Xavi Hernandez: opening goal in the Clasico / Fotosports.com
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT / Sports Features Communications
BARCELONA, Nov 29: Spain playmaker Xavi Hernandez and winger Pedro shot Barcelona 2-0 ahead against Real Madrid after only 17 minutes of the Spanish league Clasico in front of a 97,000 crowd in Camp Nou.
Some 13 World Cup-winners and two World Players of the Year faced up in a heavyweight clash which promised to be even more dramatic than usual. The dual between the champions and leaders of La Liga also matched up two of the game's most outstanding coaches in Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.
Madrid were missing injured Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain; Frenchman Karim Benzema stepped in for only his second start of the campaign. But he had barely touched the ball when Barcelona went ahead.
Leo Messi had already struck a post with an exquisite left-foot chip from out on the right in the fifth minute and Xavi went one better in the 11st minute when capitalised on a deflected through pass from Andres Iniesta to beat Iker Casillas from close range.
Six minutes later and Barcelona were 2-0 ahead. David Villa found an acre of space on the left, wriggled around Sergio Ramos and fired in a low cross which skimmed off the ends of the diving Casillas's fingers and left Pedro with an open goal at his mercy.
