MADRID —
Xavi Hernandez said Barcelona’s 4-0 thrashing
of Real Madrid could be transformative for the club after their Clasico
demolition at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
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Barcelona blew
Madrid away as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice either side of goals from
Ronald Araujo and Ferran Torres.
The match was
billed as a test of
Barca’s progress under Xavi and they passed with flying
colors, a humiliation of their fiercest rivals suggesting they are primed to
challenge again for La Liga next season.
“It can change
the dynamics of the present and the future,” said Xavi. “We had lots of chances
and we were much better than Madrid, far superior. We deserved to score so many
goals.”
Asked if
Barcelona are back, Xavi said: “It can be. This is the right path.”
And while the
result might have little bearing on the title race this term, a defeat of this
magnitude, at home, and against Barcelona, will cause serious reverberations at
Real Madrid.
It will go down
with other historic Clasico thrashings, like when Barca won 6-2 at Real Madrid
in 2009 under Pep Guardiola or 5-0 at home two years later.
Questions will
be asked about Carlo Ancelotti’s future, with Madrid outplayed tactically and
technically by Xavi’s Barca, who were faster, slicker and, perhaps most
worryingly, could easily have won by more.
“We played badly
and I planned the game badly,” said Ancelotti. “I am sorry for the defeat and I
am sad. But we have to keep it in perspective.”
Madrid were
admittedly without the injured
Karim Benzema and Ferland Mendy while there
could have been a degree of complacency, given they kicked off nine points
clear at the top of the table after Sevilla were held to a goalless draw by
Real Sociedad.
But none of that
will excuse a loss as dramatic as this one, the only relief now that a
resurgent Barcelona are still 12 points behind, albeit with a game in hand.
Aubameyang’s
double means he now has nine goals in 11 games for Barcelona and the Gabon
striker is looking like a superb January signing.
Pedri was
outstanding again too — but this was a night for the bigger picture, as
Barcelona’s revival made its biggest statement so far.
When Barca were
beaten by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup in January, the Catalans were
criticized for celebrating the manner of their narrow defeat.
“We are getting
closer,” said Gerard Pique.
After five
consecutive losses to Madrid, a win of any kind was the next step for Barca but
a hammering like this could be transformative, delivering a huge boost to
confidence, vindication of Xavi’s project and optimism for next season all in
one fell swoop.
‘We are back’
Shortly after the final whistle here, Pique tweeted: “We are back.”
Eder Militao
clattered Pedri in the opening minute and that was about as close as Real
Madrid got to him all game.
Soon, the
chances started coming for Barca as
Ferran Torres pulled back for Aubameyang
but he scuffed straight at Thibaut Courtois, who then had to palm wide a
curling effort from Ousmane Dembele.
Barca’s
dominance was growing and in the 29th minute they scored, Dembele racing round
the outside of Nacho Fernandez and crossing for Aubameyang to head in.
Vinicius Junior
might have changed the game if he had converted after being sent through but a
heavy touch allowed Marc-Andre ter Stegen to save.
Instead,
Barcelona doubled their lead when
Ronald Araujo headed in from a corner before
half-time and after it, the humiliation began.
David Alaba and
Militao both committed themselves to sliding tackles and both missed,
Aubameyang executing a superb flicked pass to Torres, who made no mistake.
Worse was to
come, as Pique’s ball over the top allowed Aubameyang to scoop in a brilliant
finish for a fourth in the 51st minute. Madrid thought they were spared by the
offside flag but VAR intervened and the goal stood.
Aubameyang,
Torres and
Dembele could all have furthered the embarrassment for Madrid, the
latter poking wide after skipping in behind and holding off Militao.
By then, Aubameyang had
gone off, the victory already complete and the stadium quickly emptying.
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