Lionel Messi’s Late Goal Lifts Barcelona Over Real Madrid
Lionel Messi scored in the last minute to give visiting Barcelona a thrilling 3-2 win over 10-man Real Madrid on Sunday, leaving the Spanish league’s title race up for grabs.
Messi scored from inside the penalty area after a cross by Jordi Alba two minutes into stoppage time of el Clásico, leaving the rivals tied in points.
Barcelona is ahead on the head-to-head tiebreaker, but Madrid still has a game in hand.
Casemiro had put Real Madrid ahead in the 28th minute, and Messi tied the score five minutes later after evading two defenders inside the penalty area for his first goal at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium since 2014.
Ivan Rakitic put Barcelona ahead with a powerful left-footed shot from outside the penalty area in the 73rd minute, but Madrid tied the score with a goal by the substitute James Rodríguez in the 85th, despite playing a man down from the 77th after Sergio Ramos fouled Messi.
It was the second consecutive win by Barcelona at the Bernabéu. It had routed Real Madrid, 4-0, last season in a game that eventually led to the replacement of Madrid Manager Rafa Benítez by Zinedine Zidane.
source:-https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/23/sports/soccer/barcelona-real-madrid-lionel-messi-el-clasico.html
