Barcelona are now six points ahead of Real Madrid.
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It was lovely, it was brilliant, it was pure Barcelona magic. “It’s our eternal rival”. The whole team were dying to get off to a good start and that’s what we did after the break.
“I’m satisfied not just for the victory, but for the way we did it”, said Enrique.
“We’re all responsible for it not going well, now we look for unity in the group and to try and sort this out in the next game”.
But what they hadn’t expected was for the midfield and defence to go AWOL throughout, inviting Barca to attack wave after wave. Benitez said at a news conference. In addition, players from both teams wore black armbands.
Madrid seemed to be shell shocked by that, but rather than respond, failed to get hold of the ball and calm things down.
Barcelona delivered an absolutely scintillating performance to beat arch-rivals Real Madrid 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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.
Barcelona reached 30 points from 12 matches, while Madrid remained with 24 points.
A reporter’s suggestion that Rafa Benitez’s galactico-heavy Madrid had made it easy for Barca by surrendering was not accepted by Luis Enrique.
Third-place Atletico Madrid, which plays at Real Betis on Sunday, is one point behind Real Madrid and seven behind Barcelona.
Barcelona was in control during most of the game and never gave Madrid many chances to score.
Suarez’s second goal was also monumental as it meant that Barcelona went up 4-0 at the Bernabeu for the first time since 1986.
In the Argentine’s absence it had been Luis Suarez and Neymar who have stepped up, scoring all 17 league goals since the 28-year-old was taken off injured against Las Palmas in September.
Though Messi was not present in the team for the previous matches, players like with Neymar and Luis Suarez took to the field and played well.
Messi recovered from a left knee injury but started the clasico on bench because he was not yet 100 percent fit physically.
Neymar then doubled the advantage before halftime, slotting low beyond Keylor Navas from close range.
Iniesta added a third following a sumptuous backheel from Neymar, before firing into the roof of the net, and Suarez slotted into the far corner late on to cap a miserable night for Benitez and the home fans, before Isco lashed out at Neymar.
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“We were solid at the back and I think it was more a case of us playing very well than Madrid playing badly”, he said.
