Barca draw with Real at Nou Camp

Goals: Luis Suarez 10', Lionel Messi 52' - Cristiano Ronaldo 14', Gareth Bale 72'

The high-profile match started with Barca in a clear advantage. Thanks to the mobility of the attacking trio of Messi, Suarez and Coutinho, the home team continuously pushed the ball close to the opponent's goal.

Barca also had very effective support from the two wings of Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto. In the 10th minute, Roberto himself crossed the ball from the right wing for Suarez to comfortably volley to open the score of the match.

This is the second consecutive El Clasico match in which Suarez has scored the equalizer. The last time, when playing at the Bernabeu in late 2017, the Uruguayan striker also scored from a precise cross by Roberto.

Compared to the first leg, Barca only had one difference: they were less cautious in defense. When they were not under pressure from Real and were more excited to attack after the opening goal, the home team left a lot of space behind them.

This was the weakness that Real exploited to score the equalizer 1-1 in the 14th minute. With just two passes from midfield, the away team created a situation to approach the 5m50 area and let Toni Kroos cross inside. Karim Benzema was the one who headed the ball to set up the goal, while Ronaldo rushed in to cushion the ball to equalize the score.

In addition to bringing the match back to balance, the equalizer also helped raise Real's fighting spirit. During the remaining time of the first half, Ronaldo and Benzema had many more chances to finish towards Barca's goal. In particular, CR7 almost scored the second goal when his shot bounced off goalkeeper Ter Stegen in a one-on-one situation.

It is not surprising that Real played steadily at the Nou Camp. Besides the reason for the great improvement in performance compared to the first leg, the away team also kept the same main players. Contrary to the information before the match, coach Zinedine Zidane did not leave any stars except for two injured players, Isco and Dani Carvajal.

While Real played well, Barca was still the more proactive team. The new champions only lost this advantage when they fell into a 10-vs-11 situation from the 45th minute. Due to pushing Marcelo in the face, Sergi Roberto received a direct red card from referee Alejandro Hernandez. This was a very controversial situation, because Marcelo fell to the ground as if he had just been punched and then quickly got up to play again.

Playing with one less man, Barca were forced to deploy a defensive counter-attacking tactic. But the home team did not completely lose the chance of winning. Messi and his teammates even took the lead again early in the second half. Receiving a pass from Suarez on the left wing, M10 went past both Ramos and Casemiro and shot into the corner to beat Keylor Navas.

Being led for the second time caused Real a lot of psychological difficulties. Due to the risk of injury, Ronaldo had to leave the field right after the first half. The away team also could not attack at all costs because they still had the goal of preserving their strength to prepare for the Champions League final.

However, with the highest level and the advantage of more people, Real did not have to wait long. In the 72nd minute, from Marco Asensio's pass, Gareth Bale launched a curling shot that defeated Ter Stegen from a distance of 17 meters.

A 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp saw Real and Barca both achieve their minimum goals. The home side continued their unbeaten run from the start of the La Liga season, while the visitors avoided the embarrassment of an El Clasico.

This midweek, the two giants will both play make-up matches in round 34. Barca will host Villarreal at Nou Camp, while Real will be away at Sevilla.