By Tom Webber, Goal.com

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were both in scintillating form as Barcelona and Real Madrid played out an enthralling 2-2 draw at Camp Nou in the first Liga Clasico of this season.

Despite coming as just the seventh fixture of the season, the match was touted as having a potentially huge impact on the final Liga outcome. With Madrid in need of a win, Ronaldo got the club off to the perfect start as he silenced the crowd with his sixth consecutive Clasico goal.

But a brace from Messi, including a sumptuous second-half free kick, put the Blaugrana in the driving seat. However, the last had not been heard of Ronaldo and he capitalized on a disorganized defense to equalize 25 minutes from time.

After all the intense build-up, the first surprise of the night was sprung as news filtered through that in the absence of Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, Adriano would start alongside Javier Mascherano in the center of defense. Mourinho, meanwhile, opted for Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil.

The teams were greeted on the pitch by a cacophony of noise and a sea of Catalan red and yellow in the stands and the match began in a similarly hectic manner, but Los Blancos' more adventurous tendencies when in possession saw them gradually take hold of the game.

After Benzema snatched at a volley in the 13th minute, Barca's defensive frailties began to really show six minutes later as Sergio Ramos rose, unmarked, to meet Ozil's corner. His header had pace and Victor Valdes, who was rooted to the spot, breathed a sigh of relief when it shaded the outside of his post.

Despite enjoying a large share of possession, the home side began to sit deep and invite Mourinho's men to attack. They were punished in the 23rd minute. A brilliant flowing move, initiated by Ozil on the right, ended with Benzema slipping the ball to Ronaldo who thumped a low shot past Valdes at his near post.

Madrid continued to slice apart the home team's makeshift defense with ease and should have doubled the lead in the 25th minute. Benzema once more found space in the area but his shot cannoned back off the post and Angel Di Maria was unable to convert the rebound.

Yet the Blaugrana were unperturbed at the other end of the pitch and they secured an equalizer when Pedro's cross looped into the air following a pair of deflections. In his eagerness to head the ball away, Pepe misjudged the flight of the ball and Messi, who was lurking in the box, beat Iker Casillas as it dropped behind the defender and fired into the back of the net.

The Catalan club drew confidence from that goal and after being denied a penalty early in the second half, took the lead for the first time on the night with a moment of sheer, unadulterated class from Messi. The mercurial Argentine flighted a beautifully-struck 30-yard free kick over the wall and into the top corner with 61 minutes on the clock.

Not to be outdone, Ronaldo notched his second of the night just five minutes later. After being jeered by the home crowd for missing an overhead kick, the 27-year-old caught the Barca defense completely unaware to slot home from Ozil's through ball.

With the game so finely poised, neither team was willing to take the risk of committing too many men forward in search of a winner. There was still time for some final moments of drama as Martin Montoya pushed on but saw his rocket of a strike come back off the crossbar in the 89th minute and Pedro drilled a low shot wide in stoppage time.

In sharing the spoils, Barcelona remains at the top of the table and also maintains an eight-point advantage over Madrid with seven games played so far this season.

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  • Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, left, celebrates after scoring a goal against Barcelona's with team mate Angel Di Maria from Argentina during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Busquets

    Barcelona's Sergio Busquets, left, duels for the ball with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, left, reacts after scoring with his teammate Sergio Ramos during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against FC Barcelonaat the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal scores a goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Barcelona at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, left, reacts after scoring during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against FC Barcelonaat the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal celebrates after scoring a goal against Barcelona's during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, top right, celebrates his goal in between Real Madrid's players during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal celebrates after scoring a goal against Barcelona's during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Pepe, Xavi Hernandez

    Real Madrid's Pepe from Portugal, top, in action with FC Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez, centre right, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal celebrates after scoring a goal against Barcelona's during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, followed by Real Madrid's players during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Andres Iniesta, Alvaro Arbeloa

    Real Madrid's Alvaro Arbeloa, left, in action with FC Barcelona's Andres Iniesta, right, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal celebrates after scoring a goal against Barcelona's during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Mesut Ozil, Daniel Alves

    Barcelona's Daniel Alves from Brazil, left, duels for the ball with Real Madrid's Mesut Ozil from Germany during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Camp Nou stadium during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at the in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Marcelo, Lionel Messi

    Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, duels for the ball with Real Madrid's Marcelo from Brazil during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Mesut Ozil, Daniel Alves

    Barcelona's Daniel Alves from Brazil, left, duels for the ball with Real Madrid's Mesut Ozil from Germany during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal celebrates after scoring a goal against Barcelona's during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, left, celebrates after scoring a goal against Barcelona's with team mate Angel Di Maria from Argentina during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina, not in picture, scores against Real Madrid's goalkeeper Iker Casillas, center, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, number 10 behind centre, celebrates his goal in between Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, second left, Marcelo from Brazil, left, Karim Benzema from France, second right, and Sergio Ramos, right, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina, center right, reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, celebrates his goal with Jordi Alba, centre, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, second right, reacts after scoring during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against FC Barcelonaat the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Lionel Messi

    Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, celebrates after scoring a goal against Real Madrid's during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Lionel Messi

    Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, celebrates after scoring a goal against Real Madrid's during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, unseen celebrates his goal with team mates during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Xavi

    Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, celebrates after scoring a goal against Real Madrid's followed by team mates Jordi Alba, and Xavi Hernandez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Lionel Messi, Alvaro Arbeloa

    Real Madrid's Alvaro Arbeloa, right, in action with FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba

    Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, celebrates after scoring a goal against Real Madrid's followed by team mate Jordi Alba during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina, center right, reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, left, and FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina reacts after scoring against Real Madrid during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi

    Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, left, and FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Jordi Alba, Gonzalo Higuain

    FC Barcelona's Jordi Alva, left, duels for the ball against Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain from Argentina during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Cristiano Ronaldo, Adriano Correia

    FC Barcelona's Adriano Correia from Brazil, right, duels for the ball against the high kicking Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Lionel Messi

    FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, second right, celebrates with team mates after a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Sergio Busquets, Cristiano Ronaldo

    FC Barcelona's Sergio Busquets, left, duels for the ball against Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

  • Iker Casillas, Lionel Messi

    Real Madrid's goalkeeper Iker Casillas shakes hands with FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Alexis Sanchez, Pepe

    Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez from Chile, ight, duels for the ball with Real Madrid's Pepe from Portugal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza)