Xavi Hernandez: struck first to open the floodgates / Fotosports.com
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT / Sports Features Communications
BARCELONA, Nov 29: Spain playmaker Xavi Hernandez, winger Pedro, striker David Villa (two) and substitute Jeffren Suarez shot Barcelona to a magnificent 5-0 massacre of Real Madrid in the Spanish league Clasico in front of a delighted 97,000 crowd in Camp Nou.
Some 13 World Cup-winners and two World Players of the Year faced up in a heavyweight clash which proved even more dramatic than usual and ended in humiliation for Madrid and coach Jose Mourinho. It was almost an aside to the occasion that Barcelona took over at the top of the table.
Madrid were missing injured Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain; Frenchman Karim Benzema stepped in for only his second start of the campaign. But he had barely touched the ball when Barcelona went ahead.
Leo Messi had already struck a post with an exquisite left-foot chip from out on the right in the fifth minute and Xavi went one better in the 11st minute when capitalised on a deflected through pass from Andres Iniesta to beat Iker Casillas from close range.
Six minutes later and Barcelona were 2-0 ahead. David Villa found an acre of space on the left, wriggled around Sergio Ramos and fired in a low cross which skimmed off the ends of the diving Casillas's fingers and left Pedro with an open goal at his mercy.
Madrid stepped up the pace of their game after that but Barcelona continued to look the composed and secure all the way through to half-time. They then extended their command with two superbly-taken goals by Villa in the 55th and 57th minutes.
Substitute Jeffren Suarez rattled home a fifth in the last minute and the game ended in angry scuffling after heavy clashes in midfield saw Sergio Ramos sent off.
