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On Sunday evening, the biggest hype that attracted football fans from around the world to the screens was the highly anticipated match - "Barcelona" vs Madrid's "Real" face to face once again.
After 90 minutes of intense, emotional, yet cautious play in the central match of the VII round of the Spanish "Primera" championship, the referee's final whistle declared a 2-2 draw.
The four-goal thriller at the "Camp Nou" stadium could have easily ended with a victory for the visitors, as in the first half, Jose Mourinho's players failed to take advantage of the opportunity to "close" the game and reduce the gap from their eternal rivals in the league table to five points.
The first chance for "morengos" Vilanova and Mourinho (AFP photo) to take the lead was missed by the Spanish national team defender Sergio Ramos in the 19th minute, after heading the ball from a grateful situation near the goal.
However, soon after receiving a pass from Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo took advantage of his opportunity and struck into the near corner, beating Victor Valdes.
In the 25th minute, the difference could have doubled, but after a great combination, Benzema missed the target from close range, and Angel Di Maria, who was the first to reach the ball, lacked accuracy.
In addition to Gerardo Pique and Carles Puyol, the Catalans also lost Dani Alves, who was replaced by the young Martin Montoya in the first part of the match due to injury.
Before the break, "Barca" managed to restore balance when Pepe carelessly made a childish mistake in the penalty area, giving Lionel Messi a goal.
After the players returned from the locker room, the hosts continued their eternal tactic - passing the ball in the middle of the field without looking at the goal, until a counterattack by the "royal" club began after an inaccurate pass.
No dangerous opportunities - second goal: in the 61st minute, Messi's penalty shot left Iker Casillas with no hope and led Tito Vilanova's team forward - 2-1.
The triumph of the fans gathered in the stadium was short-lived, as just after Mesut Ozil's timely pass, Ronaldo jumped ahead of the goalkeeper and finished his job to the end.
It is worth noting that the Portuguese player spent most of the second half of the match injured - after a shot on goal, the "Real" leader fell awkwardly and injured his shoulder.
In the remaining time, Gonzalo Higuain, who appeared after the substitution, passed dangerously, and unexpectedly, Montoya's sneaky shot hit the crossbar.
The nervous end did not bring any more goals, and in this "El Clasico" history, the score remained 2-2.
In the battle for the second place in the league table, Madrid's undefeated "Atletico" club defeated "Malaga" 2-1 in the final minutes and equalized in points with "Barcelona," while in the Valencia city derby, "Levante," supported by their fans, defeated "Valencia" 1-0 with minimal resistance.
Results / Table / Video:
LEV 1 - 0 VAL:
FCB 2 - 2 RMA:
ATH 1 - 0 OSA:
