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Late goals from Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi gave Barcelona a dramatic win over bitter rivals Real Madrid in a tense derby encounter at the Nou Camp tonight.

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Madrid – in their first league match under new coach Juande Ramos – frustrated the league leaders for long periods and looked set to snatch a point after Iker Casillas saved Samuel Eto’o’s penalty with 20 minutes remaining.

But the Cameroon frontman finally gave the Catalans the lead with seven minutes remaining and Lionel Messi smashed home a second in stoppage time to move Pep Guardiola’s side 12 points ahead of their fierce rivals after 15 rounds of the championship.

Eto’o returned from suspension to take his place in the centre of Barcelona’s three-man forward line, between Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi.

Sergio Ramos was given the unenviable task of marking the Argentina forward and made his intentions clear when he scythed down the youngster after just two minutes.

The Nou Camp faithful were furious and Ramos was lucky to get away with a yellow card.

Messi did manage to get away from his marker four minutes later and tested Casillas with a fierce right-footed effort, but the Madrid goalkeeper responded with a fine one-handed save.