Fifty Not out for Messi

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Despite missing training last week with the flu, the "Atomic Flea" was still on hand to draw Barca level in the first half with his 50th goal in what has been yet another astonishing campaign.

However, that was not the only notable statistic of the afternoon. The little Argentinian attacker also found the back of the net for the 16th consecutive Liga contest, during which time he has scored 26 goals for the Catalans.

And to cap it all off, the FIFA Ballon d’Or winner equaled Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano’s Clasico scoring record by scoring in this fixture for the 18th time in just 25 matches. It was also the ninth occasion that he had hit the target at the Bernabeu.

Class, pure class—and despite yet again turning in a below-par display for his team, it was still Messi who found Barcelona's equaliser with another record-breaking strike in what was generally a dispiriting performance by the visitors.