Barcelona thump Real in La Liga clasico
Tales AZZONI |
Barcelona’s losing run against Real Madrid is finally over as the Catalan club enjoyed a stunning 4-0 away win in La Liga at the home of their bitter rivals.
The visitors maintained their momentum under coach Xavi in the last clasico of the season, ending a five-match losing streak to Real and maintaining an outside chance of fighting for the title after a difficult start to the campaign.
The victory — a first against Real since 2019 — came in style, like a few others it got at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with Lionel Messi in his prime.
It was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who thrived this time, scoring twice to continue his great streak since being signed in the final minutes of the winter transfer window.
Ronald Araujo and Ferran Torres added a goal each to give Barcelona a seventh win in their past eight matches in all competitions.
“Of course we didn’t expect this scoreline, but we did everything we intended to do from the start,” Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets said.
“Everything went our way and we could have scored even more goals.”
The result moved Barcelona within 12 points of league leaders Real with nine rounds to go, and they could further cut the gap with a game in hand against Rayo Vallecano.
Barcelona are third, level on points with fourth-place Atletico Madrid and three points behind second-placed Sevilla, who drew 0-0 at home with Real Sociedad.
Real badly missed injured captain and goal machine Karim Benzema as their eight-game unbeaten run in the league came to a crushing end.
“The result says it all,” Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez said.
“We played badly and they played well. Nothing worked for us.”
Aubameyang, who has now scored nine goals in his 11 appearances since arriving from Arsenal, opened the scoring with a close-range header after a cross by Ousmane Dembele in the 29th minute, and sealed the victory with a neat clipped finish over goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in a breakaway in the 51st.
Araujo had added to the lead with a header off a corner kick in the 38th before Torres scored the third in the 47th, after a clever flick-pass by Aubameyang as the Madrid defence collapsed yet again.
Fifth-placed Real Betis were held to a goalless draw at Celta Vigo, Villarreal lost 1-0 at lowly Cadiz while relegation-threatened Mallorca’s defeat by the same score at Espanyol was their sixth consecutive loss.
AP
