Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, centre left, scores his goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, March 23. (AP Photo)
MADRID, March 24 (AP): Lionel Messi scored a hat trick to give Barcelona a 4-3 win at 10-man Real Madrid in an electrifying and contentious "clasico" match that kept the three-way Spanish league title race wide open.
The result means Atletico Madrid now tops the table, with Madrid level on points in second and Barcelona a point behind in third with nine games remaining as the title race shapes up to be the closest in years.
In a game that saw three penalties, a red card and a host of missed chances, Andres Iniesta set the tone by rocketing home an early opener, only for Karim Benzema's brace to put the hosts ahead by the 24th.
The teams went into the break level at 2-2 after Messi slotted in an equalizer, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to re-establish Madrid's lead with a 55th-minute penalty.
But Messi scored a pair of penalties after that — including the 65th-minute equalizer after Sergio Ramos was sent off — to end Madrid's 31-game unbeaten run stretching back to the last "clasico" in October.
"It's unusual to see so many penalties called in a clasico," Barcelona fullback Jordi Alba said. "This win will give us a lot of momentum going forward." While Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti tried to defuse tension surrounding the three penalties, Ronaldo did not. "I don't want to say the referee favored one team more than the other, but he favored Barca a little more," Ronaldo said.
"Right up until the last game this league is wide open," Ancelotti said. "Any of these last nine games can prove decisive." The high pace of play and buzzing atmosphere inside the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium left little doubt this was a "clasico" with much at stake.
Messi spotted Iniesta's run down the left side seven minutes in and slid a perfect ball clear into the area for him to lift into the top of goal to kickstart the memorable match.
Madrid winger Angel Di Maria troubled right back Dani Alves throughout, especially when he twice set up Benzema with crosses from the left side, with the France striker nodding home the first in the 20th before controlling the second to smash a right-footed volley beyond Victor Valdes. The goalkeeper got a glove to Benzema's opener but couldn't keep it out.
The strengths and philosophies of each club were apparent as Barcelona looked to set the tempo through possession while Madrid always looked dangerous when breaking on the counter. Madrid's defense nodded off when Neymar and Messi's hopeful combination came to fruition and the Argentina star could equalize before halftime, with Benzema left ruing a number of missed chances that could have given Madrid control.
Gareth Bale's speed provided problems for Barcelona down the right, but Ronaldo was equally troublesome along the left and he was tripped by Dani Alves after the break to set up the penalty for his league-leading 26th goal that put Madrid back on top. However, replays showed the contact had taken place just outside the penalty area.
But Barcelona replied when Ramos was shown a straight red for tangling with Neymar and Messi stepped to equalize again. Benzema then came off as Madrid looked to defend the draw, with Barcelona patiently coming forward and Dani Alves sending a shot off the post in the 74th. Iniesta was then taken down by Xabi Alonso and Dani Carvajal in the area to set up the 84th-minute spot kick that Messi slotted home for his 21st goal of the season.
"You could say some of the decisions penalized us, but it doesn't change anything," Ancelotti said. "We're not happy because we lost an important opportunity, but that's OK. We just need an immediate reaction now."
Referee not up to Clasico
Standard, fumes Ronaldo
Standard, fumes Ronaldo
MADRID, March 24 (AFP): Two-time World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo slammed referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco after Real Madrid were beaten for the first time in 32 games 4-3 by Barcelona on Sunday.
Mallenco awarded three penalties on the night with Ronaldo scoring the first one for Madrid to put them 3-2 up 10 minutes after half-time. However, Sergio Ramos was then sent-off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity for a foul on Neymar inside the area before Xabi Alonso was adjudged to have tripped Andres Iniesta seven minutes from time.
Lionel Messi converted both spot-kicks to complete a hat-trick after cancelling out Karim Benzema's double at the end of the first-half to become the all-time leading scorer in games between the two sides. "There were a lot of mistakes for just one game. A match between Real and Barca ought to have a high level of referee," said Ronaldo. "You can't make correct decisions when you are nervous. It makes me think that it is not just on the field that you win games, a little help from outside helps too. "My penalty might have been just outside the area, but there are many things that went on. It is difficult when many people didn't want us to win today."
Ronaldo's coach Carlo Ancelotti was more level-headed about Mallenco's decisions, but did agree that Ramos' red card swung the game in Barca's favour. "I haven't seen it again and it is difficult for me to comment on the decisions of the referee because there were many. "However, it was the key moment. We were winning 3-2 and controlling the game well, but it is much more difficult to control the game with a player less."
