Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona: La Liga - as it happened

Sid Lowe’s match report has landed so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company - goodnight!

That’s quite an introduction. It was all Mariano’s own work. He ran to receive a long throw down the right, then let the ball run past him and sped away from his marker Umtiti. Mariano kept going, all the way into the area, and screwed a shot over ter Stegen from a tight angle. I think he mishit the shot, but who cares: he’s in tears of joy!

90+1 min The superb Benzema is replaced by Mariano Diaz.

90+1 min Three minutes of added time. Barcelona win a free-kick on the left; ter Stegen comes forward, but Messi curls it straight into Courtois’ hands.

90 min Casemiro has had a marvellous game against Messi, giving him no space at all.

89 min Ramos’s free-kick hits the wall.

88 min Busquets fouls Lucas in the D. Sergio Ramos is over the ball.

87 min “As a proud Dane I need to point out that Braithwaite made his debut against Eibar a week ago,” says Rikke Slot Johnsen. “He replaced Griezman for the last 18 minutes and was involved in the to last Barca goals. I know the signing was a surprise in many ways, but of course we wish him det best!”

Oh lord. I resign.

86 min Lucas Vazquez replaces Fede Valverde. Incidentally, the Madrid goal may go down as a Pique own goal; I’m not certain Vinicius Jr’s shot was on target.

85 min Messi is booked for a petulant hack at Casemiro.

84 min The relentlessly positive Vinicius Jr. produces a brilliant bit of skill to beat three Barcelona players just inside the area, and ter Stegen flies out to dive at his feet and push the ball away.

83 min: Excellent chance for Barcelona! Messi’s free-kick from the left is headed wide at the near post by the unmarked Pique. That was a superb chance. He completely mistimed his header and the ball went well wide.

81 min A double change for Barcelona: Ansu Fati and Rakitic replace Arthur and Griezmann.

79 min Modric replaces Isco for Real Madrid.

78 min Vinicius Jr. is off target with a flick behind his standing leg, although Carvajal had been flagged offside just before that.

77 min It started slowly, but this is pulsating stuff now.

75 min Messi scampers onto de Jong’s pass, and for a split-second it looks like he’s going to clear on goal. But Marcelo strains desperately to stay with him and makes a vital tackle in the D. When the danger is fully over, Marcelo celebrates by punching the air to the Real fans!

74 min If it stays like this Real will go back to the top of La Liga, a point ahead of Barcelona.

Vinicius Jr. has given Real the lead! It was made by Kroos, who slid a lovely pass down the inside-left channel that took out two defenders and found Vinicius Jr. in space. He moved into the area, opened his body and sidefooted a shot that took a big deflection off the sliding Pique and beat ter Stegen at the near post.

70 min Braithwaite almost scores immediately! Semedo, in his own half, curled a superb long pass around the defence towards Braithwaite. He bounced Varane (I think) off the ball just outside the area and poked a shot that was blocked by Courtois, with Ramos (I think) completing the clearance in the six-yard box.

69 min Of all the gin joints in all the world, Martin Braithwaite had to make his Barcelona debut in the Bernabeu. He has come on to replace Arturo Vidal.

69 min ter Stegen makes a fine save with his feet from Sergio Ramos, although he was miles offside and it wouldn’t have counted.

67 min “The Booze XI are managed by Dick Advocaat, I presume?” says Sean Clayton.

65 min It was Arthur who caught him, in fact, but Vinicius had already played the ball across the area and I don’t think that was a penalty.

64 min Real appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when Vinicius goes over under a challenge from Pique (I think). We haven’t seen a replay yet.

63 min: Another chance for Real! That was brilliant play from Carvajal. He charged through the inside-left channel, cut back on his right foot and clipped a lovely angled pass to find Benzema in space in the area. He watched the ball carefully onto his right foot... and then volleyed it over the bar.

61 min: Pique clears off the line! Real are really pressing now. Carvajal does really well to stand up a cross from the byline. Isco strains his neck muscles to plan a downward header that beats the diving ter Stegen and is blocked on the line by the backpedalling Pique.

60 min Benzema is having a terrific game for Real. Vinicius has also been a big threat, even if his decision-making hasn’t always been great.

58 min “Enjoying the not-so-classic (as of yet) clásico?” asks Oliver Stewart, I presume rhetorically. “I’d like to submit Bacardi Sagna as a much-needed defensive addition to the Booze XI.”

I want Marc-Andre turps Stegen in goal.

56 min: Excellent save from ter Stegen! Real took a short corner on the left, with Kroos and Marceloa moving the ball to Isco on the edge of the area. He bent a right-footed curler towards the far top corner, and ter Stegen leapt to his left to flap it behind. Barcelona were asleep at a corner, again.

53 min Real break through Benzema, who finds Vinicius on the left wing. He runs at Semedo, beating him on the left of the area, but his cutback is intercepted by the well-positioned Pique at the near post.

51 min Lots of Barcelona possession at the start of the second half. Madrid look content to play on the counter-attack.

48 min Messi plays a give-and-go with de Jong, moves into the area and hits a shot that is blocked. The ball rebounds to Alba, who wins a corner on the left.

47 min “I had a couple too many last night, and am feeling a little tender today, so I made you a Booze XI,” says Mac Millings. “Fun Fact: it says here that the author of ‘The Name of the Rose’ was a marauding, box-to-box midfielder in his youth.

1. Ben Fosters
2. Ryan Sauvignon
3. Lewis Drunk
4. Danny Rosé
5. Didier Deschampers
6. Marc Hungovermars
7. Zinfandele Alli
8. Umberto Prosecco
9. Grenadine Zidane
10. Edinson Cava-ni
11. IPA van Hooijdonk

46 min Peep peep!

Half-time reading

“I take your point but from what I have seen of Barca this year their midfield creativity has been poor & Messi has had to do the job,” says Mike Nagle. “I think Eriksen would have been a good creator for Messi & co.”

They already have loads of central midfielders, and I don’t think he’s enough of an upgrade to justify buying him. He would have been a computer-game signing for Barcelona, I think.

44 min The last time both clasicos finished goalless in the same league season was ... never, as far as I can tell.. There were consecutive goalless draws in 1973 but they spanned the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons.

42 min “Arthur is meh (in my opinion) and Modric is getting on,” says Christopher Faherty. “Isco is also meh. I’m not sure Eriksen is good enough for either of them but there’s a logic to the suggestion.”

I take your point, I just don’t think that position is a priority for either team.

41 min It’s all happening now. At the other end, Vinicius underhits a cutback to Isco in the area. That was a decent chance as well.

40 min Semedo beats Ramos on the right, surges into the area and cuts the ball back for Vidal. His shot from the edge of the area is really well blocked by Carvajal.

38 min Messi misses a decent chance. He beat Varane to a bouncing ball on the edge of the area and hammered it towards goal, but the shot was nowhere near the corner and Courtois was able to beat it away.

37 min Vinicius Jr. leads a Real break, charging down the inside-left channel. He gets to the edge of the area but then picks the wrong option, lofting a tame curling shot straight at ter Stegen. He should have tried to take on Pique or find a teammate.

35 min “Is Tony Pulis in charge of Barca?” says Stephen Carr. “Workmanlike doesn’t even come close...”

34 min: Good save from Courtois! Barcelona almost stole the lead on the break. Griezmann, on the halfway line, played a pass infield from the left to Arthur, who charged away from Kroos and kept going, all the way into the area with Varane and Ramos nowhere to be seen. Arthur tried to shape the ball into the far corner, but Courtois stayed big and diverted it wide of the far post.

33 min Alba, who was harshly booked earlier, gets away with a dodgy tackle on Valverde. The referee didn’t give a free-kick; had he done so, Alba might have walked.

30 min Courtois makes a comfortable save from Messi. It was good play from Barcelona, with Arthur, Vidal and Griezmann combining well before Messi clipped a low right-footed shot from 15 yards that was held by the crouching Courtois.

30 min “Given their respective problems I don’t quite understand why either of these sides did not try to sign Eriksen,” says Mike Nagle. “Any thoughts?”

As much as I love Eriksen, I’m not sure either team needs another midfield schemer, do they? It’s in wide positions and/or up front that they are a bit short.

29 min Some more nice play from Madrid. Vinicius drives a low cross from the right to Benzema, who lovingly tees up Kroos for a first-time shot from 25 yards. It whistles over the bar.

28 min Messi is starting to threaten. He plays a one-two with Griezmann and tries to scurry into the area, with Casemiro doing well to track him all the way.

27 min Valverde’s superb cross from the right flashes across the six-yard line, just in front of Benzema.

26 min “Regarding Brathwaite, even as a Barca fan I find the whole deal stinks but I think we’ll keep him next year and then he either gets loaned out or moved on the following summer, presumably back to the lower trenches of La Liga,” says Simon Emmett. “I just feel the whole rule needs reviewing, as if I was a Leganes fan I’d be livid! More worrying for me though is Barca’s ongoing recruitment strategy – I’m not sure what we’re up to! I can’t wait for the new president and the return of Xavi, hopefully all by 2021!”

25 min Messi is dropping deeper in an attempt to make the play. There aren’t that many mobile players around him, although the return of his beloved Jordi Alba gives him a few more options.

23 min The last few minutes have been a bit better. It’s still pretty cagey, though, and the first goal feels really important.

21 min Lovely play from Barcelona. Alba, found by Messi on the left side of the area, fizzes a low pass towards Griezmann near the penalty spot. He takes the shot first time but sweeps it high over the bar.

20 min Courtois is almost dispossessed by Griezmann. He gets away with it and Real scoot down the other end, where Marcelo’s low cross is pushed away by the diving ter Stegen. Marcelo should have cut it back to Isco, who was unmarked 10 yards from goal.

20 min “As you point out, pouring down here in Madrid - first rain in weeks and weeks,” says John Alford. “Watching in a bar with some Spanish mates - curiously subdued atmosphere - nobody is expecting RM to do anything! ‘Bring on Bale’, cue howls of derision.”

19 min Carvajal and Alba have a bit of a slanging match and are both booked. Carvajal can have no complaints, as he pushed Alba. I’m not sure what Alba did wrong though.

18 min Griezmann plays a good one-two with de Jong and surges into the area before being crowded out by Varane and Ramos.

17 min “Hi Rob,” says Kishalay Banerjee. “Regarding Barcelona’s signing of Braithwaite, it is hard to see him staying at Camp Nou after this season, even if he performs decently. What happens next for such ‘emergency signings’ who are then left on the bench? I don’t imagine his stock will be particularly high among other clubs, despite having Barcelona on his CV.”

Yes, good point. I don’t blame Braithwaite – how do you turn down Barcelona – but the whole thing stinks.

16 min The clasico used to be the best game in the world, but the first game this season ended 0-0 and so far this has been poor. What happened to this thing?

15 min Good play from Vinicius, who cuts back inside Semedo and tees up Kroos on the edge of the area. He curls a first-time shot high and wide.

14 min “Bale’s situation is complex and perplexing,” says Matt Dony. “As a Welshman, however, and given his injury history over recent seasons, I’m happy to see him spend as much time on the Real bench as possible. Ideally, just give him a few games at the end of the season to ease himself into form ready to storm the Euros.”

Good luck with that. The Euros are going to be cancelled, aren’t they?

12 min Vinicius Jr. beats Semedo with ease but overhits his cross. It hasn’t been the greatest start to the game.

11 min It’s absolutely pouring down at the Bernabeu. Slide tackles please!

10 min Vinicius Jr. is booked for a foul on Semedo.

8 min “Hi Rob,” says Alex Netherton. “Do you mind giving the MBM to a better writer? Cheers.”

I’d love to. Missing bloody Last Tango in Halifax for this.

6 min Barcelona have had most of the ball in the early minutes, although Madrid have won the only corners. A cross from Vinicius Jr. is put behind for their third. It’s played short to Marcelo, whose cross is headed away to the edge of the area by Semedo. The backpedalling Benzema volleys high over the bar.

4 min It’s pouring down in Madrid. The formations, are far as I can see, are 4-4-2 for Barcelona (Vidal right, de Jong left) and a loose 4-1-4-1 for Madrid, with Isco pushing up to support Benzema when they have the ball.

2 min Isco wins an early corner for Madrid, though nothing comes of it. It looks like he’s playing in a central position, with Valverde on the right.

1 min Peep peep! Madrid kick off from left to right as I watch.

The captains, Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi, embrace at the coin toss. It’s time for another clasico.

“If the emergency signing is only on the bench,” says Justin Horton, “how much of an emergency can it have been?”

It was mes que un emergencia.

Tacticswatch Arturo Vidal played on the right in a 4-3-3 against Napoli in the week. I suspect that’s what will happen here, though Barcelona could also play a diamond midfield. It looks like the usual 4-3-3 for Real, with Isco roaming from the right wing.

“Bale again on the bench,” says Peter Van. “What’s your take on Bale’s woes? He was hired as Real’s successor to Ronaldo; those are impossible shoes to fill, but Bale certainly seemed to have the potential to be a superstar. But his last couple of seasons have been a disaster. Is it just a mental block? Injury problems? Is it, as they seem to believe in Spain, that he just doesn’t care that much?”

It’s probably a bit of everything. The last two years have been terrible, as you say, and I’ve no idea why he didn’t leave last summer. But I suspect history will be kinder to his overall Real career.

Pre-match reading