Real Madrid reeling after Lionel Messi hits 40-goal mark

Posted Monday, April 12, 2010 by theguardian.com

Real Madrid reeling after Lionel Messi hits 40-goal mark
Pedro (right) celebrates with Lionel Messi after Barcelona's second goal against Real Madrid.

They said they weren't giving up but it looked suspiciously like their fans already had. Well before the final whistle blew on Saturday night's clásico against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid supporters were heading for the exit, their side trailing 2-0 and their title hopes fading. Those who stayed watched in sad silence or voiced their disgust – some even angrily whistled Cristiano Ronaldo. There could be no complaints, except against their own side.

Barcelona now have a three-point lead at the top of the table, as well as the advantage of a better head to head record, employed rather than goal difference, with seven games remaining. "We have to lift our heads up and believe that the league is possible," Ronaldo insisted. "There are still 21 points to play for," the coach Manuel Pellegrini said, "and we're not going to let down our guard." His Barcelona counterpart Pep Guardiola, too, signalled the points are still to play for. "I do not think this is over," he said.

"We have to at least oblige them to win every game," Pellegrini added. But that may be the problem. Even if Madrid can win their remaining matches, Barcelona must now drop points twice for Madrid to have a chance. They have been beaten once all season and have won 25 of 31 games. Besides, this was a psychological blow as well as a statistical one. Pellegrini, whose last chance of remaining in charge next season vanished with defeat, admitted that Madrid had been beaten by a "better team". He did not just mean on the night, he meant a better team, full stop. This was not the game that had been anticipated – there was a foul every two minutes and the ball was not even in play for half of the 90 – but Barcelona defeated Madrid and ultimately did so comfortably. "We did not play brilliantly," Guardiola admitted. This remained an impressive performance, however.

When it came to the sub-plot, the other clash of the titans that obsessed everyone, Lionel Messi defeated Ronaldo equally comfortably. "Once again the team showed we are superior to anybody else when we want to be," Messi said. "You always have to prove it on the field and today we did that. We can keep making history. It was a very important triumph, but we have to continue on. I don't mean to say that with only words we win. You have to try to win every game and that's what we try to do, always."

"Messi is way ahead of everyone else," Carles Puyol said. Few would disagree. Messi scored his 40th goal of the season after 33 minutes to set Barcelona on their way to a huge victory. Only the reflexes of Iker Casillas prevented him scoring twice more, while he was also denied a penalty after Ezequiel Garay tripped him.

As Messi celebrated the first, Ronaldo was looking to the sky, frustrated and furious. The Portuguese was determined to drag Madrid back into the game, racing at Barcelona, but his approach was often counter-productive, his anxiety palpable. He tried to do it all alone but could not. His former Manchester United team-mate Gerard Piqué handled him impeccably.

Ronaldo was a portrait of his side. Although Madrid began at a breathless tempo, seeking to increase Barcelona's discomfort, the same wildness and urgency characterised them in possession, too. There were plenty of shots, few of them testing. "It's not a disaster to lose against Barca. I don't think they were so much more superior than us," Ronaldo said. "We're professionals and you cannot give up. We can win the league."

"We were far too hasty," Pellegrini said, "and we were edgy." And once Barcelona opened the scoring and began to get hold of the ball, they eased away from Madrid, led by Xavi Hernandez, who provided two perfect passes for the goals and two more for Messi to be stopped by Casillas.

There were still 35 minutes remaining when Pedro got the second but with the exception of a Rafael van de Vaart chance which Victor Valdés was equal to, there was startlingly little reaction from Madrid. There was no fight, no belief and even less threat. For all the talk, for all the intent, they had already been beaten. On Saturday night they were busy insisting that there is still a league title to play for. Now, they must hope that there really is.