Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 2-1 in round 26 of La Liga

Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 2-1 at Nou Camp in round 26 of La Liga. With a 12-point lead over their opponent, Xavi Hernandez’s team is waiting for the day they can become the champions.

Ahead of the 253rd El Clasico, Barcelona had the advantage with a 9-point lead over Real Madrid. Real Madrid was under pressure to win in round 26 of La Liga if they still hoped to defend their championship.

Real Madrid used a relatively cautious line-up with Modric, Camavinga, Kroos, and Valverde supporting the forward pair of Benzema – Vinicius. On the Barcelona side, Xavi Hernandez relied on the attacking trio of Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Gavi.

The game was exciting right from the kickoff. In the 5th minute, Thibaut Courtois had to show off his skills to save a goal for Real Madrid after a high header from Raphinha from the cross of left-back Alejandro Balde.

Four minutes after missing a chance, Barcelona unexpectedly conceded a goal. After a not-so-dangerous cross from Vinicius near the touchline, the ball accidentally hit Araujo’s head and unintentionally became a difficult shot for Ter Stegen. Real Madrid was lucky to lead 1-0.

After the early goal, Real Madrid played more comfortably and built a safe position on their home field to wait for counter-attacking opportunities. Trailing, Barcelona did not rush to find an equalizer. They slowly developed their attacks.

In the final minute of the first half, Raphinha’s quick shot caused Real Madrid’s defense to scramble and the ball fell to the right place for Sergi Roberto, the Spanish midfielder who made a sharp shot into the far corner to beat Courtois, equalizing the score 1-1 for Barcelona.

In the second half, both teams still showed caution in their gameplay. Barcelona still actively controlled the game with passes and rarely had chances to shoot toward Courtois’ goal.

Real Madrid played defensively on their home field and occasionally organized attacks.

In the 81st minute, it seemed that Ancelotti’s team had taken the lead after Marco Asensio’s tricky shot. However, the VAR technology intervened and determined that the away player was offside before taking the shot.

The turning point of the game came in the last minute of injury time. Alex Balde made a strong run on the right flank and delivered a tearing pass that tore apart Real Madrid’s defense for substitute Franck Kessie to score the winning goal, making it 2-1 for Barcelona.

With a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at Nou Camp, Barcelona is close to clinching the La Liga championship. The Catalan club has left Real Madrid behind by 12 points with only 12 rounds left in the season.

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