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Real Madrid claimed the bragging rights in the El Clasico once again after beating Barcelona 3-1 at the Camp Nou. It meant that the capital club won consecutive league games against the Blaugrana for the first time since 2008.
Luka Modric came off the bench to score a wonderful goal in the 90th minute to seal the tie and condemn the Catalans to a second consecutive league defeat. Federico Valverde and Sergio Ramos were also on target for the visitors, who were on the front foot for most of the match.
Ansu Fati became the youngest-ever scorer in the fixture, but his record-breaking goal fell through the cracks as Barcelona failed to build on it.
The win propels the Whites back to the top of the league table with 13 points from six games while Barcelona drop down to 12th. On that note, let us have a look at the three hits and flops in the game:
HIT: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
He may have been on the field for just over 20 minutes or so, but that was enough for Luka Modric to work his magic. The Croatian wizard scored in the final minute of normal time to put the contest to bed, but it was the quality of his goal that will live long in the memory.
Barcelona were caught out at the back once again as Modric received possession of the ball. Following some neat footwork to bamboozle Neto, he lashed an unstoppable effort into the net off the outside of his boot.
The composure in that moment and the sheer audacity of the strike encapsulated the 35-year midfield maestro, who continues to be such an influential figure for Real Madrid despite his ripe old age.
FLOP: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
It's not often one sees Lionel Messi being labelled a 'flop' in a game, but the Barcelona skipper had an uncharacteristically quiet outing in the first El Clasico of the season, thereby extending his goalless run against Real Madrid to six games now.
Apart from his wonderful over-the-top cross for Jordi Alba in the lead up to Fati's goal, the Argentine ace couldn't really influence the proceedings against Real Madrid. He tried his luck from set-pieces and delivered several corner kicks and free kicks, but to no avail.
It's not to say that Lionel Messi didn't put in the work. He did - he dropped deep to try and win the ball, connected with Philippe Countinho and Jordi Alba and completed 88% of his passes - but there was nothing spectacular about his game.
As a matter of fact, Messi was dispossessed six times in the game - more than that of any other player. His blank expression in the aftermath of Modric's goal perfectly summed up his evening.
HIT: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Another day, another game, another talismanic performance from the Real Madrid skipper. Sergio Ramos was an absolute rock at the back and also nonchalantly dispatched a penalty to restore his side's lead.
Ramos' impeccable positional awareness is well documented by now, but he gave another lesson in the same by popping up at the right place at the right time to deny Barcelona on multiple occasions.
And the stats don't lie - the Spaniard made three successful tackles, three interceptions and four clearances. He even completed 95% of his passes.
Coming to his penalty, well, there was no surprise there. Ramos, who has become one of the best in the business and has refined his spot-kick credentials, coolly slotted home his 25th on the trot!
FLOP: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
In a largely positive outing for Real Madrid, winger Vinicius Junior was a rare sour note as he failed to offer anything in the way of attack and was also bested by Sergino Dest for the vast majority of the game.
Whenever Vinicius Junior tried to connect with a cross down the right, the young American would frustrate him with his timely interceptions.
Too often, the Brazilian was well off his pace, and there were moments in the second-half where potential counter-attacks fizzled out because Vinicius Junior was slow and got caught out by a Barcelona player.
All of that made for a really frustrating watch. He was also dispossessed thrice and misplaced plenty of passes too.
HIT: Neto (Barcelona)
A 'hit' despite conceding three goals? That's because Neto actually kept the game from being a complete and utter rout. He produced some magnificent saves, especially towards the end when Los Blancos upped the ante.
After denying Karim Benzema from close range in the first half, the Brazilian produced a fabulous double-save to keep out Toni Kroos and then parried a shot from Ramos just in front of the goal-line.
Apart from the three goals he conceded (which were more down to Barcelona's ineptitude at the back), Neto was solid between the nets and made six saves in total - twice as many as that of his Real Madrid number Thibaut Courtois.
Neto endured Real Madrid's late onslaught with great fortitude, and without his heroics, Barcelona would've easily conceded more goals than the three they did.
