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Raphinha's thunderous strike from range proved to be the difference between Barcelona and Real Madrid as the two rivals locked horns in an El Clasico friendly.
It was a friendly by name but it would be naive to expect much cordiality when Real Madrid and Barcelona square off against each other. At the end of 90 minutes, it was the Catalans who emerged victorious, thanks to a stunning strike from Raphinha a couple of minutes before the half-hour mark.
Although Barcelona won by a single goal, they did deserve the win as they were the superior side between the two. Xavi Hernandez's men did not let Real Madrid have a single shot on target and they played some very good football, especially in the first half.
Things did get intense and a bit physical in the second half, with players shoving each other and getting in each other's faces. Barcelona have started their pre-season on a good note and have now won two games in a row.
Real Madrid did create a few good chances but some of their players were a bit off the pace and they paid for it. Without further ado, let's take a look at the hits and flops from the game.
#5 Hit - Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Thibaut Courtois picked up from where he left off in the UEFA Champions League final with an excellent performance between the sticks for Real Madrid. He made a comfortable save off a Robert Lewandowski shot in the first half but it wasn't until the latter stages of the game that the Belgian really proved his worth.
He saved two close-range attempts from Ousmane Dembele and also came up trumps in a one-on-one against Franck Kessie. Real Madrid have Courtois to thank for keeping the scoreline at 1-0. The 30-year-old showed once again why he is arguably the best goalkeeper in the game right now.
#4 Flop - Eder Miltao (Real Madrid)
Eder Militao started the game decently but it was an appalling mistake of his that led to the only goal of the game. Militao tried to pull off a cross-field pass from within Real Madrid's defensive third only to end up conceding possession to Raphinha.
The Brazilian winger received the ball in space and did not need an invitation to fire the ball into the back of the net. Militao's confidence clearly dipped from that point on and he looked shaky at the back from that point onwards. He was limping towards the end of the first half and was subbed off early in the second.
#3 Hit - Ronald Araujo (Barcelona)
Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo showed exactly why he is widely considered to become one of the club's main men for a very long time. The Uruguay international turned in a near faultless performance for his side despite starting at right back.
He was always on call to intervene whenever Real Madrid got inside the attacking third. Araujo fared well against the tricky Vinicius Jr. this time around and was oozing with confidence.
He also embarked on an excellent driving run from his own half all the way to the other side but his cross ended up being a little overhit.
#2 Flop - Eden Hazard (Real Madrid)
Carlo Ancelotti knows just how important Karim Benzema is to this Real Madrid side. The Frenchman did not feature last night as he is reportedly short on match fitness but it is likely that he was just not risked ahead of the new season. This led to Ancelotti fielding Eden Hazard in his new experimental false nine role.
But Hazard failed to prove a point or make an impact for his team. He was a passenger for the majority of the time he was on the pitch. The Belgium international struggled to beat defenders with the ball at his feet and couldn't create anything of note in the final third.
#1 Hit - Raphinha (Barcelona)
Two games, two goals and two assists. Barcelona's summer arrival Raphinha is starting to look like an excellent signing and he got his first El Clasico goal last night with a scorcher from range.
He snatched on to a wayward cross-field ball from Eder Militao, teed himself up for a shot and sent it flying into the top corner away from the reach of Courtois. Raphinha was at the center of everything good that came from Barcelona in the first half.
He consistently caused problems for Antonio Rudiger and looked every bit the enterprising attacker we had come to admire during his time with Leeds United.
