( CNN ) -- The 222nd El Clasico -- a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid which epitomizes the ultimate in team rivalry -- turned into an individual showcase for the two greatest players in world football and fittingly ended in a 2-2 draw Sunday . Barcelona 's Lionel Messi scored twice to put his side 2-1 ahead in their Camp Nou Stadium after an early strike from Real 's Cristiano Ronaldo . But the Portuguese star drew the reigning Spanish champions level on the hour mark with his second goal and almost certainly kept their title hopes alive . They trail leaders Barcelona by eight points after seven games , 11 would have been almost insurmountable . A draw was probably a fair result although it is unlikely the majority of the 98,000 fans who crammed into Barcelona 's magnificent home stadium would have agreed . Because at stake is not just the result of a football match but the very pride and honor of the Catalan people . Independence calls . Many from this semi-autonomous region of Spain want full independence and last month more than a million people demanded just that in a demonstration in Barcelona . Former Barca manager Pepe Guardiola publicly supported that ambition , which has gathered pace in the austerity-hit country , with many Catalonia citizens believing they are paying more than their fair share into the coffers of the government in Madrid . This feeling of Catalan identity embodied in a football club is summed up by Barcelona 's motto `` mes que un club '' -- more than a club , and clashes against Real Madrid are chances to give vent to their feelings . Austerity gives El Clasico added twist . The passionate atmosphere Sunday went up a notch as Barcelona officials allowed fans to display the yellow and red colors of Catalonia in a giant mosaic , holding up cards to get the effect . And at exactly 17 minutes and 14 seconds , chants for independence rang out in reference to the Catalans ' military defeat to the Royalists in the War of Spanish Succession in 1714 . Political football . Barcelona 's central defender Gerard Pique had tweeted Saturday that he wanted politics to say out of El Clasico . `` The games between Barcelona and Madrid increasingly resemble Catalonia against Spain and this should not happen , '' he wrote . `` It 's just a football match . '' Whether all his fellow players agreed with Pique , they certainly missed him in defense as he was ruled out by injury . The full throated chants had barely subsided when Ronaldo ran through a big gap in the Barcelona back line and shot past Victor Valdes on 22 minutes . It was a record sixth goal in six matches against Barcelona and Real would be left to rue a miss by Karim Benzema soon afterwards which might have led to a different result . His mishit shot hit the post and by halftime Messi had equalized after hesitation in the Real defense . Is this El Clasico a must win game for Real ? In the second half , Messi was fouled just outside the Real penalty area and got up to send an unstoppable free kick past Iker Casillas . But Ronaldo replied when weakness at the heart of the home defense was again evident and he equalized with a low shot . Both sides had chances to grab the three points but had to settle for a draw . Controversial invite . The political undertones behind the latest El Clasico found further expression in the decision by Barcelona to invite Gilad Shalit , a former Israeli soldier who was held captive in Gaza for nearly five years . It risked alienating their many supporters in the Palestine region and the Hamas government called for a boycott of the television coverage . Barcelona responded by inviting a former Palestine international player Mahmoud Sarsak , who had been detained by the Israelis , but he declined to come .
Barcelona draw 2 - 2 with Real Madrid in El Clasico . Two goals apiece from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo . Catalan giants Barcelona stay two points clear of arch - rivals . Game played against backdrop of growing demands for independence for Catalonia .