In a historical match, Barcelona and Real Madrid played their 245th El Clasico game this past Sunday at Camp Nou. As both teams lost their recent game, they were desperate for a win for their first El Clasico season 2020-2021. Having never lost three games in a row, Real Madrid’s manager Zinedine Zidane guided his team and got them back on track. With newcomer Dutch manager Ronald Koeman for Barcelona, he took a risk by putting his youngest player, 17-year-old Ansu Fati, up as forward.

The Rivalry Commences: Real Madrid vs Barcelona

Madrid kicked off. Starting strong, Captain Sergio Ramos (2) attempted to pass to forward Karim Benzema (9) but was blocked by Barça’s defense. Without hesitation, Barcelona quickly countered, weaving their way through Madrid’s defensive third of the field. Lionel Messi (10) did a quick 1-2 pass with Fati (22) but was denied by Real Madrid. 5’ into the game, and with Barcelona’s guard down, Benzema collected a pass, countering into Barcelona’s defensive third. Sneaking from behind, Federico Valverde (15) did a quick overlap as Benzema fed him the ball into space. Slipping a difficult shot passed Barça’s keeper Neto (13), he scored into the top left corner. Madrid went up 1-0 thanks to the 22-year-old Uruguayan player, who gained his second goal of the season.

Madrid pushed hard into Barça’s territory, getting another round of shots on target. At the 9’ mark, Messi did a long chip over to Jordi Alba (18), giving a quick left counter with Fati. Alba slid a low cross for Fati to finish with an inside touch, winning an equalizer point for Barcelona and tying the game at  1-1. Pushing forward at 14’, a give and go to 19-year-old United States defender Sergino Dest (2) sprints from defense towards the 18-yard box. Passing to Coutinho, Coutinho shoots from afar but was blocked by Real Madrid’s Keeper, Thibaut Courtois (1). 23’, Messi received a lifted ball from Fati, and dribbled inside the box. The Argentinian goes 1-on-1 with Ramos, faking to the right and taking a sneaky shot but was deflected. Shortly after, Madrid gained a counterattack by Toni Kroos (8). He passed a low cross for Benzema to finish but was denied by Neto.

Anyone’s Game

Half time commenced, with the game tied. Keeping the pressure strong, Barca attempt another attack in the 50’. Messi received a short pass and dribbled down the center. With Fati as an option wide, Messi sent the ball to the youngster, giving him a chance at goal. With a difficult angle, Ansu Fati took a low shot, slightly missing the left low corner of the goal. At 58’, the ref decided to go to VAR to review a foul in the box during a corner kick for Madrid. Upon inspection, the referee decided to give a penalty to Madrid and a yellow card to Barcelona’ defender Clément Lenglet (15). With ease, Ramos stepped to the plate, finishing the penalty shot and putting Madrid up 2-1.

One Minute to Spare

Nearing the 90-minute mark, Barça went forward with many attempts, but they proved unsuccessful. 85’, Kroos took a corner for Madrid. Defender Gerard Pique (3) deflected the shot with a header, but Madrid’s Lucas Vásquez (17) snuck up from behind. Taking the ball away, he chipped across for Ramos to hammer inside Barça’s net, but Neto made the save. With only a minute to spare, Madrid midfielder Luca Modrić (10) made an appearance. He collected the ball with his chest and turned towards goal. With little time left, he attempted a through ball, but Neto came off his line and deflected the pass. On the rebound, Vinicius Junior (25) fed it back to Modrić. With Neto charging at him,  Modrić did two quick fakes, leaving Neto on the ground, and finished in an open net. Real Madrid ended the first El Clasico game with a 3-1 win, beating Barcelona on their home field.