El Clásico
Flickr photo by Andrea Ciambra shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND 2.0) license.

El Clásico: Five-star Barcelona run riot against arch-rivals

Mughees Ahmad·
BarcelonaReal Madrid
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It was the stuff of dreams for Valverde’s men as they decimated Real Madrid in El Clásico…

Things were already falling apart for Real Madrid prior to the encounter. A 5-1 hammering from Barcelona has only added to their woes as the 13-time European Champions have slipped to 9th in La Liga. The Catalan giants simply outclassed Lopetegui’s men in El Clásico and there were some valuable takeaways from the performance at the Camp Nou…

No Messi? No problem!

For the last few seasons, Barcelona have been criticized for their over-reliance on Lionel Messi. However, the Spanish giants took a significant leap towards proving they’re more than a one-man show. Messi was present in the stadium, but could only watch his team’s performance from the stands. Having been ruled out due to a fractured arm, the little magician ultimately had no contribution to Real Madrid’s biggest El Clásico defeat since 2010.

Suárez is back to his best

After an inconsistent couple of years, Luis Suárez is finally living up to his reputation as one of Europe’s deadliest strikers. He netted a brilliant hat-trick – which included a VAR-ruled penalty, an unbelievable header, and a cheeky dink to round off his tally. The Uruguayan now has nine goals in his last 11 matches against Los Blancos, cementing his status as Spanish football’s most complete number 9.

Dembélé worth every penny

Ousmane Dembélé started the game on the bench but his presence proved valuable in the second-half. Real’s introduction of Lucas Vázquez had an impact as the away side pushed forward and unsettled Barcelona’s defence. Dembélé came to the rescue in the 74th minute, offering extra width and pace in attack for his side. The Frenchman set up the fifth goal with a blitzing run, adding to his list of notable contributions as he continues to justify his lofty price-tag.

El Clásico still has plenty to offer

With Ronaldo and Messi not involved, fans weren’t expecting a six-goal thriller. Astonishingly, it was the first El Clásico being played without the superstars in 11 years. Both sides were subject to immense pressure as they had to keep up with expectations. Barcelona coped well without their star man, but Madrid struggled to show up at all. Despite the huge difference in quality on the night, fans were given yet another game to remember.

Lopetegui on the verge of exit

Reports from Spain claim that Madrid are set to sack Julen Lopetegui and replace him with Antonio Conte. The ex-Spain coach has had the worst managerial start at Real Madrid in 50 years. With just four wins in ten games, it’ll be no surprise if the club opts for the sack. However, in all fairness to Lopetegui, he had massive shoes to fill after Zidane’s departure. Ronaldo’s departure had also left the team needing to rebuild, but someone new is likely to be at the helm to oversee the transition.