Barcelona and Real Madrid could not be separated on Wednesday in a Clasico that was briefly interrupted by Catalan independence protests, when dozens of yellow beach balls were thrown onto the pitch at Camp Nou. Protestors held banners, waved flags and even threw inflatable beach balls. A goalless draw means Barcelona stay top of La Liga, ahead of Real on goal difference while the historic score in league meetings between the two rivals remains 72 victories apiece. Four hours before kick-off, thousands had gathered at all four corners of the stadium to hold the same blue banners and wave Catalan flags, while some blocked traffic too. For Barcelona, Sergio Busquets was included in the line-up first announced before he was swapped out for Ivan Rakitic.

Source: Punch December 18, 2019 21:04 UTC