Lionel Messi vs Real Madrid (5-0) LaLiga 2010/11 - English Commentary

They were tuned in for this game. The greatest game on earth, they call it. Countryman Dani Alves. Lionel Messi still awaiting his first touch of the ball with five minutes gone. That looked like a corner. Assistant didn't give it. Messi picks up and goes on his first. Amazing dribble of the evening. Messi didn't give it up, did he? The ball appeared to be glued to his foot. Di Maria clearly takes the ball out of play. Tenacious as ever. Messi wins it back. The ball's glued to his foot. Carvalho comes to the rescue around Madrid. It's a duty. Xabi straight across the six. Clever free kick. It's a missed swipe from Alves. Now Messi flicks it in! What a wonderful attempt. Pure genius. He's in the mood. It took him two or three minutes to get in the game. He certainly has now. You see Messi curling it in off the far post almost. That's exactly what he's trying to do. Beat Casillas. Chip Casillas. Casillas has got no chance. Xabi Alonso is there on hand as well. A glimpse of Messi there. He works all that attack himself. He won the corner, didn't he? A solution for Jose Mourinho to play Ronaldo wide. Xabi to Alves. Lionel Messi. Strong arm tactics from Barcelona. Alves stopped by Marcelo. Messi picks up. Football being played at great neck speed by Barcelona. Pedro. Alves. Put the ball through. Messi's onside. Perfectly timed. Lays it inside. Controlling his manner. Messi. Caressing the ball to Iniesta. He has Villa outside. Plays it inside. Great tackle but no. It's finished off by Xabi. The greatest goal you're ever going to see but a mightily important goal for Barcelona. A huge slice of luck gives Barcelona the lead. It is a slightly lucky goal, Rob, but to see Xabi that far advanced up the pitch and broke the offside trap is fortunate. He's alert at the finish. But Real Madrid were defending deep. Talk of Barcelona keeping it. No. They remain unbeaten. We were expecting a pig's head or something like that to be thrown onto the field or animal body parts were confiscated. Messi. Side gun. Oh no. Referee said that Xabi Alonso caught him fairly. Xabi Alonso gets enough of the ball with the tackle with Messi. Kick. Lionel Messi has been a big part player so far. World and European player of the year. This man Lionel Messi thinks that one of the Spanish World Cup winners will get it this year. Separating the two teams. Real Madrid unbeaten under Jose Mourinho. Barcelona a point behind them. They've won the last six league games in a row. They've scored at least three goals in their last five matches. They are the entertainers. There's the biggest of the lot. Lionel Messi. Messi. Any player who likes to take more than one touch. Pedro. Xabi has it. It's a foul off the ball by Marcelo. Acknowledged by the referee. Barca continue. Through David Villa. Toe to toe with Ramos. Gets the cross in. To the Barcelona. The flying Pedro. Jose is not smiling now. You have to just admire that football there. It was Ole after Ole. But 25 passes. And again Real Madrid didn't make a tackle. They've got to get more physical. They've got to confront the blue and red shirts of Barcelona. They're getting back in position. Getting back behind the ball. But it's far too easy for Barcelona in the attacking third of the pitch. They're stretching the Real Madrid back four. Mentally they're going to find it hard to find a way back. Barcelona absolutely dominant at the moment. Messi. Pepe stretches again. He has never won as a coach. At the Camp Nou. Mount any serious attacks to the Barcelona defence. It's the shape of the team. Messi. And he hasn't taken a grip of the game yet. Chani. Messi. And the movement of the ball. It's absolutely fantastic. The technique by Barcelona at the moment. He taught a footballing lesson. Messi. Busquets. A backflip from Busquets. Messi. Chani. Yesterday. And a result that anybody wanted to know. It was not from the elections. It's going to be difficult for them to come back from two goals down. But they have the individual talent to create a goal out of nothing. And still can find a way back into this game. Rozier's corner. It's a poor one. It falls to Lionel Messi. He's been dormant for most of the first half. Messi. That's what is most dangerous. Pepe tries to wrap his arm around him and can't stop him. Now there will be a yellow card. There were extra defenders after Pepe. One would argue with Lionel Messi that it was maybe an obvious goalscoring opportunity. But it's still only a yellow. He's so persistent in trying to stay on his feet. Isn't he? He evades tackles. They barge in. They knock him. They've had a rash. Three minutes. Four yellow cards in the space of three minutes. Now David Villa is offside. Certainly a risk he should be taking. Messi. To Xavi. Jose Mourinho rules the decision not to play the extra midfield player. Lionel Messi gets into his stride and gets off one of his little sticks of dynamite. It's nine consecutive games he's scored. The goal's in. He's had a couple of decent attempts tonight. Again working his magic. Predominantly all left foot there. Gets the shot in from distance. Can't hit the target on this occasion. Look at the balance and the skill, the touch. Gonna have to stick with it. It's a young team. Jose Mourinho said not experienced. Messi has stolen the ball. He doesn't have support. He might have to go solo. He's drawn Pepe. But what a brilliant tackle that was by Pepe. It's a daunting prospect there for Pepe. Wasn't it? One against one against Lionel Messi. But he stood up well-timed. And he's tackled to perfection. You see Messi stole the ball off of Ramos. He's bearing down on goal. Time to perfection. The challenge for Pepe there. But it had to be. Wasn't too happy with the appointment of Vitor Aldegonzalez. Guardiola was very happy. Ever the statesman. But something like the referee could be blamed for this rather great performance. Messi goes down. Off the ball there. Now he's not wont to take a dive. But there was a connection with Carvalho. And he shows the yellow card to the Barcelona man. You can see the initial challenge from Carvalho. It's a good challenge. No complaints from Messi. Carvalho was remonstrating the referee that Messi had dived. There's an elbow there from Carvalho. Might not have been the most forceful elbow. But it was an elbow. And I think Carvalho can count himself fortunate. Referee didn't see. I don't think he's seen that, Rob. Didn't see Messi go to ground. And he's guessed. The thing is, Terry. From the first angle, it looked nothing. From the second angle, it did look like a forearm. Or backarm across his face, didn't it? And Messi got booked. And got the end result for them. Messi. Puyol as well would have done everything in their power to keep a clean sheet. Don't know how much we're back in it. There's Lionel Messi taking on all comers. Right across the 18-yard box. Loose ball in the area. Pepe flies in. Comes to David Villa. Tremendous stop. Real Madrid having to throw bodies in the way. As Barcelona continue in the second half. Well, they started in the first. Ooh, there was a a push in there, apparently. Referee has given a free kick to Real Madrid. Mighty relief in the capital. They shuffle the ball around at breakneck speed. Messi, little pirouette. It was a good opportunity for them. A little bit of a counterattack there. Michel Lassalle at the O. Trying to stiffen things up in midfield. That was the sixth yellow card of the game. Alves to Pedro. Xavi. Lionel Messi. Head down. Drawing defenders. Threading it through. To Xavi. Could save. That's for the net. And not the back of the net. That would have been good night, Real Madrid. Well, they're making that run across midfield there. There was three or four different options on. Messi's running through there. He spots Xavi. Again, making that forward run from midfield. There's two opportunities. Can't get the third goal. Now Messi. Drifting. Driving. David Villa. 3-0. Game over. Another typical Barcelona goal. Another typical Barcelona performance. But the team, they're ripping apart tonight. Real Madrid. It's a great partnership. It's really blossoming now from Lionel Messi and David Villa. And again, far too much time afforded to the Barcelona attacking players. Without Real Madrid closing them down. Very line work there. Again, trying to... Went back by Xavi. Referee does well. Keeps it moving. It's moving very smoothly with Lionel Messi. Messi inside. Brilliant run back there. Can he finish it? And he can! It's 4-0 to Barcelona! Where do the goals stop? It's official now, Robinson. Turn it into a round. They just love that pass inside the full-back. The easy option is to give it to the white player's feet and let him run at the defender. But they're so aware that the white players will look to run across and get the pass, receive the pass inside the full-back. Essentially, then, it becomes a one-on-one versus the goalkeeper. And David Villa doesn't miss. A superb goal. This team are really, really special. They look up to the heavens, Real Madrid. Gobsmacked. Where will it stop? Humiliation for Jose Mourinho and his troops. You see that wonderful pass from Messi, but it's the angle of the pass, it's the movement of David Villa. And, of course, let's not forget the finish. Outside of the right foot, underneath the advancing Casillas. Drops his shoulder, dings past two defenders. The home supporters really enjoying the possession. It's been a long time since he's been suffering like most managers do from time to time in a game like this. Lionel Messi drives inside again. Best-ever away wins, their most-ever away goals. But they were still second-best to Barcelona. Will Pellegrini was a casualty due to that. They scored eight against Almeria. They're looking for their fifth as Messi miscontrols, allowing Pepe a sight of the ball. It's a bit aggressive. Two of his teammates, I think, in defence tonight, have really struggled against the movement of a swift pass into Barcelona. Messi's coming in for some rough treatment. He's a brave man leaving it on that touchline. The Ole's have started again. It is a bit like watching a ball fight at the moment. Barcelona, the Matadors. Real Madrid, the wary ball. They've learned to play football very much the Cruyff way. Guardiola was a disciple of Cruyff. What a legacy it is. Lionel Messi happy now to Messi. Two chips in the last two La Liga matches. Messi, little backflip from Leite. He wants to run his own piece of history and get his hat-trick through to Messi. He did get a hat-trick, of course, in his first ever Clasico. It is. He misjudges the bounce of the ball. Puts his arm out to stop it. Pedro is in on goal. Could have been 1-0 or 0-0. I think he would have seen more. Barca probably shows some professional sympathy to Cavalli. He goes flying to try and stop the Barcelona attack. His defence haven't been up to it. Passed one but Pascals gets Alves breaks. Perfectly timed. Lionel Messi into his little stride. Blocked by Lassana Diarra. A good tackle initially from Lassana Diarra. Bumped over by Abeloa. Into Pepe. Sticking to the task. Messi. Lovely touch. Bojan. Now he's got his chance. Tremendous save from Iker Casillas. He thinks some pride for Real Madrid. Some of the Real Madrid defenders are well below it here. In particular the missing left his post completely. Alves. Misses in a drought. 77 minutes. There's another off the ball incident. Sloppy bit of defending has allowed Messi away here. Messi drives inside. Twists and turns but takes on one defender too many. That's better defending from Abeloa. Tonight his teammate Calvario. La Liga. Going to be five successes in a row for Barcelona. Home and away against Real Madrid. It was probably a luxury that Real Madrid couldn't afford tonight. Now they're aiming for their fifth as we're into stoppage time. Bojan's cross. Will it be five? It will! And Briano joins the party. It's Jeffrey. Sorry. Jeff and the substitutes join the party. A great goal for another one of the Barcelona boys who's come through the system. Look at the celebrations Rob of the players. The despair again of Real Madrid. Incisive attack in play. Of all of the teams celebrating together on the touchline will adorn the club's museum and the press room here where they've got all the pictures of the great games over the years. Another terrible tackle from Cavalio and it's going to end very ugly and there's a punch down there and it's now getting very, very nasty. Well the referee has sent off Cavalio and he's got a series of other spats to sort out as well. He's pushing and shoving and arguing. A yellow card to Xavi. Amid the melee and the medical men are working one of the Barcelona players as well. It's Benol Messi who's down and was apparently floored. I'm not sure the referee saw that. He's taking advice from his assistants on the talkback. Well that was the first foul. That was Cavalio's offence. And then Messi and Puyol both went to the floor. That was Messi taken down and it's Ramos who I think takes down Messi. Jordi Bosque won't be pleased to see Spanish team fight amongst each other. Puyol, Ramos, Xavi, Pique. It was a hefty challenge on Messi. The frustration spilling over for the Real Madrid players. You see the Real Madrid captain, the Spanish captain as well trying to keep the peace. Jose Mourinho is absolutely floored. He said last year when they lost against Barcelona but still went through in the Champions League that it was the most beautiful loss of his life. Tonight is certainly the ugliest loss of his life. ...was sent off. Cavalio stayed on. Guardiola looks cool but it's personified by...