Barca stay on top after Real and Atletico share derby spoils

MADRID: Barcelona slipped up for the third time in a week but stay top of La Liga after Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid cancelled each other out at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

Real and Atletico began a pulsating derby less than three hours after Barca had scrambled to a 1-1 draw at home to Athletic Bilbao, but goalkeepers reigned supreme in the capital to ensure the grudge match finished goalless.

It means Real second, level on points with Barcelona, while Atletico are just two behind in fourth. Sevilla are third. Gareth Bale had to be substituted at half-time with what the club confirmed was a thigh strain and is a doubt for the European champions ahead of their visit to CSKA Moscow on Tuesday.

It was a scenario Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde tried to avoid before his side’s visit to Tottenham on Wednesday by resting Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou.But the Argentine was needed in the second half after Oscar de Marcos gave Bilbao a deserved lead. Munir El Haddadi snatched Barca a point, diverting in Messi’s shot with six minutes left.

After drawing at home to Girona and being beaten by Leganes, Barcelona head to Wembley to face Spurs short of rhythm and lacking confidence.Barcelona will be without Sergi Roberto for the Champions League Group B clash after it was confirmed he had picked up a thigh strain.

“Leaving Messi on the bench is absolutely my responsibility,” Valverde said. “He has four games in 10 days and I think it’s good for Leo to rest, like Busquets, thinking of the Champions League.”

Lack of rotation was chief among the criticisms levelled at Valverde after Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League quarter-finals last season, with Luis Suarez admitting he regretted playing 90 minutes three days before the collapse against Roma.

“We can’t expect Messi just to come on and fix things,” Suarez said. “We should have won the game before he came on, that’s why we are Barca.”Real and Atletico face midweek Champions League matches away to CSKA Moscow and home to Club Brugge respectively, but there was no letting up on their part.

Thibaut Courtois came back to haunt his former club and Jan Oblak showed why he is considered arguably the finest goalkeeper in the world. Courtois spent three seasons at Atletico on loan from Chelsea but this was his first Madrid derby for Real. He saved both Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa had only the Belgian to beat.