By defeating Real Madrid 2-1 in Sunday’s Clasico, Barcelona made a huge stride toward LaLiga greatness. Franck Kessie scored a stunning late winner.
Kessie, a midfielder for the Blaugrana, scored in the 92nd minute at Camp Nou to put Xavi’s team 12 points ahead of Madrid, who thought they had already won it when Marco Asensio had a goal disallowed in the 81st.
When Sergi Roberto equalized the score in the 45th minute, Madrid had taken an amusingly early lead thanks to a Ronald Araujo own goal.
With 12 league games remaining, Barca was within one win of winning the championship when Kessie made a last-second contribution, putting the ball past Thibaut Courtois after Asensio’s goal had been disallowed for offside.
Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha were stopped by Courtois’s excellent saves, but Madrid scored first after nine minutes.
Araujo, who was defending Vinicius Junior’s hopeful left-wing center, strangely headed into his own net at the near post.
When Xavi’s team ultimately fought back on the cusp of halftime, Courtois stopped a Barca rally by stopping clever flicks from Andreas Christensen and Raphinha.
Sergi Roberto received the ball after a frantic Eder Militao block on Raphinha, and he blasted into the bottom-right corner after a tiny deflection caught Courtois off guard.
After the break, Lewandowski’s shot off Eduardo Camavinga almost undid Madrid once more, but it whistled wide to Courtois’ left.
Asensio thought he had snatched victory when turning home Dani Carvajal’s right-wing cross, only for a VAR review to adjudge the substitute offside.
More late drama was to follow when Kessie coolly finished into the bottom-right corner from Alejandro Balde’s low centre as Barca edged closer towards a first top-flight crown since 2019.
Why does that matter? Chaos-filled conclusion brings Barca within striking distance.
Madrid hasn’t played at their best for significant portions of the season, so it was fortunate that they were still in the game at the break thanks to a strong showing from Courtois.
After this heartbreaking loss, Carlo Ancelotti’s visitors may not have many complaints, but that won’t help to lessen the impact of such a big setback in the title fight.
After a 13th such game without a loss, a spirited performance also preserved Barca’s unblemished home record in LaLiga this season; it is this form, along with highlights like Kessie’s winning goal, that will likely make the difference should the Blaugrana prevail.
De Jong impresses.
Kessie may receive credit for his late goal, but Frenkie de Jong was at the center of all the Blaugrana’s creative endeavors despite Xavi’s decision to start Barca with the tenacious Sergi Roberto in midfield.
The Dutch international demonstrated his talent against seasoned world stalwarts Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the Madrid midfield by creating a game-high five chances.
Unpunished Araujo makes a mistake
Araujo scored Barca’s first goal against Real Madrid in any competition since Gerard Pique in August 2017’s Supercopa de Espana, which was the first Clasico own goal in LaLiga this century.
The mistaken action by the Uruguayan player did not, however, prove to be expensive as Xavi’s Blaugrana prevented the defender from looking foolish and stopped a late Madrid title push with a thrilling victory.
