Barcelona 0 - Real Madrid 0

Barcelona: Bonano; Gabri, Puyol, Reiziger, De Boer; Xavi, Cocu; Mendieta, Riquelme (Saviola 91'), Motta (Overmars 81'); Kluivert. 4-2-3-1.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Iván Helguera, Pavón, Roberto Carlos; Makelele (McManaman 64'), Cambiasso; Figo, Raúl, Solari (Raúl Bravo 60'); Guti (Miñambres 83'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Barcelona: Gabri, Riquelme for Fernando Navarro, Saviola / Madrid: Guti for Ronaldo.

Goals: None.

Shameful scenes at the Nou Camp, where the game between Barcelona and Real Madrid had to be suspended for fifteen minutes in the second half after fans threw bottles and other objects at Luis Figo as he tried to take a corner kick. The incident overshadowed an interesting match, which although ended without goals, was full of action.

The pre-match build up was not so much about the Portuguese winger, as about who would and would not make it to the starting line ups. Both sides had had little time to prepare, with the majority of their players away on international duty, and the Argentine and Brazilian stars had all returned exhausted from gruelling trips to the Far East to play Japan and South Korea respectively. Some, such as Flavio, Bonano and Solari, had not even played one minute of their games, but all had been flying for two days to a different time zone with all the disruption that that brings.

What was not expected though was that Ronaldo would not make the game. The Brazilian striker travelled with the team to Barcelona, but had apparently been suffering from flu even before his trip to Korea, and after registering a temperature of 39.5ºC, the team doctor sent him back home on the next flight. Zidane had already pulled out with lumbago, and Hierro was also out with an injury, so Pavón, Solari and Guti (who had passed a late fitness test on his ankle) all started the match. Van Gaal left Saviola on the bench after his long trip to Japan, with Riquelme now recovered from his injury back in the team.

The crowd were in a foul mood, especially with rain falling heavily on the night, and windows on the Madrid team coach were smashed by stones as they arrived at the ground. There were boos and whistles when the players came out on the pitch, with the loudest for Figo, even though it was over two years now since his controversial move between the two clubs. Two years ago Del Bosque had played Figo in the centre of the pitch to avoid problems along the touchlines, but this time he decided not to change his plans, and the number ten was charged, as usual, to take most of the dead ball kicks including corners.

The game got off to a lively start, with Roberto Carlos blasting a free kick wide of goal in the fist minute and Kluivert forcing a fingertip save from Casillas when he headed on Riquelme's free kick. Mendieta failed to connect cleanly with a volley, and Bonano did well to palm away a half hit effort from Cambiasso following Figo's first corner. The pair ere in action again minutes later the keeper being well positioned to save from Cambiasso's spectacular overhead kick, and at the other end Casillas was almost caught out by a long shot from Mendieta.

Nerves were already starting to fray on the pitch though, and a foul on the edge of the Madrid area provoked an altercation between players from both sides. The bad tempers continued into the second half, especially when Motta went in high on Makelele, who had to stretchered off with an ankle injury, and referee Medina Cantalejo had to separate several players and calm things down. With neither Flavio or Celades on the subs bench, McManaman came on for the French midfielder who was obviously in some pain.

Up to that point in the second half, Barcelona had been on top, and Medina had controversially disallowed a Kluivert goal after his linesman had ruled that Gabri had received Mendieta's back-heel pass in an offside position before laying the ball back to the striker. Television pictures seemed to show that the decision was incorrect. Thrre minute later Mendieta placed a header just wide of the post after a Cocu mis-hit, and Cocu himself volleyed the ball over the bar from close range following a Riquelme free kick.

But then came the Figo incident, and Barcelona's rhythm was broken as Medina led the two sides off the pitch after deciding that it was not safe to carry on. Figo had managed to take corners at the South end of the ground, but when he went to the North, where the more radical supporters are, he was met with a hail of objects, including bottles (plastic and glass), oranges, mobile phones, beer cans, and even the head of a pig. He finally managed an inswinging kick, but Bonano tipped it over and Figo went to the other corner where if anything the reception was worse. Puyol and the Barcelona players tried to calm down the fans, but it was impossible and the game was stopped.

Things calmed down after announcements that any further incidents would result in the suspension of the game, but more because the fans had run out of ammunition rather than anything else. Luckily for the game there were few corners after that, but by then the momentum had been lost. Medina's linesman upset the home crowd again with another non-existent offside decision against Kluivert, Overmars came on and shot wide almost immediately, Riquelme hit the bar with an inswinging corner and De Boer featured at both ends, getting booked for a cynical trip on Figo and then hitting a screaming free kick which Casillas tipped over the bar for a corner.

But nobody was thinking too much about football, and the players left the pitch with their heads down. Barcelona's controversial president didn't help matters blaming Figo after the match for provoking the incident, and the club could face a heavy fine and a ground closure at the next disciplinary committee meeting. Both teams have to forget the game and concentrate on their upcoming Champions League matches, but football was the loser tonight.