Messi gets 500th career goal for Barca in 3-2 win vs Madrid

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their third goal during the match against Real Madrid, April 23, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Messi is the all-time leading scorer in the clasico with 23 goals.

He has scored 14 goals in his last 10 league matches, and is the competition's leading scorer with 31 goals, seven more than teammate Luis Suarez. The Argentine playmaker has 47 goals with Barcelona in 46 games this season.

It was a thrilling match at the Bernabeu, with the teams attacking from the start and giving both goalkeepers plenty of work.

Casemiro had put the hosts ahead from close range after Sergio Ramos struck the post in the 28th. After equalizing five minutes later, Messi also helped set up Barcelona's go-ahead goal by Rakitic in the 73rd, a powerful left-footed shot from outside the area.

Ramos was sent off with a straight red card in the 77th after a foul on Messi to stop the playmaker from a one-on-one situation in a breakaway. Despite that, Madrid still found the strength to equalize in the 85th with substitute James Rodriguez. He redirected a cross by Marcelo only three minutes after he had entered the match to replace Karim Benzema.

"We weren't smart after we equalized," Zidane said. "We thought we could score the third goal, but it's dangerous to press up front when you are playing with 10 men." Navas made three remarkable saves in the second half alone — on a close-range header by Gerard Pique, a shot by Luis Suarez and another strike by Pique.

Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen also came up with big stops, including a header by Benzema and a shot by Marco Asensio.

"It was a match between two teams that went for the victory," Luis Enrique said. "Either one could have won it." Cristiano Ronaldo had a few good chances but was not able to capitalize on them.