Barcelona defeats Real Madrid and secures the Spanish League with a dramatic victory in El Clasico
Barcelona and Real Madrid hosted a classic that looked set to end, lasting 90 minutes and 30 seconds on Sunday. It was 1-1 on the field, but it was flat on the scoreboard. That was enough for Barcelona, enough to secure a nine-point lead at the top of La Liga, but not to jump-start the all-night partying in the Catalan capital. It was exciting, but with five minutes of wasted time to play, it was sadly equivocal.
Then Frank Kessie crept into the penalty area, undetected, as the most title-deciding hero.
The Ivorian midfielder has not scored a single goal in La Liga. But in the 91st minute, with expectations running high at the Camp Nou, he met a moving cross and caused an explosion.
He won a match Real Madrid should have won, and instead Barcelona clinched their 27th title in Spain.
When the final whistle blew, the Sunday victors were 12 points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of the league, with 12 games remaining. So their seats spilled out onto the field in wild ecstasy. They bounced around in circles. They celebrated the final climax, triumphing in the biggest match of the World Football League to win a trophy.
Outside the Camp Nou, similar celebrations continued as midnight approached. They probably won’t stop soon. Because Real Madrid was defeated. Because Barcelona will be champions.
