El Clásico? No. A Barca show!

We all looked forward to the El Clásico last night, but it wasn't anything near what I would have expected. It was a demonstration of modern day football by FC Barcelona against their archrivals Real Madrid. Barca won 5-0 and the way the match went the victory was never in doubt. The 167th match between these two rivals will surely be remembered as one of the greatest El Clásicos of all times...

The match had been hyped-up like never before. Barca vs Real; Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo; Guardiola vs Mourinho. It was supposed to be the contest of the season, but all points went to Barca. The match stats simply speak for themselves. Barca - Real. Ball Possession 67% - 33%, Passes 684 - 331, Pass completion 89% - 74%. Increcible figures which just highlight the domination that Barca had in the match.

It was often one-way traffic towards the goal of Iker Casillas. After Messi could only place the ball onto the woodwork early on it was Xavi who gave Barca the lead in the 10th minute off a pass from Iniesta. At this stage Real Madrid were still in the game, but Barca doubled the lead on the other side as David Villa beat Sergio Ramos, got a cross in which Casillas couldn't collect and Pedro just had to push-in in the 18th minute. The Galacticos from the capital looked shocked after going two goals down so early with only Cristiano Ronaldo in bits and pieces trying to fight off the defeat, but sometimes he simply went overboard. On one occasion he went against Barca coach Guardiola, a real no go. It remained 2-0 for FC Barcelona at the break.

After the breather the Catalans continued their domination and sealed the game with a double strike in the 55th & 58th minute through David Villa, who on both occasions was set-up brilliantly by Lionel Messi. Barca now played tiki-taka to perfection with the crowds shouting Olé Olé and Real Madrid forced to run after the Barca players. It resulted in some rough tackles and harsh fouls, but referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez wasn't willing to hand out a red card just yet. Barca completed the rout in the first minute of injury time when substitute Jeffren scored to make it 5-0 and just thereafter the referee had to pull out his red card as Sergio Ramos with into Messi with no other intention then to hurt him, then some push and shove against Carlos Puyol and Xavi, off Ramos went.

With this win Barcelona are now top of the Primera Division league table, while Real Madrid after their first loss of the season are now second. A night to remember at the sellout Nou Camp with most of the 98,000 spectators enjoying themselves.

After the match a dejected Jose Mourinho simply said, "One team played very good, one team very bad. Deserved win, deserved loss."