Real Madrid against Barcelona

Reyes stabs a shot from the edge of the box but it is straight at the midriff of Valdes.

David Beckham comes on to replace Guti.

Reyes now gets involved and hits a cross towards the three Real players in the box. They can't get to it, but Raul eventually controls it before hitting a disappointing effort off target from twenty yards.

Giuly goes to the by-line but can't get his pass beyond Roberto Carlos who does well to block his effort.

Antonio Reyes is coming on and will replace Van Nistelrooy.

Ronaldinho wins another free-kick which was a generous decision by the ref.

Great interception from Cannavaro to prevent Giuly breaking for Barcelona. Good covering play from the defender.

A hefty punt up the park from Puyol is allowed to go out of play by the Real defence. Real come now down the left but Roberto Carlos can not get a cross in.

Guti's free-kick in towards the head of Ramos coaxes Valdes off his line. A bad call, and the Barca keeper was in no-man's land as the ball drifted just wide of his post.

Ronaldinho tries a shot but he can't get the ball down quickly enough and it sails over Casillas goal.

Barca have a free-kick on the edge of the area. This could be dangerous and Real are not happy with the decision which came about from a challenge by Ramos on Iniesta.

Guti is booked for a high challenge.

This time though Messi comes close but hits his shot just wide. At the other end, Real get the ball up to Van Nistelrooy who is one on one with Valdes. Fortunately for the visitors their keeper wins that battle and makes a fine save.

Real are defending from the front and fighting for every ball. The confidence in their play is in marked contrast to the somewhat stilted nature of the Barca attacks.

Robinho tries a first time volley from close range but the ball is coming over his head and he is unable to direct it on target.

Gudjohnsen is replaced by Saviola. Not a good night for the ex-Chelsea man.

This time Emerson gets forward and he should have done better with a header from ten yards out.

Robinho goes over very easily when challenged by Zambrotta but wins a free-kick.

Gudjohnsen's ball in to the penalty area is meant for Giuly but is easily taken by Casillas.

A gap opened up for Robinho in the Barca penalty area but his effort is poor.

This time Silvinho races up the left wing and, rather than cross the ball, attempts a very ambitious shot from a tight angle which does not come off. Barca will have to do better than that.

Silvinho did well to get a cross in but Casillas is on hand to pick it out of the air.

Ronaldinho fouled by Emerson who is walking a tightrope here.

Robinho tries his luck from thirty yards out and Barca are relieved to see his shot go just over the bar.

Great play from Van Nistelrooy who then finds himself isolated and unable to get his cross to a Real player.

Van Nistelrooy hits the bar with a chipped shot from the edge of the area and then fouls Deco to receive a booking. Deco then is replaced by Giuly.

Robinho is scythed down by Zambrotta who is quite rightly booked.

Barca are going to have to come up with something special to rescue this now. The stadium is resounding to the chants of the Real fans who sense tonight is their night.

GOAL: A fantastic piece of counter-attacking from Real gives Van Nistelrooy the goal. Robinho floats it towards the big Dutchman who bravely goes in as Valdes came out to prod the ball home. A nice cushion now for Real.

Gudjohnsen again dithers in front of goal and his shot is blocked for a corner. Ronaldinho's cross is then blocked and Barca have another corner which they waste.

Messi, again, is fouled, this time by Roberto Carlos. Messi goes on a little run and tumbles on the edge of the Real eighteen yard line - no foul this time says the ref.

A firm challenge by Ramos on Ronaldinho rebounds off the Barca player to give Real the throw.

Sergio Ramos concedes a corner at the other end but Van Nistelrooy is back to defend and heads the ball to safety when the corner is played in.

Raul links well with Van Nistelrooy who tries an uncharacteristic shot from outside the penalty area. He hits it low, but Valdes gets down to smother it.

Barcelona get us under way again and the rain is still pouring down in Madrid which could make for a few errors before the night is out.

HALF TIME: An entertaining first half and, although they started much the stronger, Real will be concerned at the way they have let Barca sneak back in to the game. Some poor finishing is all that has prevented the visitors grabbing the equaliser but Real have shown more than enough to suggest they have more goals in them.

Real have nearly every man behind the ball and there is no way through for the Barca players who are forced back.

Silvinho fires in a great cross but the ref has blown up for a Real free-kick after Ronaldinho impeded Roberto Carlos.

Relax guys. Emerson is back and all is well.

Emerson is being stretchered off. Will there be a miracle recovery?

Messi and Emerson are down 'injured' after the latter took down the little Argentinian playmaker once more. Hmmm. Emerson wouldn't be pretending he is hurt to try and avoid a second yellow would he?

Ronaldinho sizes it up. His effort clears the wall but unfortunately for Barca, the goal also.

Now Messi is brought down by Robinho thirty yards from the Real goal.

The marauding Ramos is brought down by Messi as he advanced up the right.

Robinho again wins a takle, this time on Messi and Real also get the throw.

Barca, or more specifically Gudjohnsen, are caught offside again.

Robinho gets back again to win a tackle. Good team play from the wee man

Real get it away for a throw-in but Barca continue to probe.

A sweeping Barca move from defence up to Ronaldinho wins them a corner.

Messi plays a great defence-splitting pass to Gudjohnsen who was marginally offside.

Raul and Silvinho are exchanging views with one another.

Ronaldinho and Messi combine with a nice headed one-two but then Messi is put off by a challenge from behind by Roberto Carlos and the ball bounces back to Casillas.

Van Nistelrooy manages to twist away from the Barca challenges to get a shot in on goal which is just wide of the post.

Robinho embarks on a promising run but seems to slip again and the ball goes out of play.

Gudjohnsen has come deep and gets a pass through to Ronaldinho who is brought down. Barca waste the free-kick though and give possession back to Real.

Iniesta feeds Messi now but his shot is well over the bar when he had time and space to get a shot on target.

At the other end, Messi shows some fantastic skill to beat two men in the Madrid area before squaring to Gudjohnsen who hits a shot wide from seven yards when he should have scored.

Great play from Robinho who gets back to help his defence, taking the ball up the park before releasing Van Nistelrooy. Valdes challenges him but no penalty says the ref.

Messi shows us a glimpse of his skill as he drops his shoulder to come inside of his man. His shot is straight at Casillas though.

Diarra strides through the midfield after winning the ball and is forced to shoot as the Barca defence back off. He looks like he didn't really want to and his shot is not struck with any confidence.

Emerson is booked for a foul from behind on Messi. Emerson caught the back of Messi's leg with his studs and that looked sore.

The linesman blows up for a free-kick for Barca. Ronadinho curls an inviting cross in to the near post but there is nobody in a Barca shirt on hand to connect with it.

Ramos gets forward to link with the play and the ball eventually breaks to Robinho. He comes inside but slips as he shoots and Valdes is able to claim the ball.

Raul is popping up all over the pitch tonight and seems to be revelling in his roving role.

Ronaldinho shows great feet to beat his man and then hits a shot with the outside of his foot which is always curling wide.

Barca are saved by the bar. A cross comes in from Robinho and Raul again hits a deflected shot which crashes back off the crossbar. So unlucky and Real are all over Barca here.

Real are pressing Barca well and forcing them in to errors. Twice in quick succession Barca have given the ball away after pressure from the home side.

Raul shows great endeavour to get the ball to Van Nistelrooy who finds Roberto Carlos. He can't find the Dutchman with the cross but Real are looking dangerous on the attack.

Robinho teases Zambrotta on the touchline before playing it back to Guti. His cross is taken cleanly by Valdes.

Roberto Carlos hits a low shot from the free-kick about six feet wide of Valdes' goal.

Guti wins a free-kick thirty-five yards out. Guess who fancies a go?

Robinho sprays the ball out towards Ramos on the right. Good idea, but the execution was a little wayward and the ball goes out.

Roberto Carlos tries to feed Robinho but hits it straight out. Bizarrely, this prompts the little forward to applaud the left-back.

Real lose the ball and Ronaldinho is then fouled by fellow Brazilian Emerson.

Puyol gets across to cover van Nistelrooy but gives away a throw.

Some nice Brazilian footwork from Robinho and Roberto Carlos but they get mixed up and lose the ball.

GOAL - Raul has scored for Real. Sergio Ramos floats a delightful cross in from the right and Raul rises, hanging in the air, to bury the header home majestically. First blood to Real.

Ronaldinho's is being booed by the Madrid crowd when he touches the ball. You get the feeling there will be no rounds of applause for him tonight

Real get the game under way and immediately lose the ball to Messi who hits a wayward pass. Goal-kick to Real.

Both teams line up in their traditional strips and they are walking on to a pitch that has been well soaked by a downpour in Madrid earlier in the day.

Madrid know a win tonight will put them just two points behind their bitter rivals but a defeat would leave their title hopes hanging by a thread. Barca will be keen to re-establish their three point cushion at the top of the table after Valencia's win earlier today.

Barca are without Samuel Eto'o but a front three of Ronaldinho, Gudjohnsen and Messi are sure to create problems of their own for the Real defence.

Real Madrid take on Barcelona in El Clasico and once again David Beckham finds himself on the bench alongside ex-Arsenal man Antonio Reyes.

Gudjohnsen is replaced by Saviola. Not a good night for the ex-Chelsea man.

This time Emerson gets forward and he should have done better with a header from ten yards out.

Robinho goes over very easily when challenged by Zambrotta but wins a free-kick.

Gudjohnsen's ball in to the penalty area is meant for Giuly but is easily taken by Casillas.

A gap opened up for Robinho in the Barca penalty area but his effort is poor.

This time Silvinho races up the left wing and, rather than cross the ball, attempts a very ambitious shot from a tight angle which does not come off. Barca will have to do better than that.

Silvinho did well to get a cross in but Casillas is on hand to pick it out of the air.

Ronaldinho fouled by Emerson who is walking a tightrope here.

Robinho tries his luck from thirty yards out and Barca are relieved to see his shot go just over the bar.

Great play from Van Nistelrooy who then finds himself isolated and unable to get his cross to a Real player.

Van Nistelrooy hits the bar with a chipped shot from the edge of the area and then fouls Deco to receive a booking. Deco then is replaced by Giuly.

Robinho is scythed down by Zambrotta who is quite rightly booked.

Barca are going to have to come up with something special to rescue this now. The stadium is resounding to the chants of the Real fans who sense tonight is their night.

GOAL: A fantastic piece of counter-attacking from Real gives Van Nistelrooy the goal. Robinho floats it towards the big Dutchman who bravely goes in as Valdes came out to prod the ball home. A nice cushion now for Real.

Gudjohnsen again dithers in front of goal and his shot is blocked for a corner. Ronaldinho's cross is then blocked and Barca have another corner which they waste.

Messi, again, is fouled, this time by Roberto Carlos. Messi goes on a little run and tumbles on the edge of the Real eighteen yard line - no foul this time says the ref.

A firm challenge by Ramos on Ronaldinho rebounds off the Barca player to give Real the throw.

Sergio Ramos concedes a corner at the other end but Van Nistelrooy is back to defend and heads the ball to safety when the corner is played in.

Raul links well with Van Nistelrooy who tries an uncharacteristic shot from outside the penalty area. He hits it low, but Valdes gets down to smother it.

Barcelona get us under way again and the rain is still pouring down in Madrid which could make for a few errors before the night is out.

HALF TIME: An entertaining first half and, although they started much the stronger, Real will be concerned at the way they have let Barca sneak back in to the game. Some poor finishing is all that has prevented the visitors grabbing the equaliser but Real have shown more than enough to suggest they have more goals in them.

Real have nearly every man behind the ball and there is no way through for the Barca players who are forced back.

Silvinho fires in a great cross but the ref has blown up for a Real free-kick after Ronaldinho impeded Roberto Carlos.

Relax guys. Emerson is back and all is well.

Emerson is being stretchered off. Will there be a miracle recovery?

Messi and Emerson are down 'injured' after the latter took down the little Argentinian playmaker once more. Hmmm. Emerson wouldn't be pretending he is hurt to try and avoid a second yellow would he?

Ronaldinho sizes it up. His effort clears the wall but unfortunately for Barca, the goal also.

Now Messi is brought down by Robinho thirty yards from the Real goal.

The marauding Ramos is brought down by Messi as he advanced up the right.

Robinho again wins a takle, this time on Messi and Real also get the throw.

Barca, or more specifically Gudjohnsen, are caught offside again.

Robinho gets back again to win a tackle. Good team play from the wee man

Real get it away for a throw-in but Barca continue to probe.

A sweeping Barca move from defence up to Ronaldinho wins them a corner.

Messi plays a great defence-splitting pass to Gudjohnsen who was marginally offside.

Raul and Silvinho are exchanging views with one another.

Ronaldinho and Messi combine with a nice headed one-two but then Messi is put off by a challenge from behind by Roberto Carlos and the ball bounces back to Casillas.

Van Nistelrooy manages to twist away from the Barca challenges to get a shot in on goal which is just wide of the post.

Robinho embarks on a promising run but seems to slip again and the ball goes out of play.

Gudjohnsen has come deep and gets a pass through to Ronaldinho who is brought down. Barca waste the free-kick though and give possession back to Real.

Iniesta feeds Messi now but his shot is well over the bar when he had time and space to get a shot on target.

At the other end, Messi shows some fantastic skill to beat two men in the Madrid area before squaring to Gudjohnsen who hits a shot wide from seven yards when he should have scored.

Great play from Robinho who gets back to help his defence, taking the ball up the park before releasing Van Nistelrooy. Valdes challenges him but no penalty says the ref.

Messi shows us a glimpse of his skill as he drops his shoulder to come inside of his man. His shot is straight at Casillas though.

Diarra strides through the midfield after winning the ball and is forced to shoot as the Barca defence back off. He looks like he didn't really want to and his shot is not struck with any confidence.

Emerson is booked for a foul from behind on Messi. Emerson caught the back of Messi's leg with his studs and that looked sore.

The linesman blows up for a free-kick for Barca. Ronadinho curls an inviting cross in to the near post but there is nobody in a Barca shirt on hand to connect with it.

Ramos gets forward to link with the play and the ball eventually breaks to Robinho. He comes inside but slips as he shoots and Valdes is able to claim the ball.

Raul is popping up all over the pitch tonight and seems to be revelling in his roving role.

Ronaldinho shows great feet to beat his man and then hits a shot with the outside of his foot which is always curling wide.

Barca are saved by the bar. A cross comes in from Robinho and Raul again hits a deflected shot which crashes back off the crossbar. So unlucky and Real are all over Barca here.

Real are pressing Barca well and forcing them in to errors. Twice in quick succession Barca have given the ball away after pressure from the home side.

Raul shows great endeavour to get the ball to Van Nistelrooy who finds Roberto Carlos. He can't find the Dutchman with the cross but Real are looking dangerous on the attack.

Robinho teases Zambrotta on the touchline before playing it back to Guti. His cross is taken cleanly by Valdes.

Roberto Carlos hits a low shot from the free-kick about six feet wide of Valdes' goal.

Guti wins a free-kick thirty-five yards out. Guess who fancies a go?

Robinho sprays the ball out towards Ramos on the right. Good idea, but the execution was a little wayward and the ball goes out.

Roberto Carlos tries to feed Robinho but hits it straight out. Bizarrely, this prompts the little forward to applaud the left-back.

Real lose the ball and Ronaldinho is then fouled by fellow Brazilian Emerson.

Puyol gets across to cover van Nistelrooy but gives away a throw.

Some nice Brazilian footwork from Robinho and Roberto Carlos but they get mixed up and lose the ball.

GOAL - Raul has scored for Real. Sergio Ramos floats a delightful cross in from the right and Raul rises, hanging in the air, to bury the header home majestically. First blood to Real.

Ronaldinho's is being booed by the Madrid crowd when he touches the ball. You get the feeling there will be no rounds of applause for him tonight

Real get the game under way and immediately lose the ball to Messi who hits a wayward pass. Goal-kick to Real.

Both teams line up in their traditional strips and they are walking on to a pitch that has been well soaked by a downpour in Madrid earlier in the day.

Madrid know a win tonight will put them just two points behind their bitter rivals but a defeat would leave their title hopes hanging by a thread. Barca will be keen to re-establish their three point cushion at the top of the table after Valencia's win earlier today.

Barca are without Samuel Eto'o but a front three of Ronaldinho, Gudjohnsen and Messi are sure to create problems of their own for the Real defence.

Real Madrid take on Barcelona in El Clasico and once again David Beckham finds himself on the bench alongside ex-Arsenal man Antonio Reyes.