Real swats aside Barcelona to build up confidence
Source: Agencies |
March 4, 2013, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
REAL Madrid beat Barcelona for the second time in five days, a 2-1 win on Saturday that will do little to prevent its fierce rival from reclaiming the Spanish league title but should boost Jose Mourinho's team for its Champions League trip to Manchester United.
Sergio Ramos netted the winner in the 82nd minute when he rose up to head in Luka Modric's corner to give Madrid its first home league victory over Barcelona since 2008, in a game that grew testy toward the end and saw Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes sent off for protesting.
Lionel Messi extended his Spanish league scoring record to 16 straight games when he equalized in the 18th minute to cancel out Karim Benzema's sixth-minute opener. That was Messi's 18th career goal in "clasicos" to tie Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano's mark set in the 1950s and '60s, but Barcelona was otherwise a shadow of the thrilling team that until last season had dominated the rivalry in recent years.
"We deserved to win. The team has been strengthened by these clasico matches," Ramos said. "We are going to Manchester convinced (we will move on) but with respect for our opponent."
Madrid even managed without Cristiano Ronaldo for much of the match. Mourinho rested the Portuguese winger until the final half hour as the game against United is tomorrow.
Madrid remains 13 points behind Barcelona in the league.
The game ended with the referee ignoring Ramos' trip of Adriano in the area that would have meant a stoppage-time penalty, leading to Valdes being sent off for receiving two yellow cards for protesting vehemently.
"We felt it was a clear penalty but we can't use the referee's decisions as an excuse and we have to do enough to win games without relying on that," Barca defender Gerard Pique said.
Elsewhere, it was Levante 2, Valencia 2; Athletic Bilbao 1, Osasuna 0; and Deportivo La Coruna 0, Rayo Vallecano 0.
Sergio Ramos netted the winner in the 82nd minute when he rose up to head in Luka Modric's corner to give Madrid its first home league victory over Barcelona since 2008, in a game that grew testy toward the end and saw Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes sent off for protesting.
Lionel Messi extended his Spanish league scoring record to 16 straight games when he equalized in the 18th minute to cancel out Karim Benzema's sixth-minute opener. That was Messi's 18th career goal in "clasicos" to tie Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano's mark set in the 1950s and '60s, but Barcelona was otherwise a shadow of the thrilling team that until last season had dominated the rivalry in recent years.
"We deserved to win. The team has been strengthened by these clasico matches," Ramos said. "We are going to Manchester convinced (we will move on) but with respect for our opponent."
Madrid even managed without Cristiano Ronaldo for much of the match. Mourinho rested the Portuguese winger until the final half hour as the game against United is tomorrow.
Madrid remains 13 points behind Barcelona in the league.
The game ended with the referee ignoring Ramos' trip of Adriano in the area that would have meant a stoppage-time penalty, leading to Valdes being sent off for receiving two yellow cards for protesting vehemently.
"We felt it was a clear penalty but we can't use the referee's decisions as an excuse and we have to do enough to win games without relying on that," Barca defender Gerard Pique said.
Elsewhere, it was Levante 2, Valencia 2; Athletic Bilbao 1, Osasuna 0; and Deportivo La Coruna 0, Rayo Vallecano 0.
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