Barcelona have one foot in the final of the Champions League after beating Real Madrid 2-0 in their first leg match at the Bernabeu stadium in Madrid.
Far from a classic match, it was an ill-tempered affair with neither side showing any real flair and with few scoring chances, especially in the first half.
There was a half time scuffle as the players left the field and the Barcelona reserve goalkeeper, Pinto, was given a red card for his part in the fracas.
In the 61st minute, Pepe was given his marching orders and Real Madrid were down to ten men. In addition, Real coach José Mourinho was ordered to the stands after protesting a little too much.
Real held on for a while but the strain of being a man short began to tell and it was that man Lionel Messi who did the damage, scoring both goals to bring his Champions League tally to 11 goals from 11 matches and his grand total for the season to 52. Messi’s second goal was an absolute gem.
So, an uphill task for Real Madrid in next week’s second leg and it is looking as though José Mourinho will have to settle for just one trophy in his first season with Real Madrid.