Barcelona and Real Madrid put aside their disappointing exits from the UEFA Champions League to play a thrilling 3-3 tie at the Nou Camp on Saturday night.
The clásico featured four goals in the first half hour, a last-gasp equalizer and loads of chances by both teams.
Teenager Lionel Messi snatched the equalizer to complete a hat trick and earn 10-man Barcelona the point that moved it into a tie for first place in La Liga with Sevilla, a 1-0 loser at relegation-threatened Gimnastic Tarragona. Messi’s tying goal marked the third time he scored to bring the home team even. Real twice took the lead in the first half on goals by Ruud van Nistelrooy, but on each occasion Messi responded.
Real looked to have secured only its second league win in 24 years at the Nou Camp when Sergio Ramos put the Merengues up, 3-2, with a header midway through the second half, but Messi replied again for Barca, which played the second half with 10 men after fullback Oleguer was sent off on the stroke of halftime.
Real’s performance may have saved Coach Fabio Capello‘s job.
“The coach proved that he knows what he is doing,” said Real president Ramon Calderon, who was rumored to be set to dump the Italian coach. “We showed that we’ve got a great team and are capable of beating anyone.”
Messi became the first player since Brazilian striker Romario in 1994 to score a hat trick for Barcelona against Real Madrid.
“It will be hard to forget this day,” Messi said. “I was keen to get a goal and I ended up getting three. That was something I’d never dreamed of doing. We were all hurt by the Liverpool defeat, but the way we got this draw will give us some comfort even though we’d have liked to have won.”