“I picked players with the quality to do better than we did”.
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Madrid managed just 41 per cent possession against Luis Enrique’s side and Marcelo accepts that a failure to keep the ball proved their undoing.
Luis Suarez scored twice and Neymar once as the duo kept up their impressive form, while Andres Iniesta also got on the scoresheet.
The first half was very complete for us.
“We gave them few chances and didn’t lose the ball much, something that can generate problems for us. We have been effective and played a very good match here”.
Rafael Benitez played down fears over his job as he looks to ensure Real Madrid bounce back from the 4-0 thrashing against Barcelona. Benitez said at a news conference.
FC Barcelona produced a vintage display of football to utterly humiliate bitter rivals Real Madrid in front of their own fans Saturday evening.
“Thinking about La Liga, there is still a long way to go and we need to do things as we were doing them when we were undefeated”.
Unprecedented security measures were in place at the Bernabeu following the attacks in Paris last week, with almost 3,000 policemen and private security officers working to maintain public safety outside and inside the 81,000-capacity venue.
They have 30 points as against 24 acquired by Real from 12 round of matches. Messi immediately made his impact felt on the field as he helped create the fourth goal and second of the game for Suarez.
It may have helped that Iniesta is a hero in Spain for the goal that won the 2010 World Cup but it nonetheless underlined the brilliance of the 31-year-old’s performance that Real fans again cast aside their hatred for their rivals for a moment.
Sergio Ramos stepped up trying to play the offside but mistimed his effort, allowing Neymar to run in on goal and fire under Keylor Navas.
There was plenty of speculation before kickoff over the extent of Lionel Messi’s involvement in the match until it was finally revealed that Messi would be among the substitutes from the start of the game.
Neymar made it 2-0 shortly before the break and a stunning goal from Andres Iniesta put the champions firmly in charge early in the second period before Suarez’s delicate finish made it four after Messi – who came on in the 55th minute – had fed Jordi Alba.
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In the 53rd minute Iniesta scored Barcelona’s third after he blasted past Navas.
