'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Xavi and his men have announced themselves to the world. This is a revitalized Barcelona; hungry to win, eager to score goals, takes pride in clean sheets and never backs out of a challenge no matter the magnitude. This is what fans pay to watch, and Xavi-ball is leading the Blaugrana into a new era.
Both Real Madrid and Barcelona came into this game on the back of two huge wins. Los Blancos registered an emphatic 3-0 victory over Mallorca to solidify their position at the top of the table, while Barcelona beat Galatassary 2-1 to head into the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
However, it was Barcelona who turned on the heat. After an end-to-end 28 minutes, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang decided to announce himself to the Madrid faithful with a slick header, latching onto Ousmane Dembele's cross to open the scoring.
Just minutes later, Ronald Araujo added insult to injury with another headed goal, this time from a corner, courtesy of another excellent delivery from Dembele. Real Madrid were caught napping on numerous occasions in the first 45 minutes, and with a 2-goal lead, the fixture was seemingly done and dusted.
The hosts were lethargic throughout the 90 and were awful defensively, which is further emphasized by the fact that they conceded 4 goals in 22 minutes of football. On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the fixture.
#5 Real Madrid wore all black for their funeral
Real Madrid were toyed around the park by a young and rejuvenated Barcelona side. El Clasico is the greatest footballing fixture the world has ever seen and last night Barcelona's kids decided to put up a performance for the history books.
The midfield of Frenkie De Jong and Pedri, along with the wide players Ferran Torres and Dembele, pulled up to the Bernabeu and decided to drop a 10/10 performance in their respective departments. Sergio Busquets decided to sit back and enjoy the show, while Aubameyang was happy to lend a hand.
Ironically, it was men vs boys as Barcelona showcased a clinical performance. Xavi and his coaching staff would be immensely proud of the way their team began, controlled, dominated and killed a Real Madrid team who are sitting top of the table.
#4 Sergio Busquets took Real Madrid's midfield for a trip around the globe
A midfield masterclass does not come any better, and it has taken a while for us to see one from Sergio Busquets on the big stage. Arguably the best defensive midfielder in history, Busquets yet again displayed what he brings to the table.
The 33-year-old was dominating the midfield at every opportunity he received. The midfielder covered the most distance today (11.2 km) out of any player on the pitch, as well as winning the most tackles and interceptions.
The Spaniard has faced his own share of criticism over the past few months, but he continues to prove why he still has it in himself. With as much as 95 touches in the game, Real Madrid could not get a hold of this man.
#3 Carlo Ancelotti was tactically outclased by Barcelona manager Xavi
Karim Benzema was sidelined for the El Clasico due to a calf injury which he suffered in Real Madrid's victory over Mallorca last weekend. Benzema was certainly a huge miss for the Whites.
Carlo Ancelotti decided to change the whole system to cope with his star striker's absence. This is evidently where he lost the game. Vinicious was advised to stay very high up the pitch, which left Nacho alone against arguably the best 1v1 player in the league, Dembele. The Spaniard was turned inside out at any given point of time by the Frenchman, and Kroos simply could not provide the defensive help he needed.
Instead of replacing Benzema with either Mariano, Luka Jovic or even Eden Hazard, the former Everton manager altered the formation to accommodate Federico Valvere and Luka Modric for the game. Eventually, it backfired.
Real Madrid's midfield was left empty against a midfield-heavy team like Barcelona. Fede Valverde had a bit of a free role which he could not exploit, while the Catalans overloaded the wide areas and created numerous goalscoring opportunities.
The 4-2-4 line-up that Ancelotti set up was a clear mismatch to Barca's 4-3-3. Not only did they get played out of the park in possession, the hosts were not able to breach Barca's defense at all, except on a few rare occasions.
#2 Audacious Aubameyang!
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had done wonders at his former club. In Arsenal's years of turmoil, Aubameyang's brilliance has seen them lift two trophies, courtesy of his braces in the semi-finals and finals of the FA Cup and a winning goal in the Community Shield.
However, the story ended poorly at Arsenal as he was pushed out by Mikel Arteta. Barcelona took advantage of the situation and are now flying high along with the Gabonese.
The 32-year-old has started for Barcelona 8 times this season, scoring 8 goals in the process and providing an assist. The former Dortmund striker will be up there with the best free transfers of the decade if Barca go on to win the Europa League and push Real Madrid to their limits in La Liga.
The Gabonese striker is the second player to score twice and provide an assist on a Clasico debut. Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano in 1953 is the first to do so. As Xavi said, "Aubameyang has been a gift from heaven" and rightly so.
He might not be the most technically gifted striker, but if there is one thing he guarantees, it's big goals in big games and on a consistent basis. The striker's awareness, off-the-ball movement, and consistency is second to none.
#1 Xavi proves why he is ready for the job
Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Xavi was appointed Barcelona coach as a replacement for Ronald Koeman. While the latter did not do anything remarkable at the club, questions were asked over Xavi's experience and whether he was ready to accept a job of this magnitude.
It would be safe to say that he has proved all his critics wrong, and has even surprised his own fans. Barcelona play one of the silkiest and most impressive styles of football in the league. The Spaniard has brought back the charm that was long-lost, and his performance for the Blaugrana is backed by numbers.
The perfectionism he thrives for is evident in Barca's recent games. The Catalans have scored 31 goals in their last 11 games, conceding just 10 goals. Their performance last night was not only cohesive, but also of the highest degree in terms of chemistry amongst the players, defensive robustness and confidence in their game plan.
This was a thrashing of Real Madrid but more importantly, the project at Barcelona was highlighted. Barcelona are favorites to win the Europa League and could possibly make a final push for the league title. Although they sit 12 points behind Real with a game in hand, it is not over until it is over.
