The fact that Barca kept star-player Messi, who was making his first appearance due to injury in since September, on the bench until the 56th minute made the utterly dominant nature of its performance all the more remarkable. There is a long way to go but it is always important to win here.
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The Barca players had simply been better on the night, Luis Enrique said.
It never materialised. The hosts managed just one shot on target in the first half, while Cristiano Ronaldo was quiet for much of the game.
The Madrid supporters booed him and his team roundly during the match and many – if not most – fans were unhappy with his performance before the loss. In the second half of the match, Barca added two more goals with Messi coming on to the pitch at the 57 minute.
“This victory is glorious, especially in the way that it came about”, he said.
FC Barcelona produced a vintage display of football to utterly humiliate bitter rivals Real Madrid in front of their own fans Saturday evening.
Near the end of the game, Real Madrid midfielder Isco was sent off.
“Losing like this and against a rival like Barcelona hurts us a lot. We have made a few mistakes and we have paid for it”. “What we need to do now is get ready for the upcoming game and lift our spirits again”.
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.
A minute’s silence was held to the tune of the French national anthem La Marseillaise and a large French flag was unfurled by the Madrid fans before kick-off in honour of the victims before kick-off. They have 30 points as against 24 acquired by Real from 12 round of matches.
That was only the second goal Real had conceded at home all season, but their usually strong defence simply had no answer to Barcelona’s attacking prowess.
“Our objective was what we have now, to win as many games as possible, even with situation at club”, Luis Enrique said. The Argentine playmaker had missed the last nine Barcelona games.
Barcelona’s Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez opened the score in the 11th minute.
Shortly after replacing Rakitic the Argentina forward picked the ball up from deep and picked out a wonderful pass towards Alba, who helped it into the path of an unmarked Suarez to calmly slot into the far corner and make it 4-0.
Barca’s dominance in possession was rewarded with a second before half-time when Iniesta’s through ball was perfectly timed for Neymar and his effort squeezed under Keylor Navas.
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