Messi masterclass stuns Real Madrid

The result means that the Blaugrana are now back on top of the Liga standings thanks to their superior head-to-head record against Real but, crucially, Zinedine Zidane’s men still have a game in hand on their title rivals.

It was as if Ronaldo and Messi were competing in a match of their own with the rest of the players from either side playing supporting roles.

The timing of Messi’s strike also saw Barca gain revenge for Sergio Ramos’ stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw when the sides last met at the Camp Nou in December past year.

With club captain Sergio Ramos suspended following his sending-off for felling Barca’s Lionel Messi on Sunday, Zidane suggested that Raphael Varane will come straight back into the starting XI as he had fully recovered from a long-standing hamstring problem. We will keep doing our best to try to win matches.

The newspaper added that the five-time Ballon d’Or victor had again proved the difference in Spanish football’s most famous rivalry. “For us, it’s a honour and a blessing for the club”. “Sometimes it is criticism that generates more desire and anger”. Madrid and Barcelona are tied at the top with 75 points each. This belongs up there too, because of the context: the pressure around Luis Enrique, the battering that Messi took-as always without complaint-in the previous 94 minutes; the fact that Madrid has won more points from losing positions than any other team. There is not a lot to talk about him.

Messi is enjoying another remarkable season, with 47 goals in 46 games.

Real Madrid are second in the table due to a weaker goal difference, but they do have a game in hand over Barcelona.

Ramos has called on Madrid to put the defeat behind them and focus on the future as they look to win the title for the first time since 2011-12.

Messi had broken a three-year goalless drought against Madrid to cancel out Casemiro’s opener for Madrid in the first-half.

“Messi’s goal? As a Madrid fan, you obviously feel hurt, mostly because of the time”. Messi eventually was shown a yellow card for taking off his shirt.

“I think everybody yesterday did their best to perform well, to have success”, he said.

“[With] 16, 17 years in Madrid, 25 years in football, I know how these things are”.