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Come Fan with UsFriday, August 7, 2026

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, 2011 UEFA Champions League Semifinal: Jose Manuel Pinto Sent Off During Off-Pitch Incident; Second Half Underway

The second half is up and running at the Santiago Bernabeu, but this match is taking a backseat to major drama off the pitch - Barcelona backup goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto has apparently managed to get himself sent off in a melee in the tunnel after the first half ended, which is, uh, special. There were at least a dozen players involved in a pushing and shoving match, and apparently Wolfgang Stark decided that it was entirely Pinto's fault. Ok then. I think I'm obligated to say something like 'tempers are flaring' as part of the Football Writers Code at this point.

We also have a substation, with Jose Mourinho taking off the ineffective Mesut Ozil for Emmanuel Adebayor, which should theoretically give Cristiano Ronaldo more time on the ball as well as a focal point up front for the Real Madrid attack. That's a positive sign, and we'll see how well the likes of Javier Mascherano deals with a true centre forward hanging around.

This is the third of four matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona. You can view our coverage of the April 16th and 20th match here and here, with live coverage of Real Madrid vs Barcelona on April 27 in this story stream.

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