Three takeaways from Real Madrid's 1-1 draw against Barcelona in El Clasico

Real Madrid ended up getting a point at the Camp Nou after Sergio Ramos saved the day in the last minute of regulation with yet another header that will go down in Madrid's history books if Los Blancos manage to win La Liga this season.

Here are three takeaways from the thrilling El Clasico.

1. Ramos saved a big mistake by Zinedine Zidane. When the French coach decided to play Casemiro and take Isco out of the field of play, it became quite obvious that the Brazilian midfielder wasn't ready to play this match just yet after recovering from the leg injury that kept him out two months. Sure, Casemiro saved Barcelona's last chance on the goal line, but Barcelona controlled the ball ever since he stepped on the pitch, and it isn't his fault because he couldn't even run.
2. Where is James? Zidane chose Asensio and Mariano to play ahead of James, clearly stating that the Colombian midfielder doesn't have the right attitude and commitment. It's very disappointing to have a player like James sitting on the bench even with Bale and Kroos out with injuries, but this is Zidane's decision and it's clear that Madrid have to part ways with him as soon as possible if they want to get something valuable in return.
3. In the end, Madrid probably deserved more than a draw. True, the team collapsed when Barcelona scored the opening goal and Andres Iniesta entered the pitch, but Los Blancos were performing well and even though they needed 90 minutes to score their only goal, they almost managed to get out of the Camp Nou with the three points, something that would've almost finished the race for La Liga as Barcelona would be nine points behind, just like Sevilla, with Atletico trailing by 11 points. However, the table pretty much stayed put other than Sevilla losing a point against Granada. It's a positive result, but it could've been better the way Madrid competed.