Lionel Messi is poised to collect the Ballon D`Or accolade on Tuesday and the Argentine showed why with a mesmerising display to help Barcelona defeat Real Madrid 1-0 in a sizzling `El Clasico` at Camp Nou on Sunday.
|Last Updated: Nov 30, 2009, 09:23 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Madrid: Lionel Messi is poised to collect the Ballon D`Or accolade on Tuesday and the Argentine showed why with a mesmerising display to help Barcelona defeat Real Madrid 1-0 in a sizzling `El Clasico` at Camp Nou on Sunday.
Substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the winning goal on 56 minutes but with the world watching on Messi stole the show with his his mazy runs, clever turns and incredible close control all the more impressive given that he was a doubt for the match with a thigh injury.
Messi, still only 22, scored in the previous two Clasicos - which finished 2-0 and 6-2 in Barca`s favour - but could not cap his stellar display with a goal with Iker Casillas denying him with a wonder save in the closing stages.
"I came off against Athletic Bilbao as a precaution but came back tonight and fortunately we got the right result," said the softly-spoken Messi.
"We couldn`t find space in the first half but in the second half we got better and the result we wanted.”
"The win over Inter Milan (2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday) was important for us to stay in the competition and now we have beaten Real Madrid who are a top side."
Champions Barca now lead Real by two points at the summit and can stretch that to five points with victory over Xerez on Wednesday in a match brought forward due to Barca`s World Club Championship commitments in Abu Dhabi in mid-December.
Treble winners Barca are unbeaten in the league since the penultimate day of last season and lie top of the table but goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who produced a crucial save from Cristiano Ronaldo, said there was no room for complacency.
"Real played on the counter attack at times but with real quality," said Valdes.
"The Spanish league is the best in the world and complicated to win. It is not just Real Madrid there are other such as Sevilla."
Midfielder Xavi, one of four Barca players shortlisted for the Ballon D`Or, paid tribute to Real and saluted his team-mates for a determined defensive display.
"It was a physical game but a great spectacle," said Xavi. "Real have a great team as well and a lot of talent up front.”
"Madrid are always a competitive team. In all my years in football they have always had a team that can compete at the highest level.”
"It was a great defensive display from the whole team to keep them out and get a very important win."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.