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Real Madrid reclaimed bragging rights in El Clasico with a 2-0 victory over their eternal rivals Barcelona, taking them back to the summit of La Liga.
The game started out firmly in the balance but Barcelona carved out the best chances of the first half, with Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann guilty of fluffing their lines when they should have done better.
The home side improved their performance at the restart and forced a couple of saves from Ter Stegen before breaking the deadlock in the 71st minute through a deflected strike by Vinicius Junior who overtook Messi as the youngest Clasico goalscorer in the 21st century.
Mariano Diaz came off the bench to score with his first touch of the game and the win means that Real Madrid got a first LaLiga victory over Barcelona at the Bernabeu since 2014.
Given the visitors' recent Clasico record as well as Real Madrid's poor week, Barcelona were expected to get something from this match but that failed to happen and here, we shall be highlighting five factors that contributed to the Blaugrana's defeat.
Also Read: Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona: 5 Talking Points | LaLiga 2019-20
#5 They did not take their chances when they had them
Barcelona started as the brighter of the two teams and were on the front foot in the first half as the hosts took a while to get going.
They were able to carve out the first real chance of the match when Jordi Alba burst down the left flank and lost Dani Carvajal before laying a square ball into the box but somehow, Antoine Griezmann managed to miss from 10 yards out.
The Frenchman soon combined well with Arturo Vidal but elected to pass to Lionel Messi in a tight angle when it would have been better to shoot but his captain could only muster a weak shot that was comfortably gathered by Thibaut Courtois.
The Barcelona skipper had an even better chance in the 40th minute when a lofted pass by Sergio Busquets found him one-on-one with the Real Madrid keeper but the normally precise Messi shot straight at the 27-year-old.
Real Madrid's improved performance after the break meant that Barcelona did not get a sniff of their goal again and at full-time, the Catalans were left ruing their missed first-half chances.
Also Read: Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona: Los Blancos player ratings | La Liga 2019-20
#4 Quique Setien's questionable substitution
Barcelona controversially terminated the contract of Ernesto Valverde in January and replaced him with Quique Setien and more than a few questioned the wisdom in the decision.
For all of his self-proclaimed admiration of the 'Cruyff way of playing football', the hard truth is that the former Real Betis man does not have the coaching pedigree or CV to take on a job the size of Barcelona.
Results under him have been mixed so far and while there have been flashes of his aesthetic style, the Catalans were largely unimpressive in their midweek draw with Napoli in the Champions League.
With Junior Firpo having underwhelmed in recent weeks, Setien replaced his former protege in the starting lineup with Clasico veteran Jordi Alba, also playing with a compact system comprising of four midfielders.
This helped Barcelona exert a level of control in the game but with Real Madrid gaining the ascendancy, the Blaugrana gaffer elected to take off the ineffective Arturo Vidal but rather than replace him with another midfielder, he brought on Martin Braithwaite for his Clasico debut.
His bravery was almost rewarded instantly as the former Leganes man raced onto a pass and forced Courtois off his line but the folly of this decision was revealed in the passage of play immediately after.
The 28-year-old failed to track Toni Kroos effectively and it was the German's pass to Vinicius that paved the way for the Brazilian to open his scoring.
For all of his shortcomings going forward, Vidal is a fighter and with Lionel Messi not to be bothered with tracking back, the Chilean's combativeness proves invaluable when Barcelona are defending.
With his substitution, Real Madrid gained an instant foothold in midfield and before Setien could realise his error to bring on Ivan Rakitic, the damage had already been done.
The 61-year-old was in charge of his first Clasico and he admitted to wanting to enjoy the spectacle but after his side's performance and questionable tactics, he would undoubtedly feel the pressure in the coming weeks.
#3 The Real Madrid players wanted it more
With a shock home loss to Real Sociedad knocking them out of the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid have just the league and Champions League to contest for the rest of the season.
Last week's losses to Levante and Manchester City saw questions asked of them and heading into the clash with Barcelona, another loss here could effectively have ended their season, prompting a repeat of the previous term where the final three months consisted of essentially dead-rubber fixtures for Los Blancos.
This is a less than ideal situation for a team of superstars and this coupled with their poor run of form at home to Barcelona gave an added incentive to go all out for victory.
For all of their shortcomings, this Real Madrid side is still blessed with numerous world-beaters who are capable of defeating anyone on their day and they showed as much in the clash with Barcelona.
The extra drive and motivation to win at all costs pushed the players into overdrive, pressing high up the field to limit the passing options, while also giving their all and winning most of the 50-50 balls.
When it came down to it, the Barcelona players were not as hungry as their hosts and this difference in desire and intensity ultimately saw Real Madrid get the better of them.
#2 The Barcelona players dropped off in the second half
As already indicated, Barcelona started on the front foot and fashioned the best chances of the game early on. At the midway point, all seemed well and good and the Catalans seemed set for a fifth consecutive victory at the home of their biggest rivals.
Quite what Zidane said to his wards at half-time might never be known but the Real Madrid players smelt blood and came all out for the kill at the restart of the game.
Playing out from the back is an integral part of Barcelona's game but Real Madrid's higher defensive line in the second half ensured that multiple players charged at Ter Stegen and his defenders, limiting their passing options and forced them into several errors.
The visitors seemed shell-shocked by this buccaneering display and were not able to perform at their usual levels, with the result being that we witnessed the uncharacteristic sight of Barcelona misplacing several passes in quick succession.
For all the quality within the ranks of the Blaugrana, they should not have been so rattled by the Real Madrid players and the fact that they put up a no-show in the second half was criminal and played a key role in their capitulation at the Bernabeu.
#1 Lionel Messi was well below-par
Given his status as arguably the greatest player in history, it is not often that you use disappointing and Lionel Messi in the same sentence but that was exactly what happened in the latest clash with Real Madrid.
The 32-year-old has been something of a menace to the capital side in this fixture and both players and fans of the club would have been wary of him, having been first-hand witnesses of the destruction he can cause.
With his four-goal haul against Eibar last weekend, much of the pre-game focus was on Messi but it was a case of much ado about nothing as the Rosario native put up a no-show in the capital.
He struggled to get a sniff at goal, with Casemiro doing an Italian job on him, which prompted him to drop deep and try to influence proceedings. However, the pedestrian nature of those around him and superior tempo of the Real Madrid players meant that his efforts were futile.
It is no hidden secret that Barcelona have been average in recent years and owe their successes to their iconic skipper. He makes them tick and when Messi plays well, the entire team generally plays well and while most of his teammates were equally poor against Real Madrid, much higher levels are expected from their captain and his failure to step up to the plate meant that Barcelona had next to no chance of coming out successful.
