Barcelona were the better side in the opening quarter hour at the Camp Nou but Real Madrid were more than up to the task early despite the pressure from the Blaugrana.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Early yellow cards for both sides
As has been the norm in recent years, Barcelona opened the match as the aggressors seeing more of the ball and testing Real Madrid's defense early as Neymar and Lionel Messi looked for a gap to exploit.
Sergio Busquets picked up the match's first yellow card -- shocking, I know -- in the 8th minute after he brought down Ángel Di Maria from behind roughly 30-yards from goal, towards the right side. Sergio Ramos got free on the ensuing free kick but was whistled for a foul inside the area, negating any potential threat.
Carlo Ancelotti’s biggest lineup surprise, playing Sergio Ramos as a defensive midfielder, seemed to work well in the opening 15 minutes. The idea behind the move appears to be having Ramos anchored above the back line helping to cover Cesc Fábregas, or whomever ends up central on the attack for Barca.
In the 14th minute Ramos picked up a yellow card for a forearm shiver on Neymar. It wasn’t the most violent of collisions but it wasn’t his first foul either and the slight lifting of his arm into the Brazilian’s chin was enough for the referee to book the Madrid man.
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