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Come Fan with UsMonday, June 29, 2026

Barcelona Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 El Clasico: Mesut Ozil Rattles Bar

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol is apparently sick of Real Madrid having all the fun and has started taking matters into his own hands. The shaggy-haired defender surges forward through the midfield and then - astonishingly - almost all the way through Barcelona's back line, nearly beating Pepe until the Portuguese defender's desperate lunge manages to take the ball cleanly. That run inspires a brief attacking spell from the hosts, but they can't make the most of it. Possession ends when a free kick is floated harmlessly into Iker Casillas's arms.

Mesut Ozil then shows Barcelona how to hit a ball, smashing a shot goalwards from a difficult angle and fully 40 yards out. Jose Pinto, perhaps stunned by the sonic boom that accompanied the flight of the ball, ignored the shot entirely only to see it hit the crossbar, the post, the line, and bounce... just out. That was as close as you can possibly get to scoring without actually finding the back of the net. Brilliant stuff. Still 0-0 though.

For more on the two teams, check out Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid and FC Barcelona blog Barca Blaugranes. We have live coverage of the match in our Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, 2012 El Clasico StoryStream.

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