EL CLASICO
Barcelona gave themselves a six point lead in La Liga as they defeated Real Madrid in a league match for the first time since December 2011. Both Barcelona and Madrid's big summer signings (Neymar and Bale, respectively) appeared in the starting lineups. This match gave Gareth Bale his first start for Los Merengues since he joined the club for a world record transfer fee of £86m.Barcelona struck first in the 19th minute, as Neymar slotted past goalkeeper Diego Lopez off an assist from Andres Iniesta. In the 60th minute, Bale, having had a rather lackluster Clasico debut, was replaced by Karim Benzema. The switch did not end up saving Madrid, however, as Alexis Sanchez doubled Barca's lead in the 78th minute which a brilliant chip from outside the penalty area. Neymar played a part in the goal as well, having sent the initial through ball to Sanchez. Madrid got their consolation goal in the 90th minute through Jese Rodriguez after a break and assist from Cristiano Ronaldo. The match would end 2-1, giving Barcelona a six point lead atop the table, though second place Atletico Madrid have a game in hand.
Neymar's Clasico debut goal
ARSENAL VS. CRYSTAL PALACE
Although Arsenal was coming off their first loss in their past 12 games (coming at the hands of Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League), their league form remained brilliant as they sailed past managerless Crystal Palace with a 2-0 victory. Spaniard Mikel Arteta struck for Arsenal in the 47th minute by scoring a penalty, before being shown a red card in the 65th minute for a foul on Marouane Chamakh. The 10-man Arsenal side still displayed their dominance on the pitch, with Olivier Giroud securing their victory in the 87th minute with a routine header.
Highlights of the Match
No comments:
Post a Comment