Messi leads 10-man Barca to draw in El Clasico
Barcelona, Spain (Sports Network) - Lionel Messi was the hero on Saturday when he scored a hat-trick, including the injury time equalizer against Real Madrid at Camp Nou, leading to a 3-3 draw for 10-man Barcelona in a match that lived up to its name - El Clasico.
Real led three times in the game, with Messi answering three times. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored two goals in the first 14 minutes and Sergio Ramos added another in the 73rd for Real, but Messi's hat-trick ensured both teams would earn a point.
The draw was made even more improbable by the fact that Barcelona played the whole second half down a man.
Both teams came into the match looking to rebound from disappointing exits in the UEFA Champions League and it showed from the barrage of action early on.
Van Nistelrooy got the game's first goal after just five minutes when he pounced on a loose ball and fired it behind Barca 'keeper Victor Valdes.
Messi answered just five minutes later when he split the defense and fired past Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas to make it 1-1.
Barcelona had little chance to celebrate the equalizer, however, as Van Nistelrooy answered almost immediately to heat up the frantic start to the fixture.
Messi was able to get the first-half equalizer just 15 minutes later after stars Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o combined on a give-and-go forcing Casillas to make an outstanding save. He was defenseless on the rebound, however, which Messi slammed into the back of the net to even the score at two.
The game slowed considerably for the rest of the half until the home side's Oleguer was given his second yellow of the game in stoppage time, meaning Barcelona would be down a man the entire second half.
Barca manager Frank Rijkaard sacrificed the attack and substituted Eto'o for a defender in the second half. The strategy seemed to work until Ramos put Real ahead with less than 20 minutes to play. The goal came off a free kick, which Ramos flicked into the net.
Barcelona looked dead in the water until Messi's dramatic stoppage time equalizer. He beat three defenders in the box before firing a left-footed shot into the net.
With the draw, Barcelona move back into the top spot in La Liga with 50 points, same as idle Sevilla, with a greater goal differential being the tiebreaker. Real's point insures it will hold at least a share of the fourth position after the weekend fixtures by giving it a three-point lead on fifth-placed Real Zaragoza. Sevilla and Zaragoza play Tarragona and Real Betis, respectively, Sunday.
In the other La Liga match on Saturday, Villarreal moved into 11th place with a 2-0 win over Levante. A first half goal by Diego Forlan and a second half tally by Jon Dahl Tomasson was the difference in the game.
Comments
Messi is awsome,what a good young player,him,cristiano ronaldo,de rossi rooney,fabergas,tevez,mancini,kaka,owen(I'm sure i'm forgetting someone) but what a good pack of young talented players are out there.
Posted by: wolfen | March 11, 2007 09:55 PM
well well i hope the english and there teams were watching to see how soccer should be played .
.
Posted by: soccer dr nyc | March 12, 2007 12:52 AM
dr nyc again you make a brain numbing comment. 3 English teams are still in the hunt in the Champions League. How about Barca & Madrid? Are they there? I think we all know the answer to that one now don't we!
Posted by: Jetson | March 12, 2007 05:52 AM
dr nyc I laugh reading your comments. Say what you want but you can't deny the truth. Barca & Madrid are OUT! of Champions League play! Three English teams remain & I think one of those three just might end up playing in the final game. The EPL is still the league to play in! It's the richest league in the world & any player that's worth his salt want's to play there. It's funny how all these so called soocer God players play so well in their own countries & then choke when going to England. Barca & Madrid are mere shells of their former selves. Those clubs are full of over paid clowns that think their larger than life & that was proven in the Champions League this year.
Posted by: Johnny Wyatt | March 12, 2007 06:09 AM
i just love to get you guys going crazy.
anyway the derby was a very good game
messi is the best. no kick and run soccer for him like they do in England.
Posted by: soccer dr nyc | March 12, 2007 10:54 AM
He couldn't make it in England. He's too small & would end up in a wheel chair. By the way. How's Barca & Madrid doing in the Champions League?
Posted by: Sam Adams | March 12, 2007 02:39 PM
Um messi couldnt make it in England ha ur kidding rite? he would get butt in england just like everywhere else. Messi is a wonderful explosive player tht can take over a game. He is one of the top five players in the world.
Posted by: RcFutbolFreak | March 12, 2007 09:21 PM
I have to agree. Messi wouldn't last long in the EPL. He does have world class skills but he's very small. Even smaller than Joe Cole. Messi would end up getting hurt in England very fast.
Posted by: Kevin | March 12, 2007 10:11 PM
this is for hans krypt, in spain ,italy
germany ,england and argentina. on sundays
it is soccer fans like us yoyo giova and the rest who make this sports number one .
so let us talk and say what we want to.
Posted by: soccer dr nyc | March 13, 2007 01:50 AM
Everytime I watch Messi play, I think to myself "What the hell was Pekerman thinking leaving him on the bench against Germany??" What a bonehead move.
Posted by: Ghost Rider | March 13, 2007 06:48 PM
Pekerman must be related to the Ex - England Manager (Beckham's buddy) who left Theo out. Same situation there as well. It boils down to politics.
Posted by: James Eltaha | March 13, 2007 08:33 PM
Messi is too small for the premier league?,nonsense! some of the best players ever were small in stature(Pele'& Maradona)and didn't Zola do well at Chelsea???try giving a choice to an english coach if they want Messi and see what they say?
Posted by: wolfen | March 14, 2007 11:46 AM
I agree wit wolfen, stature means nothing for messi. He has proven himself against much bigger players, and his skills will take him a long way. Very impressive show by him in el clasico. Good for him, i def want to see him playing in the EPL some day.
Posted by: angelslatino | March 14, 2007 12:44 PM
is this the same barce player we are all talking about. messi is no good send him to mls in the usa.
Posted by: soccer dr nyc | March 15, 2007 02:12 AM
Look Messi is a great player & he has top notch skills wich is impressive for somebody still so very young. The downside is he has no meat on his bones at all. He's picked up more than enough injuries in Spain which means if he ever went to England to play he would pick up even more injuries Many more. I know some of you don't have much respect for English soccer but it commands respect from the players playing there. If you don't believe me, just go ask Sheva! In Italy they play at a slow pace so players' have more time to think about what they are going to do with the ball & they play the offsides trap. It's the same in Spain. Sheva perfected the counter to that in Italy & that's why he scored so many goals there & it's the same with Crespa. In England it's been a complete 180 for Sheva as it was with Crespa. He's too slow off the mark, & can't think or react fast enough & we all know he has not scored many goals at all this year there.
Some of you take pot shots at English soccer but in reality none of you could play there. Defenders in England are a nightmare to play against as they mark you so close you have no breathing space. They tackle you & your going down before you even get the ball. That's the reality of the game there & that's why players' like Sheva & Crespo have such a hard time. Sure they have good skills but they are not tough enough to handle the physical reality of the game there. Think what you want, say what you want but I know I'm right on this topic. English defenders' from the EPL are the toughest in the world hands down!
Posted by: Spivey Point | March 15, 2007 04:18 PM
Why would Messi want go to the EPL? He is not physical enough to play there, Spain fits his style of play perfectly, and the money is good at Barcelona!
Posted by: Adam S | March 15, 2007 07:57 PM
Soccer dr nyc are u crazy! Messi is won of the best players in the world! He is very quick and explosive and can finish very well. He would be a great addition to any team. The mls is for players like Beckham who get paid to whine and complain. Messi is a top class player and will always be a top class player.
Posted by: RcFutbolFreak | March 15, 2007 08:29 PM
this is for freak i see that you do not know am a barce fan , barce is my life .
Posted by: soccer dr nyc | March 16, 2007 01:43 AM
Barca can't possibly be your life if you want Messi to go to MLS!! He's the best young player that Barca has! He is their future!
Posted by: Adam S | March 16, 2007 03:26 PM
I know u looooove barca. But just because u like barca doesnt mean u like Messi. Messi is the future of the team like adam said. Messi is a sensational player and if u like barca and watch barca u should have known that by now.
Posted by: RcFutbolFreak | March 16, 2007 03:51 PM
Messi Rulez he is way better than David Beckham and Frank Lampard combined. I would love to watch Christiano Ronaldo and Messi play some 1v.1.
Posted by: Keeeper King | March 18, 2007 09:09 AM
Ronaldo would burn Messi one on one. He would chew that kid up & spit him out!
Posted by: Teddy Bear Tom | March 18, 2007 02:12 PM
That's ralely thinking out of the box. Thanks!
Posted by: Jonalyn | April 29, 2011 04:23 PM