Barcelona slaughter Real Madrid in one-sided Clasico and go tops

Mon, 29 Nov 2010

Madrid - Barcelona cruised to the top of the Spanish Liga on Monday by thrashing historic rivals 5-0 in a delighted Camp Nou.

David Villa scored twice for the Catalans, who are now two points above Real. Barca's other goals were put away by Xavi, Pedro and supersub Jeffren. Real had Spain defender Sergio Ramos sent off at the end.

It was the biggest thrashing suffered by Real in Barcelona since 1994 and is their first defeat under new coach Jose Mourinho. Barca have beaten the whites in all five Clasicos since Pep Guardiola was appointed coach in 2008.

Mourinho's tactic of playing with an advanced defense dramatically back-fired on him, as time and again Xavi and Andres Iniesta played through-balls for Villa, Pedro and Lionel Messi to run onto.

Indeed, the result would have been even more embarrassing for the Portuguese coach had it not been for Messi's uncharacteristically wasting several clear chances.

Barca dominated from start to finish, enjoying almost 70 per cent possession. After just six minutes, Messi hit Iker Casillas' far post with a clever curling shot.

The capacity crowd did not have to wait long for the first goal. In the 10th minute Iniesta exquisitely played Xavi through. The veteran playmaker scuffed his first shot but then calmly chipped Casillas to make it 1-0.

Eight minutes later, with the Camp Nou on fire, Villa took a pass from Xavi down the left and skipped past Sergio Ramos. His center was fumbled by Casillas, allowing Pedro to make it 2-0 from close range.

It was men against boys from then on, with Mourinho's young team looking hopelessly out of its depth. The white cause was not helped by Gonzalo Higuain's missing out due to a back injury. This left Cristiano Ronaldo alone in attack and the Portuguese striker looked nervous and overawed by the occasion.

Barca started the second half as they had started the first - with speed, precision and penetration. Villa scored two similar goals within the space of three minutes by finishing calmly after after being played through by Messi on both occasions.

The elegant hosts then eased up, as if not wanted to humiliate Real. But in injury time Jeffren made it 5-0 by turning in a center from fellow substitute Bojan.

The fifth goal caused Ramos to lose his discipline and he was sent off for an awful, needless foul on Messi.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355794,one-sided-clasico-go-tops.html.