Barcelona's title ambitions suffered a massive dent this weekend as Real Madrid edged the Catalans to a 2-1 victory at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano. Barcelona were poor in the first half and Real Madrid took full toll to clinch a crucial victory.Barcelona have now slipped to third place in the La Liga standings but remain in contention for the La Liga crown. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have moved to the top of the league table and made a massive statement with this victory.VICTORY ☄️⚔️ #AlHamdulilah ❤️#HalaMadrid #ElClásico pic.twitter.com/yGWXN4TGkE— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) April 10, 2021Real Madrid pipped Barcelona to an important victoryBarcelona had plenty of possession in the first half but were unable to find space in the final third as Real Madrid defended with rigid lines. The home side looked dangerous on the counter and Zinedine Zidane's plans paid dividends as Karim Benzema netted a magical goal to open the scoring for Real Madrid.Barcelona seemed lost for answers as Los Blancos grew into the game and began to threaten Ter Stegen's goal. Toni Kroos made the most of his purple patch and scored his first-ever El Clasico goal with a deflected free-kick to double Real Madrid's lead.Barcelona stepped up in the second halfBarcelona approached the second half with plenty of intent and dominated the proceedings against Real Madrid. The Catalans created a series of chances before Oscar Mingueza found himself in the right place at the right time and poked a Jordi Alba cross into the back of the net.Real Madrid fashioned their own chances at the other end and Vinicius Junior and Marcelo nearly restored the two-goal cushion. Barcelona came close to their equaliser on a number of occasions were unable to take the lead.Real Madrid Player RatingsReal Madrid fielded a strong squadThibaut Courtois - 6.5/10Thibaut Courtois made an excellent intervention to deny Ousmane Dembele a tap-in in the opening stages of the game. The Belgian shot-stopper pulled off a few good saves and played an important role for Real Madrid.Eder Militao - 7/10Eder Militao had the unenviable job of serving as the final obstacle against the likes of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann and exceeded expectations on the night.Nacho - 7/10Nacho put in an understated shift for Real Madrid and pulled off some crucial blocks to thwart Barcelona's attacking forays. The Spaniard harried Lionel Messi and was a thorn in the Catalans' side.Lucas Vazquez - 7.5/10Lucas Vazquez enjoyed an excellent stint on the pitch and bagged an assist for Karim Benzema's goal. The Spaniard was involved in an unfortunate clash with Sergio Busquets and was taken off before half-time.Ferland Mendy - 5.5/10Ferland Mendy linked up well with Vinicius Junior throughout the game but did have his problems against Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman could have done more to prevent Oscar Mingueza's goal.FT: Real Madrid 2-1 BarcelonaDespite a second half Barcelona goal and a late Casemiro red card, Real Madrid hold on to pick up a crucial three points that takes them top of the league.#bbcfootball #elclasico— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 10, 2021Casemiro - 6.5/10Casemiro dominated his battles with Pedri in the first half and won possession for Real Madrid on several occasions. The Brazilian midfielder received bookings in quick succession in the second half and was sent off in stoppage-time.Luka Modric - 7/10Luka Modric showed flashes of extraordinary brilliance throughout the game and his exquisite passes created several chances for Real Madrid. The Croatian midfielder did not see much of the ball in the second half but had a good game.Toni Kroos - 8/10Toni Kroos enjoyed an exceptional first half and was rewarded with his first goal against Barcelona after his free-kick took two deflections to find the back of the net. The German midfielder was the beating heart of his side and had a positive outing.🔟 goals in 9⃣ games for Karim Benzema as Real Madrid win both Liga matches against Barcelona for the first time since 2007/08.#UCL pic.twitter.com/Q9N7Mva1D9— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 10, 2021Federico Valverde - 7.5/10Federico Valverde seems to bring out his best self against Barcelona and his driving run played an instrumental role in the opening goal. The Uruguayan put in an excellent shift and was replaced by Marco Asensio in the second half.Vinicius Junior - 7/10Vinicius Junior tormented Barcelona's defence on the night and his pace caused the Catalans a series of problems. The Brazilian youngster won the free-kick for Real Madrid's second goal but also failed to make the most of some excellent opportunities.Karim Benzema - 8/10Karim Benzema has produced crucial goals for Real Madrid this season and stunned Barcelona with his goal in the first half. The French striker also troubled Barcelona in the second half and was surprisingly taken off by Zinedine Zidane after the hour-mark.SubstitutesReal Madrid were excellent in the first halfAlvaro Odriozola - 6.5/10Alvaro Odriozola replaced the injured Lucas Vazquez in the first half and put in a good shift. The Spanish full-back did not offer much in the final third but produced some crucial interventions in his own half.Marco Asensio - 6/10Marco Asensio came on for the impressive Federico Valverde in the second half and provided Real Madrid with an asset on the counter.Isco - 6/10Isco had a few attempts saved towards the end of the match but did not spend enough time on the pitch to exert his influence on the game.Mariano Diaz - 6/10Mariano Diaz was introduced towards the end of the match and did not have much of an impact on the proceedings.Marcelo - 6/10Marcelo added defensive solidity to Real Madrid's back line and was brought on to protect his side's lead. The Brazilian nearly made an impact at the opposite end of the pitch but was unable to force Ter Stegen into a save.Also Read: Real Betis vs Atletico Madrid prediction, preview, team news and more | La Liga 2020-21