FC Barcelona Fans

A second half Cristiano Ronaldo penalty set newly crowned champions Real Madrid up for a 2-1 win over Granada but the night belonged to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi who hit all four goals in a 4-0 win over Espanyol to take his league total to 50 and set a new European record for league goals in a season.
There has been a party atmosphere in the Spanish capital following Real’s capture of their 32nd league title but it threatened to be dampened as they were heading for defeat until Ronaldo equalised an early Franco Jara goal, with spot-kick ten minutes from the end. Then in a dramatic finale an own-goal from David Cortes gave Jose Mourinho’s men the victory.
It took Ronaldo onto an impressive 45 league goals for the campaign but this was overshadowed by an unstoppable Messi who now has 50 as Barcelona swept aside their local rivals in Pep Guardiola’s last home match before he stands down at the end of the campaign.
Messi beat the record set by Dudu Georgescu for Dinamo Bucharest in the 1976-77 season.
It was an unfamiliar looking Real side as Mourinho gave a run out to players who have not been regulars in the side recently which included Ricardo Carvalho coming into defence and Nuri Sahin and Esteban Granero paired together in the centre of the pitch.
Granada, still looking to secure their own top flight status, took full advantage of their uncertainty as they took the lead after just four minutes through Jara.
The forward stole the ball off Marcelo midway through the Real half and ran through on goal before slotting the ball through the legs of reserve keeper Antonio Adan, standing in for Iker Casillas.
It could have got worse minutes later when Odion Ighalo had a strike which was blocked well by the keeper and then his follow-up was cleared off the line by Marcelo.
Real responded with a Ronaldo heading over and then Kaka, left unmarked, fired over inside the area but they remained exposed at the back. Marcelo was again called on to head away a Jara shot which was heading for the bottom corner.
As the first half wore on Real began to take more control of the game but with the game less end to end they also struggled to create clear-cut chances and Granada at the same time were happy to sit on their lead and counter-attack. Still shortly before the break Ronaldo again headed wide from close range.
Karim Benzema was inches away from equalising shortly before the hour mark with a strike from a tight angle which came back off the post and then Ronaldo shot at the keeper Julio Cesar instead of passing to Gonzalo Higuain.
Real did finally draw level from the penalty spot after a foul in the area on Ronaldo who dispatched the kick himself and then in the dying moments it was heartbreak for Granada with the own-goal by Cortes.
Barcelona were without the injured Gerard Pique and Alexis Sanchez while Xavi Hernandez was only fit enough for the bench. Seydou Keita kept his place in midfield and Pedro Rodriguez’s return to form in front of goal saw him start in attack.
Thiago Alcantara hit a weak shot before Barca took the lead through Messi’s free-kick after 12 minutes which clipped off the top of the wall and past keeper Cristian Alvarez.
The Espanyol shot-stopper also saved well from Keita and Andres Iniesta midway through the first half as the Barca players looked to give a winning send-off for Guardiola.
Messi scored his second from the penalty spot after 63 minutes following a handball in the area by Cristian Gomez and then completed his hat-trick with a clinical finish with 16 minutes to go.
There was still time for Messi to hit another again from the penalty spot after a foul on Sergio Busquets.
Valencia took control in the battle for third place with a 1-0 win over Villarreal while Malaga crashed 2-1 away to Atletico Madrid.

After Saturday’s result this is to cheer you up:

Barcelona’s hopes of winning a fourth successive league title appear to be dashed after their defeat by Real Madrid at the Nou Camp means that they are now seven points adrift with matches running out.
It was a make or break match and for once it wasn’t Barca’s night as they never managed to dominate the el clasico as they have done in recent meetings with Madrid.
Sami Khedira put Madrid after 17 minutes and while hope was raised mid-way through the second half when Alexis Sanchez put Barca back on level terms, within minutes Cristiano Ronaldo had got Madrid’s second and his 42nd goal of the season.
Barca do have the chance to respond almost immediately though with a crunch Champions League semi-final second leg with Chelsea just round the corner.
It was unusual to see Pep Guardiola starting with a three-man defence but it shows that he has lost a lot of confidence in Gerard Pique who has also been struggling with a niggling injury in recent weeks. Perhaps with Chelsea and the Champions League in mind, Cesc Fabregas was also on the bench along with Alexis Sanchez who was not fit enough for 90 minutes.
There was an early scare at the back for Barca with a Ronaldo header tipped over the crossbar but at the other end keeper Iker Casillas had to race off his line after a back-pass almost allowed in Dani Alves.
The warning signs were there with Benzema having a shot from the edge of the area saved but Madrid took the lead from corner when Valdes couldn’t gather a Pepe header and Khedira scrambled the ball home.
Casillas saved well to deny Xavi inside the area but Barca were not carrying their usual menace in attack with Messi looking quiet.
Guardiola’s men stepped up a gear though as the half progressed and unsurprisingly it was Messi who was the instigator, pinging the ball to the wings from his central position but the goal evaded them.
As the rain came down the title was slipping out of Barca’s reach and a woeful attempt from Tello which went well over the bar from 12 yards out did little to improve the atmosphere in the stadium.
Xavi had a shot from 25 yards which went a yard wide and then was taken off which was no real surprise as he wasn’t at his best and Guardiola wants him fresh for Chelsea.
The change was inspirational as Alexis coming on immediately grabbed the equaliser.
A Tello shot and then a Thiago shot were both blocked by  Casillas who could do nothing about the follow up from Alexis who tucked the ball in from close range.
The reply was swift from Madrid on the counter-attack as Mesut Ozil found Ronaldo who took one touch and slotted the ball past the keeper.
A disappointing night for Barca and the question can be raised again why Guardiola insists on a three-man defence with the team never at its best playing this way.