Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, 2013 El Clasico: Barcelona holding on with 15 minutes to play
Cristiano Ronaldo just missed putting Madrid ahead in the 64th minute on a free kick from 30-yards out. Ronaldo got the chance after Pepe got past Thiago, forcing the Barca midfielder to pull him down to avoid a break on goal. Thiago was shown a yellow card but in the end it was worth it as Madrid failed to score.
In the 66th minute Pedro earned a free kick in the midfield after being taken down by Álvaro Morata. It’s worth mentioning because in the post-foul fracas, one of Pedro’s teammates appeared to accidentally kick the ball into his head as he laid on the ground.
The match rolled on with some frantic back-and-forth play that mainly stayed in the midfield. Entertaining to watch on one level and a bit dull on another, mainly because we know what these teams are capable of.
Ronaldo came close again in the 69th minute tearing through the Barcelona defense on a break, showing up his incredible ball control skills before putting his shot just off target into the side netting. Credit Gerard Piqué who made a fantastic tackle that cut off Ronaldo's angle enough to force the shot wide.
In the 75th minute it was Morata’s turn to come close when he got behind the Barcelona defense into a one-on-one situation with Victor Valdés. The experienced goalkeeper did a wonderful job of racing off his line and cutting down Morata’s options. Morata tried to get the ball up but it was blocked away by Valdés.
15 minutes left and we’re still tied 1-1.
