WORLD SOCCER

After a deadlock in the first half, substitute Zlatan Ibahimovic became Barcelona's newest darling when he scored the only goal of the game in the 159th edition of El Clasico to bag three points to the Catalans.
Injuries and fitness issues had deprived to threaten the world’s Clasico of the biggest duel in football after reports emerged in the morning of matchday that neither Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo would start the game.
But the legions of fans and the global media were relieved to see both players in the starting XI, although the two other big guns, Ibrahimovic and Karim Benzema only started on the bench.
Barca wasted little time charging forward as Messi and Dani Alves looked to exploit Madrid’s weak left-back spot immediately, but the Brazilian wasted two early crosses as he uncharacteristically over-hit them.
Kaka launched the visitors’ first attack after four minutes when he lofted a through ball into the box but Gonzalo Higuain just couldn’t control, leaving Victor Valdes to gather easily.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first meaningful contribution was to carve up an opening on six minutes when he easily breezed past Carles Puyol down the left flank and dinked a low cross to Marcelo, who miscued his half volley and sent it well into the stands.
Minutes later, Messi danced past three players and slipped in Thierry Henry into the area down the left channel, but his tame shot was saved comfortably by Iker Casillas. Alves then sent yet another cross into empty space before Xavi pummelled in a 20 yard drive which sailed over the bar.
Ronaldo had a shooting opportunity of his own on 11 minutes as he stood over the ball for a freekick from nearly 30 yards out while deafening whistles rained down from the Camp Nou stands on 11 minutes when Ronaldo stood over the ball for a freekick from nearly 30 yards out, but his blistering effort crashed into Sergio Busquets in the wall, much to the delight of the Catalan faithful.
The best chance of the game came on 20 minutes. Kaka careened down the left, cut into the middle and squared the ball to Ronaldo, but his low drive was kick-saved by Valdes, leaving the Portuguese in disbelief. Barca’s normally flawless passing game collapsed a minute later when they lost the ball in their own half and Ronaldo’s deft backheel released Kaka, but Valdes dashed off his line to thump it clear.
The Blaugrana backline was sliced opened again on 25 minutes when Kaka teed-up an unmarked Marcelo, but Puyol lunged forward and blocked off the Brazilian’s shot.
Casillas was finally called to make his first big save of the game on 36 minutes when he tipped over Henry’s cheeky angled cross at the byline which was heading for the back of the net. The Madrid shot-stopper then dived low to save Iniesta’s left-foot drive as Barcelona looked to end the half the stronger, but both sides marched back into the dressing room even-stevens, although Los Blancos appeared the happier of the two sides with the way the contest was unfolding.
All the game needed was a goal to light the spark and Pep Guardiola decided to introduce the first of the two missing big guns as Zlatan Ibrahimovic replaced a quiet Henry after 50 minutes. And the Catalans immediately upped the tempo.
But it was again Madrid who looked the more likely to score. Barca failed to make the most of a corner and Sergio Ramos led the counterattack as he played in Higuain, who checked past one defender inside the box but Puyol again came to the rescue with a brilliant tackle just as the Argentine was about to pull the trigger.
The capital giants would pay for their profligacy as Barcelona surged infront on 55 minutes. Dani Alves drilled in an inch-perfect cross to Ibrahimovic, who stayed onside before he rifled in a masterful cushioned volley past Casillas at the back post.
But the Blaugrana were stunned on the hour mark when Busquets’ clumsy handball earned him a second yellow card and Guardiola suddenly found himself a man short. Ronaldo had another chance on 65 minutes but he thumped Marcelo’s cross over. That was his last contribution as Manuel Pellegrini made his first change, sending in Karim Benzema for ‘CR9’.
Gerard Pique almost killed off the contest in the 70th minute but hammered his header from a freekick agonisingly wide. Straight to the other end, Kaka danced his way past Alves at the byline and cut it back to Benzema, but Puyol, for the umpteenth time, made a pivotal interception to block the French striker’s close-range attempt.
Eric Abidal was next to queue up to become the hero for Barcelona when he latched onto Xavi’s through ball but pulled his shot marginally wide of Casillas’ left post. Over at the other side, Benzema almost became Madrid’s saviour when Xabi Alonso’s corner bobbled into this path, but the former Lyon man ballooned his shot from five yards out.
With two minutes left on the clock, Messi thought he had the icing on the cake. He ran onto Dani Alves’ squared ball but he was denied brilliantly by Casillas in a one-on-one. But it would be game over a minute later when Madrid’s midfield talisman, Lassana Diarra was dismissed.
It wasn't the goal rush fans around the world were expecting, as Barcelona did just enough to fight off a valiant Madrid in a fascinating encounter nonetheless.
KS Leong, Goal.com

After Juventus lost away to Cagliari this afternoon, Milan had a chance to move into the second place in the away match at Catania.

In the fifth minute, they came close as Alexandre Pato played it to Clarence Seedorf on the right, and the Dutch playmaker fired a shot that went just wide.

Ten minutes later, Catania had a chance as defender Giuseppe Bellusci sent in a dangerous low cross that was missed by Thiago Silva, who slipped, but Dida grabbed the ball in two attempts.

Bellusci again made himself dangerous in the 25th minute with a cross for Jorge Martinez, who couldn’t quite direct the ball properly as he barely managed to get a touch on it.

There were very few chances for both sides and the next dangerous moment came only a minute before half time, when Ronaldinho’s free kick from the edge of the area sailed just past the far post.


During half time neither coach opted to make a change.

The first chance of the second half came in the 53rd minute, when Cristian Llama sent the ball just over the crossbar on a free kick for Catania.

On the hour mark Pato fired a dangerous shot from distance that was deflected out for a corner by a Catania defender.

The home side had a big chance in the 71st minute, when defender Nicolas Spolli was in a great position to head the ball on a corner kick, but his header was weak and easily grabbed by Dida.

Soon after that coach Leonardo brought in Filippo Inzaghi for Marco Borriello, and the 36-year-old immediately made himself dangerous, as in the 74th minute he controlled a pass from Ronaldinho, dribbled past Spolli and fired a shot toward the far post that was well cleared by Matias Silvestre.

Two minutes later, Seedorf came close with a shot from the edge of the area that went just over the crossbar.

With ten minutes to go, Milan continued to attack in search of a winner and Ronaldinho came very close in the 80th minute, as he amazingly hit the woodwork directly on a corner kick.

In the 88th minute Inzaghi made himself dangerous with a volley that went over the crossbar on a nice cross by Ignazio Abate from the right.

Five minutes later, substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar gave the Rossoneri the winner with a curling left-footed shot after a one-two with Inzaghi.

Amazingly enough, the Dutch star added to his tally with just seconds to go with an incredible lob from the edge of the area to make it 2-0.

This last-minute victory allowed Milan to climb to second place with 28 points, seven behind leaders Inter.

Danilo Pochini, Goal.com

A late Diego Milito penalty proved the difference as Inter Milan downed Fiorentina 1-0 at the Giuseppe Meazza to increase the gap over Juventus.

Inter Milan were particularly active in the early stages of the match, when Muntari had two good chances to score, but in the first one his shot from inside the box went wide, while in the second one he opted for a powerful strike instead of squaring the ball for Eto'o.

The hosts went very close to scoring in the 16th minute after Milito was played through but his shot went straight at Frey, who rushed out to deny the Argentine from close range.

Inter outcast Ricardo Quaresma was eager to prove he deserved a spot in the starting XI, and he almost found the back of the net near the half-hour mark, when Muntari's cross was headed towards the far post by a Fiorentina man, where the winger volleyed it first time but his effort went just inches wide of the right post.

The second half began with an Inter goal in the 50th minute, which was disallowed by the referee, who claimed Walter Samuel had pulled the defender's shirt before heading home.

Inter did not lower their heads and it was thanks to Frey that they did not score 10 minutes into the second half, when Milito's shot from inside the area was denied by the French keeper.

The first real chance for Fiorentina came in the 80th minute, when Gilardino flicked the ball over two defenders before running clear on goal but he hit the post in a one-on-one situation with Julio Cesar.

Moments after this scare, Inter were awarded a penalty as Milito was brought down in the area by Comotto. The Argentina international stepped up and sent Frey the wrong way to put his team ahead.

Inter had a clear chance to make it 2-0 just two minutes before stoppage time, when Samuel Eto'o ran alone on the counter and had just the keeper to beat but he sent the ball against Frey.

Luís Mira, Goal.com