BARCELONA -- Barcelona and Real Madrid remain level on points at the top of La Liga after Wednesday's Clasico at Camp Nou ended goalless -- the first such result since 2002 in the meeting.
Madrid were the better side in the first half but couldn't beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen as Barca stretched their unbeaten run in the Clasico to seven matches. Barca had chances of their own, with Jordi Alba wasting their best opening just before half-time, but had to settle for a point in the end.
Positives
Talk of Gerard Pique's demise have been greatly exaggerated. It's true he hasn't been at his best all season but he's been brilliant when it mattered over the last week. Was colossus at Real Sociedad at the weekend and again against Madrid. The point keeps Barca top of the table, too. Just. They're level with Madrid on 36 points, five clear of third-placed Sevilla, but sit in first place courtesy of their superior goal difference.
Negatives
Frenkie de Jong aside, Barcelona's midfield carries little resemblance to what it has been in the past and what the club's philosophy demands it should be. Ivan Rakitic and Sergi Roberto are not bad players but they were bettered against Madrid by Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Fede Valverde. Barca need to find their best midfield quickly. They have options, though, with Carles Alena, Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal among the substitutes here. Arthur Melo, meanwhile, remains injured.
Manager rating out of 10
5 -- Ernesto Valverde could have been braver in the second half. He left it too late to bring Ansu Fati on, and when he finally did he bizarrely removed Antoine Griezmann instead of the misfiring Luis Suarez. Only the Barca coach will know why Busquets didn't play, too.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 7 -- Barcelona's best player in the first half. Made good saves from Fede Valverde and Casemiro. He also made great use of his goal kicks -- really! One drilled low down the middle to Suarez was a particular favourite.
DF Nelson Semedo, 5 -- Pinned back for large parts of the first half and unable to use his pace to help in attack. Removed early in the second period.
DF Gerard Pique, 8 -- Led from the back in more ways than one and was vocal but was also committed. Cleared off the line from Casemiro in the first half and was one of the players at the end busting a gut to get forward in search of a winner.
DF Clement Lenglet, 6 -- Got away with a tangle with Raphael Varane in the first half that could have led to a penalty. Other than that, did well to keep the in-form Karim Benzema relatively quiet.
DF Jordi Alba, 6 -- Surprisingly ineffective in attack. He wasted good crossing opportunities and missed a really good chance to score from a Lionel Messi pass. Will point to the fact this was just his second game back after a lengthy injury layoff.
MF Ivan Rakitic, 6 -- Busquets was originally named in the lineup only for Barca to claim it was an administration error and Rakitic was in fact starting. The Croatian did OK but you can't escape the feeling his best years at the club are behind him.
MF Sergi Roberto, 5 -- A surprise pick in midfield given he's much better at right-back these days, which is where he played in the second half. Wasted too many balls in the middle but improved when he joined the back four.
MF Frenkie de Jong, 7 -- Perhaps Barca's best player in the second half. His teammates don't always give him the best passing option but he adapts. An example of that was a surging run, which led to a save from Thibaut Courtois after a smart one-two with Suarez.
FW Lionel Messi, 6 -- Allowed a lot of space in first 15 minutes but was quiet during Madrid's dominant spells. Still managed to set up a great chance for Alba and had a shot cleared off the line by Sergio Ramos. Worked hard in the second half, making more tackles than any other Barca player, but luck deserted him.
FW Luis Suarez, 4 -- Often at his best in this fixture, with 11 goals in 14 Clasicos, but was poor here. Looked sluggish, his touch was poor and it's amazing he was allowed to finish the game.
FW Antoine Griezmann, 6 -- After a slow start, he was growing into the game when he was taken off for Ansu. Set up a good chance for Messi (whose touch let him down) and was having joy drifting in from the left.
Substitutes
MF Arturo Vidal, 6 -- Introduced early in the second half and tried to get the crowd going. Unfortunately, he couldn't get Barca going.
FW Ansu Fati, NR -- Brought on too late to make an impact on the game, but did become the youngest player to play in the Clasico this century.