Lionel Messi vs Real Madrid (Home) 2013-14 English Commentary HD 1080i

Ready to go this Camp Nou with a message for Tito Villanova, the outgoing manager who has stepped aside this season. He's going to be replaced for this game and for the rest of the season, of course, and for the future by Tata Martino. But the fans still with Tito Villanova fresh. Obviously wishing, you know, I think we all sort of add our voice to that, hoping that Tito can overcome the cancer that he's been suffering from. He's only just returned from injury, having a Mascherano out for a short period. Carlos Puyol out for an extended time. He's back for that 0-0 draw at Osasuna as Leo Messi gets his first touch of the ball. Played it forward to get to bring the ball out. He makes a risky pass for Dani Alves. Somehow it all works out and goes to Leo Messi. He's dropped over to the right. Modric tries to get a challenge in. Messi just skips over that. Played the ball, looms things up and digs the ball away. Messi, Messi tried to unleash that through ball. Neymar was on the run, as was Iniesta. Messi trying to challenge Cristiano Ronaldo. Not too often those two are really in the same position on the pitch. Good job there, Modric, closing down Barcelona. It's pulled down by Leo Messi. It'll be interesting to see just how fit Messi is, obviously. He didn't look at his best when he came on against Osasuna last week, but sharper against Milan after his muscle injury. So you'd like to think, if you're a Barca fan, he's just taken another step forward in. It's a pass in to Fabregas. Fabregas was thinking about the backheel. It's played by Xavi to Neymar. It'll come to Messi. Messi bursts into life. Messi, low shot, it may fall loose. Diego Lopez gets one of his first touches of the game, diving on top of the ball. Xavi was thinking about the pass to Neymar. Short pass to Alves. Fabregas has dropped over to that right-hand side from memory. And Neymar making sure that this game is no exception. It's over with Leo Messi. That's his third goal of the season in La Liga. Oh, it slipped through beautifully for Leo Messi. Messi tried to open up his body. Pepe was chasing him down. Messi puts it wide of the back post. Well, that should have been 2-0, let's be honest. Brilliant ball. Just about in line, I think, once again. Pepe's very quick getting back there, and he just makes Messi hurry a little bit. Leo Messi's first opportunity about the likes of Neymar and Iniesta. It's interesting. I think Barca are trying to target Carvajal. I think he's a great little player, and I think he's probably going to fuke it. Xavi to Messi. Messi comes into the middle once again. He's just switching around with Fabregas. And Dani Alves, as ever, is on that right-hand side looking for a ball into the box. Gareth Bale back defending. One thing we haven't seen is Alves. Pass was intended for Neymar. It's a first for him, though. With Klasko and all the pressure that it puts on a manager's shoulders. He's flipped through. Carvajal kind of scuffs his clearance. Decides to do it himself. Ronaldo. Ronaldo gives the ball away. Busquets with the pass to Messi. Messi with a jinking run. He's basically all on his own. He's only got Neymar in the middle. There's a throw in there, too. Pepe just seems to lose it every time. Well, not to lose it. He hasn't lost it yet. But he just seems to be over with Leo Messi. Overexcited. Across the face of goal. Neymar was coming in. Necessarily lose the pace of the play. Just wait for that perfect pass, Neymar. He's received some good passes so far this evening as we hit the half-hour mark in the Clásico. Football Club Barcelona. Messi to Alves. Strength isn't the short passing game. It's the give and the go, isn't it? Marcelo brought down by Leo Messi on the near-hand side. One back by Xavi. Full stretch. Marcelo again tangles with Leo Messi. Was given away. See, that's where Cesc hasn't got the same... Hasn't got the same effectiveness as Messi. He's not as quick. A bit of his way, hasn't it, the game? That's four or five minutes. Or five or six minutes. The World Player of the Year That was weird. Leo Messi in the middle. A burst of pace and there's a foul off the ball by Carvajal according to Neymar. There's appeals for a foul off the ball. I wouldn't mind seeing it because I must confess I didn't... We haven't seen whether or not Carvajal actually fouls him or whether Neymar takes it down. Messi. Messi waits and waits. One back by Neymar. Messi opens up a bit of space. It's with Dani Alves. Lovely backheel from Xavi to Fabregas. Fabregas goes on the run. It wasn't spotted by Leo Messi. Ronaldo is dispossessed again. Ball of Leo Messi. Neymar's to his left. Will Messi go it alone? Takes on Pepe. Will Pepe win out? Pepe with a little push on Messi. Just sends Messi to the right. Messi goes down under the challenge of Marcelo. Player's been called back by the referee's assistant. Oh, the two of them going over to have a word with the linesman. Pepe and Marcelo. See, he just leaves the foot in. Look, watch. Not there. Leo Messi has a look. It will be Leo Messi. Tries to drive it in low. It's hooked out by Rafael Varane. It was going for goal, Leo Messi. Didn't have a great angle, did he? He was a bit optimistic there. Messi. I still wonder whether Pedro might not be a better option than Cesc. Just because he's faster. And there's times when you think a player could move into space and Cesc just doesn't have the pace to do that. I think they've got a few more options there than Barca where there's obviously Puyol, Pedro, Alexis, Song and Sergio Roberto. Let's see if that player lasts out the entire game. Messi. I think Madrid are going to try and keep things as it stands. Keep it tall. Right inside. Multiple feet of Fabregas. Hit to Messi. Just too many bodies in the box. I think Xavi fancied that one. Bring it up for Dani Alves. Tried to dink it over into the middle. It's followed up by Andres Iniesta. Iniesta to Xavi. Fabregas trying to link something to go into the book. In the middle, Ronaldo coming in from the left. Fabregas. Slips it through for Neymar. What will he do second time around? Oh, that is wonderful. Great challenge. Taken away by Xavi. Barcelona look to go on the break. And Pepe. He's not going to be booked. But a little bit of a talking to from the referee. It's just got a little bit feisty in the last couple of minutes, hasn't it? Pepe comes in perhaps. I think there's probably... To be fair, I looked at that by Cesco and Marcelo before. 12 fouls committed by Barcelona. 11 by Real Madrid. Tempest haven't played too much. Barbans, incident between Kavira and Busquets. Let's see if that lasts for the final 25 minutes or so. What's with Leo Messi on the right? Messi trying to play it through to Neymar. Get those optimistic long balls. Not the most accurate balls. One away from Marcelo by Messi. One of those two is probably going to get booked. Probably a Yaramendi. Messi also is... Found he's not afraid to give it back either with a couple of pushes on Marcelo. He could almost argue it was six and one half. On the 2013-2014 season. How many will we have? We've had seasons with just six of them, haven't we? Was it seven one year? And once in which we've had in the space. Ronaldo had to get back onside. Yaramendi will have another go at this. Taken away from him by Leo Messi. A little jink away from Pepe. Messi is on the run. He asks Cesc Fabregas to slide in for that. He asked him to run on to it. Modric. Alexis gets the first touch. It's a run through towards Neymar. Alexis has hit the goal trail to a certain extent. It's got four this campaign. Moran just about takes it away from Messi. Appeal for handball by Leo Messi. Four for Real Madrid. All I'm going to say is it's more of a penalty than the one they were given against Malaga last week. Can he create something? It makes for a pass to Leo Messi. Taken away from him by Iniesta. It's Messi. If he loses the ball there, I'd say Barcelona players forward could be in a bit of trouble. He does lose it. They lose it to Pepe. We still have a close look, but Pedro is definitely going to... Gónez played short. Messi to Xavi. To Alexis. No room for a turn for him. Finds Leo Messi. Messi coming in from the right. 1-2. It's closed down. Here's Iniesta. Alexis was... As you'd have wanted. Song was coming on. Interesting. Messi just stands over it. Waits for Marcelo. The captain is silent. Marcelo gets his foot in. I think Barca are going to look to shore things up a wee bit. I think it's logical. The Cat has seen that Madrid have had chances. They've had space in front of the Barca area. And the thing he has to do is just close, plug those gaps a wee bit. Here's Leo Messi. Messi in the box. Pulls it over to the edge of a six-yard box. Varane, second time around, gets the clearance. On that right-hand side by Dani Alves. Nobody in support. Messi hasn't made a darting run in. Lovely nutmeg from Dani Alves by Diego Lopez. Has he done a favour for Bale yet? If he's not fully fit, not fully adapted. Great touch from Xavi. Tries to release Leo Messi on the right-hand side. Pepe is over to make sure that ball goes out. What he's actually maybe done is set Bale up for criticism. Urging players to remain ten yards away. Calajal pushes. Messi walks him well away from it. Wasn't close for a short free kick. And Jesse is penalised for encroaching. Adriano. Jesse. Has to get round Messi. Messi with a rarely seen part of his game. As I say, it's a great finish from Alexis. But maybe it's just a wee bit off his line, Diego. Alves to Messi. Three minutes to be added on. We are into those three minutes now. I think Adriano should be adding another minute on after this. You know, it's three minutes. I think he should be adding another minute on. Or another half a minute at least. Messi gets around Iremendi. Leo Messi squares it off. Falls to Alves. And Luka Modric gets the block on. It's going to be another 30 seconds before the corner is taken, don't you reckon? Good work from Messi. As I said, looks up. A lot of football played since the goal, have we? Corner is played short. Leo Messi again. Standing up against Marcelo. Marcelo comes in with a scything scissor challenge. And the final whistle is blown here at the Camp Nou. Football Club Barcelona win by two goals to one against Real Madrid. Madrid giving them cause for concern in the late going. But two goals from Neymar and a beauty from Alexis Sanchez have given Barcelona the win in this first Clásico of the season. La Liga is stretching out Atletico Madrid play later on in this matchday. They are currently on 24 points. So Barcelona, at the moment, four points clear at the top of the league. And more importantly, they put one over on their rivals. It's ended. Football Club Barcelona two, Real Madrid one.