41 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Brilliant from Iniesta! He breezes past Carvajal, cuts inside, plays the pass into the box and it’s flicked backwards to Messi, who takes his man and gets a cross in for Paulinho at the near post… who draws a save from Navas! Barca keep up the pressure from the corner but now Real can counter-attack. Ronaldo leads the charge… and Benzema’s disappointing pass is cut out.
38 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Suarez has a chance to run at goal but tries to do far too much on his own and is easily dispossessed in the end.
Marcelo is chipped in down the left and nearly pulls the ball back to Ronaldo on the edge of the box. A last ditch slide tackle kills the move.
35 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
A Messi mistake allows a turnover of possession at halfway and this is dangerous! Real Madrid surge forwards, move the ball wide to Ronaldo on the right and his early cross finds Benzema, whose attempted shot goes behind for a goal kick.
32 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
The corner is headed by Pique, hits a teammate, Pique wins it and turns, then goes down under a tackle. Was that a foul?! It looked like it on first glance but the referee doesn’t care and neither do the players.
Real Madrid get on with things, and attack down the left again. Ronaldo pulls out wide, gets into the box and shoots from wide of the six yard box… SO CLOSE! It hits a body and goes behind for a corner. Ronaldo attacks the corner but puts the ball over.
30 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Real still not having any joy with crosses from wide. No team in Europe’s top five leagues has made more crosses than Zidane’s team and they’re working on extending that lead here.
Paulinho is fouled by Ramos, giving Barca a free-kick inside the Real half. They take it short, of course, and start the short passing games but are watched every inch of the way in an intense press.
And Paulinho is in! He runs in behind from deep, Messi spots it and chips over the top but Navas is able to tip the shot over the bar from inside the box. Good effort.
27 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Suarez wants a foul after being bundled off the ball by a defender but it’s never a free-kick. That won’t stop moaning about it though.
Iniesta yells at his teammates to calm down and keep possession instead of always looking for the ball in behind. Kovacic wins a corner with a clever run down the right and a cleared cross, Pique heads away and Ramos had fouled Vermaelen anyway.
24 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Modric is pulling the strings here, dancing around the pitch and turning up everywhere. Messi is on the ball now though, flicks it over the defenders head, turns and plays it out wide just as a defender gets close. He’s too quick for them and wins a corner.
Real head away the corner, then the second phase, and Busquets passes all the way back to his own half. Messi has gone roaming from his forward position and is doing what Modric is.
21 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Barca cannot keep hold of the ball. Real are really up for this and pressing high. Carvajal is basically a right winger, Marcelo has hardly been in his own half.
Modric carries the ball, Ronaldo runs down the left and cuts inside when in the box. Looks up, sees the passes… and shoots. It’s blocked.
18 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Jordi Alba makes a crucial interception just as Benzema is about to play in Carvajal to the back of the box. Messi gets on the ball and Real players instantly snap at him. Barcelona slow things down in the Real Madrid half, walk around and then Iniesta spots a run over the top, chips the ball but puts too much on it.
Rakitic drives forward with the ball again and Roberto overlaps, puts it in the area and defenders block. Barcelona are really taking their time on the ball but have given it away now! Modric skips forwards and Vermaelen dives in, wipes him out and earns a yellow card.
15 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Rakitic intercepts a pass and brings it forward, Busquets clumsily balloons the ball out of play for a throw. Barcelona starting to get a grip in this game.
12 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
CHANCE FOR REAL MADRID! After some really slick passing by Real the Barca defence opens up. The ball is played into Ronaldo, who should score from 12 yards or so but swings at the ball and kicks thin air. It rolls towards the back post and Carvajal comes flying in! Iniesta spots the danger and slides in but has taken an almighty bang and goes down in agony clutching his shin. After a couple of minutes, he hobbles around the pitch and will be OK to continue. That looked very painful.
9 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Pique shields his eyes from the sun as he brings the ball out from the goalkeeper slowly. Barcelona are staying patient and trying to take the sting out of this early Real surge.
Barcelona suddenly start pressing and catch Real by surprise, pushing them towards their own goal after a burst of energy from Messi. The referee has called Luis Suarez out for dissent after he (incorrectly) ruled him offside. No yellow card but he’ll remember that.
6 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Real are in control early on here and attacking with energy. Ronaldo is pulling out the stepovers and the crowd love it. Carvajal tries a shot from 30 yards but it rolls along the turf and into Ter Stegen’s waiting arms.
Barcelona haven’t even been in Real’s half yet.
3 mins – RMA 0 – 0 BAR
Ronaldo gets the crowd on their feet as he sprints down the left channel and chops inside. Kovacic is playing fairly far forward, next to Busquets. Carvajal wins a corner.
GOOOOOAAAAAA – offside. Ronaldo is just offside as he powers a header from close range past Ter Stegen.
KICK-OFF
After Sergio Ramos parades the Club World Cup around the Bernebeu, Barcelona get the game started.