Despite all the trash talking ahead
of the game, the two managers shook hands before kick off
