Real Madrid 0-3 Barcelona
And you better believe it! Barcelona raced nine points clear at the top of La Liga after a convincing Christmas El Clasico win at a packed Bernabeu.
Goals from Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Aleix Vidal swept Los Blancos aside, and with the gap between the two giants of Spanish football now a huge 14 points, you’ll struggle to get generous betting odds on the title returning to the Camp Nou. Betting tips were divided before the game, with home advantage making Zinedine Zidane’s team marginal favourites, but a devastating ten-minute spell early in the second half put paid to that.
The Bernabeu briefly erupted as early as two minutes when Cristiano Ronaldo converted from a corner, only to be flagged offside. And the rest of the first half was played out as a tactical battle, Paulinho coming closest for the visitors but being smartly denied by tow good saves from Keylor Navas. Then on 42 minutes, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema came agonizingly close, glancing the Barca post with a header.
At 0-0 at the break, both coaches still fancied a win, but it was Barca who came out flying. Jordi Alba crossing for Luis Suarez and the striker’s effort was held by Navas. But Los Blancos’ keeper could do nothing a minute later when Sergi Roberto crossed for Suarez, who made no mistake this time to send the visiting Catalans wild.
And it was game over, nine minutes later, when Real’s Dani Caravajal received his marching orders, after handling on the goal-line, and Lionel Messi stepped up to slam the spot-kick home for his 15th of the season.
Real’s bad day got worse when Aleix Vidal, a 92nd-minute substitute, scored a minute later, though Navas should really have kept his shot out.
It’s a long way back now for Los Blancos, and a very, very Happy Christmas to Barca!
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