Barcelona 0-0 Real Madrid: El Clasico ends goalless for first time in 17 years amid clashes outside Camp Nou

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Ben Hayward18 December 2019

Barcelona and Real Madrid drew 0-0 for the first time since 2002 in a Clasico overshadowed by violent clashes between police and protestors outside the stadium in the second half.

Madrid were the better side in the first half as Barca gave the ball away on numerous occasions and Los Blancos came close to an opening goal when Gerard Pique cleared Casemiro’s header off his line.

But the best chances fell to the Blaugrana. Lionel Messi’s first-time shot after a poor punch from Thibaut Courtois was cleared on the line by Sergio Ramos and Jordi Alba, put through by a wonderful pass from the Argentine, volleyed wide after that when he should have hit the target.

Messi scuffed a shot early in the second shot and Luis Suarez curled over from a difficult angle later on as Barca improved.

Bale then thought he had put Madrid in front with 17 minutes left, but Ferland Mendy was just offside when the ball was played over the top and the Welshman’s effort did not count.

Both teams made changes late in the game, but fans threw beach balls onto the pitch and raised banners with the message “Spain, sit and talk” after nine Catalan separatist leaders were handed long jail sentences in October. And as the match wore on, reports of problems outside the ground began to filter through.

There was smoke and a smell of burning, while the stadium announcer made repeated requests for fans to avoid the exits on Travessera de Les Corts as they left the ground, with the earlier peaceful protests having got out of hand with thousands of people still on the streets as the game kicked off.

And all of that ended up overshadowing the football and the match finished in loud whistles as Barca and Madrid disputed the first Clasico without goals in 17 years, having scored in all 49 games since that last 0-0 draw in 2002.

Barca and Madrid remain top of La Liga, both with 36 points, with the Catalans ahead on goal difference.

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