Ronaldo winner ends Barcelona's 39-game unbeaten run

Andy West 01:29 03/04/2016
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  • Real winner: Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 10th away El Clasico goal.

    Real Madrid didn’t read the script.They headed to the Nou Camp 10 points behind Barcelona and fully expected to play the role of sacrificial lambs as the hosts paid an emotional tribute to one of their favourite adopted sons, Johan Cruyff.

    But despite Gerard Pique’s header initially setting Barca on course, Madrid roared back to claim all three points in their eternal enemy’s home for the first time since 2012 with goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Zinedine Zidane, who saw skipper Sergio Ramos sent off, cannot have asked for any more from his first Clasico, and although La Liga is probably still beyond reach his team’s resilience and hard work will provide renewed confidence in their Champions League challenge.

    Barca will rue their failure to take one of the chances they fashioned in a dominant opening spell, and their tired-looking legs in the latter stages will be a cause for concern ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League visit of Atletico Madrid.

    Following a poignant mosaic around the Nou Camp displaying Cruyff’s iconic No14 jersey and the message, ‘Gracies Johan’, Madrid spent the opening stages chasing shadows as confident Barca stroked the ball around.

    It should have been rewarded with a goal as Neymar ran clear and unselfishly squared for Luis Suarez, who somehow mis-kicked with an open goal at his mercy.

    Barca continued to look almost permanently on the verge of scoring, with Andres Iniesta having a powerful shot blocked, Lionel Messi whipping a free-kick just over and Ivan Rakitic forcing Keylor Navas into a smart low save with a left-footed curler.

    Another close call came after 25 minutes, when Messi raced through to challenge an unprotected visiting defence, forcing Ramos into a risky challenge on the edge of his box but referee Alejandro Hernandez waved play on amid furious appeals for a penalty.

    Madrid finally started to establish themselves and, almost inevitably, Ronaldo had the visitors’ first effort as he broke down the right to cut inside and shoot, and although Claudio Bravo punched it away the ball dropped to Gareth Bale who sent a difficult chance over the bar.

    From that moment, the first half was closely contested with Barca denied the space they had found so easily in the opening stages, while Madrid looked increasingly dangerous. Ronaldo drove a free-kick too high after a powerful surge by Bale, and a big chance was squandered before the break when Benzema badly sliced Dani Carvajal’s cross over the top.

    Barca upped the pressure in the early stages of the second half, with Messi curling another free-kick over the bar and then clipping a delicate shot towards the right corner, forcing Navas into a flying stop.

    That triggered a run of three consecutive corners, resulting in Pique rising high at the near post to power home a header and give Barca the lead they largely deserved.

    The hosts briefly looked capable of running away with it as they attacked in waves in search of a second goal, but Real soon got back on level terms when Marcelo bounded forward to find Toni Kroos, whose deflected cross was acrobatically volleyed in by Benzema.

    Parity reigned for a while with Barca controlling possession but the visitors threatening on the break, with one particularly incisive burst ending when Bale curled a 20-yard effort straight at Bravo.

    Although Suarez drilled an angled volley just wide, Madrid delivered the next surge with their powerful counter-attacks looking increasingly dangerous.

    They were controversially denied a potential winner when Ronaldo’s cross was headed home by Bale, only to be ruled out for a supposed push by the Welshman on Alba.

    Ronaldo then grazed the crossbar with a thumping strike and although Ramos was sent off for two yellow cards, undeterred Madrid grabbed the goal their late dominance deserved as Carvajal found Bale and his deep cross was controlled and drilled home by Ronaldo waiting at the far post.

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