Barcelona emerged victorious against their arch rivals courtesy of the stoppage time winner by Franck Kessie. Araujo conceded an own goal early on, but Roberto’s goal ensured that Barcelona went into halftime with the deficit erased.
The 2-1 victory made sure that Catalans now have a twelve-point lead over Real Madrid on top with 12 games remaining in the season. This is Barcelona’s 100th Clasico win and the first at Camp Nou since 2018.
Match Report – FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid ( Laliga Matchday 26)
Without a further due, let’s take a look at our top performers of the night. In case you’re not familiar, BarcelonaLatest Match Awards are named as follows, showing respect to former Blaugrana legends.
- Best Player of the Opposition – “Mutual Respect”
- Best Substitute – “Súper Luuk” (Luuk de Jong)
- Best Defender – “El Tiburón” (Carles Puyol)
- Best Midfielder – “El Cerebro” (Iniesta)
- Best Forward – “El Pistolero” (Luis Suarez)
- Player of the Match – “La Pulga” (Leo Messi)
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Mutual Respect – Thibaut Courtois
Courtois was the main cause Barcelona had to work so hard and wait so long to complete their comeback. He was outstanding in goal for Real Madrid and undoubtedly their best player on the field.
Courtois made a total of five saves, four of which came from inside the box. The game would have ended differently if it hadn’t been for his save in the sixth minute. In addition to his five saves, Courtois made two clearances and ten accurate long balls as well.
Súper Luuk – Franck Kessie
The Ivorian midfielder came clutch n stoppage time to hand the Catalans their 100th Clasico triumph in competitive games. Kessie only played thirteen minutes, but it was enough time for him to make a difference.
His goal was recorded as the 3000th LaLiga goal ever scored at Camp Nou. Combining with Balde, Kessie brought back the shades of what Messi did with Alba in Bernabéu, six years back. And there you have it, a super sub.
El Tiburón – Jules Kounde
The Frenchman covered almost every inch of the pitch while putting his body on the line, whenever Real Madrid attempted to take on Ter Stegen.
Kounde with his cold Drip before the match
Kounde made three clearances, blocked two shots, and won three ground duels, while keeping Madrid’s star striker, Karim Benzema, quiet. In addition to his defensive prowess, Kounde was excellent with the ball. He completed 40 accurate passes, accounting for 88.9% of the total passes. Kounde is proving to be a huge upgrade to our defensive line day-by-day.
El Cerebro – Frenkie de Jong
The Dutchman delivered another master class, acting as the heart of Barcelona’s lineup. He was flawless throughout the whole 90 minutes.
De Jong completed 77 passes while maintaining a passing accuracy of 93.9%. De Jong also made five key passes and two accurate crosses, causing problems for Real Madrid’s defense. In addition, he made 3/3 successful dribbles as well.
In terms of defense, the Dutchman won 8 of the 9 ground duels he faced, while also making 3 tackles and two interceptions. His ability to control the game in both offensive and defensive aspects is one of his defining qualities. Yesterday was another epitome of this.
El Pistolero – Raphinha
Raphinha was easily the best attacking player for Barcelona last night. He caused lots of issues to Los Blancos, running riots down the right wing.
In terms of finishing, Raphinha didn’t had a great outing. He struck three shots on target while missing two big chances. Tho Raphinha missed those chances, he created a lot more. He completed twelve crosses with a passing accuracy of 75.8% while winning three ground duels.
La Pulga – Sergi Roberto
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The veteran Spaniard came decisive once more in the Clasico. Despite all the criticism and his poor form, Roberto held his head high and went on to win the MVP.
Roberto scored a crucial goal just before halftime, and we must all admit that it was his goal that changed the course of the game. By halftime, Roberto had shifted the momentum in Barcelona’s favour. In addition to his goal, Roberto had an 81.1% passing accuracy and made two key passes.
As the BarcelonaLatest crew, we had a tough time choosing the winner of La Pulga award between him and Raphinha. In the end, it was Roberto’s goal that stood as the most cutting-edge.
Drop your feedback on our brand-new Matchday Award series. We are eager to hear and improve.
