Madrid make the most of Messi's lifeless display to revive Liga title race

The Argentine was strangely out of sorts as Barcelona slumped to a 2-0 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu that saw the hosts move above them in the table

This was a free hit for Barcelona but Real Madrid’s season was on the line. They had to dig deep, and they did.

Vinicius Junior and Mariano Diaz’s goals earned them a 2-0 Clasico victory which took them a point clear of their bitter rivals at the top of the Liga table and gave them the better head-to-head record, which could be crucial in such a tight title race.

Certainly, there is little to choose between the two teams, as Sunday's game showed. This entertaining, end-to-end battle at the Santiago Bernabeu between two clearly flawed teams could have gone either way.