- Barcelona 5-1 Real Madrid
- Coutinho fires hosts ahead (11)
- Suarez hits hat-trick (30, 75, 83)
- Marcelo made it 2-1 (50)
- Vidal heads in fifth (87)
- First Clasico without Messi, Ronaldo since 2007
Madrid are sunk and there’s nowhere to hide. It’s a whitewash for the team in white as Dembele easily gets beyond Nacho down the left and chips the ball in for Arturo Vidal to head past Courtois.
This has shades of the 5-0 dismantling here back in 2010. Madrid were on the brink of getting back on level terms, but they’ve been rolled over in the last 15 minutes.
Luis Suarez makes no mistake, firing low to Courtois’ right to score Barcelona’s second goal as El Clasico gets underway.
GOAL! BARCELONA 3-1 REAL MADRID (Suarez, 75)
He’s just become a father for the third time and life is good, and full of smiles for Luis Suarez. Dembele makes an instant impact as he runs at the Madrid defence before laying the ball off for Sergi Roberto.
His cross is guided superbly into the net by the head of Suarez, with the ball flashing past Courtois before he can react!
GOAL! BARCELONA 2-1 REAL MADRID (Marcelo, 50)
Real have hope. Isco gets to the byline, his cross deflects off Lenglet to Marcelo, he gets the ball under control and slams it home, wrong-footing Ter Stegen.
It’s the Brazilian’s third goal in as many games. You can see how this game can swing so quickly, and Madrid have a lifeline. El Clasico is back on!
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois guessed the right way but Luis Suarez places his low penalty kick right in the corner. Excellent pen.
GOAL! BARCELONA 2-0 REAL MADRID (Suarez pen, 30)
Lopetegui can’t believe it. The referee on second viewing, awards the penalty and up steps Luis Suarez, who makes no mistake, firing low to Courtois’ right.
Philippe Coutinho – gave the host the lead as he beats Thibaut Courtois and Sergio Ramos on the line from.
GOAL! BARCELONA 1-0 REAL MADRID (Coutinho, 11)
Remarkable. What was I just saying. Jordi Alba gets in behind down the left, he takes a couple of touches and picks out the perfect pass for Philippe Coutinho who makes no mistake, tucking the ball into the net to Courtois’ left.
It was so simple. Madrid’s defence all at sea.
Barcelona and Real Madrid Starting XIs at Camp Nou.
Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Arthur; Rafinha, Suarez, Coutinho
Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Nacho, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Isco, Bale, Benzema.
Ernesto Valverde has preferred Rafinha to start ahead of Ousmane Dembele as Barcelona deal with Lionel Messi’s injury absence against Real Madrid in Sunday’s Clasico.
Barca captain Messi broke his arm in last week’s win over Sevilla and, with Cristiano Ronaldo having departed Madrid, the biggest domestic club game in European football has been given a very different complexion.
That sees Rafinha, who started and scored against former club Inter in the Champions League, keeping his place and supporting Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez in attack.
Dembele replaced Messi against Sevilla, but there is no room for the France international in the side as he waits to make his Clasico bow.
While Barca line up with the same team that defeated Inter 2-0, there are two changes to the Madrid side that scraped past Viktoria Plzen in midweek.
Thibaut Courtois and Raphael Varane come back in, with Keylor Navas and Lucas Vazquez making way, while Marcelo is fit to start.
The Brazil defender left the field late in Tuesday’s 2-1 triumph with a knock as Madrid ended the game with 10 men.
- The Seven Focal Points of El Clasico
The focus leading up to El Clasico has largely been centred on the future of Julen Lopetegui and on two players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who will not be on the field at the Camp Nou.
There are several other keys to this fixture, though.
Here, we look at seven areas where this match could be won or lost.
The struggle for possession
Real Madrid haven’t won the possession duel against Barcelona in a LaLiga Santander game since a Clasico at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 2007/08.
However, a new element enters the equation the year as Lopetegui has been determined to make his team one which hoards the ball.
Both teams have dominated the ball this year in the league (69.8 percent of the time for the Blaugrana and 68.1 percent for Los Blancos) and have the most passes too (6,545 and 6,173).
In other Clasicos, it would be taken for granted that Barcelona would have the ball and Real would try to counter-attack, but in this case things may be different.
Marcelo’s positioning
It’s not a secret that Real Madrid‘s rivals are looking for gaps left by Marcelo as he attacks.
If there are any doubts, the highlights video of their defeat at the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan will dissipate those.
The Brazilian’s offensive qualities often make him leave his position at the back and it is a gap that sometimes becomes a big one and causes real problems.
It will be interesting to see which player Ernesto Valverde chooses to attempt to explore the territory that Marcelo vacates.
Attacking with Isco and Marcelo
Who he deploys on the right flank will not be the only decision that Valverde has to make in relation to Marcelo, a player whose influence means he will have a prominent role in Barcelona‘s planning for the game.
If he can sometimes leave his side exposed in defence, he is also one of the biggest threats for Lopetegui‘s men in attack.
If there are no surprises, then Nelson Semedo or Sergi Roberto will be charged with restricting Marcelo and Isco down that wing.
Both Real Madrid players have recently returned after fitness issues and have the opportunity to show that they still have magic in their boots.
Ammunition on the bench
Valverde and Lopetegui have two exciting options at their disposal on the bench.
Ousmane Dembele and Marco Asensio are two of the most devastating players in the division, capable of turning a game in an instant.
Given that the squads of both sides have so many important names in their ranks, it is normal that some stars will be benched for the Clasico and these two could have to start from the dugout.
However, given a chance to come in they could make their mark at any given time.
Bale and Coutinho’s punch
Without Ronaldo or Messi, the supporting actors now have the chance to play the lead role.
Gareth Bale and Philippe Coutinho can now take on that position and responsibility.
Both men are capable of individual moments of magic and will ensure that no opposing player is comfortable whenever they have the ball in the final third.
They are capable of goals, assists and even drawing fouls in dangerous areas in opposition territory.
Their abilities are different, but they are equally capable of being decisive at the Camp Nou.
The mystery of Ramos and Pique
One of the surprises this season has been the performances of the two centre-backs who for so long made up the heart of the national team’s defence.
Now, they are being questioned more than ever before for their performances, but each man gives the guarantee that only such prestigious names can offer in such an important game.
Their qualities on the deck and in the air mean they could be vital in victory (or defeat) for their respective teams on Sunday.
The early exchanges for Real Madrid
Real Madrid conceded two goals in the first quarter of an hour against Levante, while CSKA Moscow scored in the second minute and the start of the game in Seville was a nightmare for Lopetegui‘s men.
Valverde will have taken note of that and will want to take advantage of their lack of focus at the start of the games.
At the other end of the spectrum is Lopetegui, who needs to avoid, at the time of the siesta, any such signs of early sleepiness from his players.
GOAL! BARCELONA 4-1 REAL MADRID (Suarez, 83)
It gets worse for Madrid. Ramos is dreadfully careless in possession and the salt is rubbed into gaping Real wounds as Suarez is released through the middle by Dembele and he produces a sublime little dink over Courtois. It’s a hat-trick for the Uruguayan!