Barca held 0-0 by Madrid amid separatist protest at Camp Nou

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona was held to a 0-0 draw at home by Real Madrid in a politically supercharged “clásico” match that was played amid a large separatist protest that turned violent outside Camp Nou stadium on Wednesday.

The game inside the stadium was completed without any major incidents — either on the field or in the stands. But in the streets outside, a detachment of riot police clashed with protesters soon after the start, and plastic trash cans were set on fire. The smell of smoke from the streets outside reached the stands in the final minutes of the match.

The draw left both teams locked on points atop the league with Barcelona in front on goal difference.

Despite concerns by police that the protesters could also try to delay or interrupt the match, both teams arrived safely and on time to the stadium escorted by a heavy police detail. Fears of a pitch invasion by protesters in the stands also proved unfounded.

Play was held up around a minute shortly after halftime when some spectators threw dozens of inflatable beach balls on the side of the pitch while shouting “independence.” Stewards quickly cleared them away.

The public speaker also asked the around 100,000 spectators at Europe’s biggest stadium to not use exits at one end of the stadium, apparently for security reasons.

While both teams are more known for their high-powered attacks, it was defenders who stood out in the game as Barcelona’s Gerard Pique and Madrid’s Sergio Ramos both cleared goal-bound shots from their lines.

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