El Clasico: Barcelona stun Real Madrid 4-0 at Bernabeu to finish shedding streak

Barcelona’s shedding run in opposition to Real Madrid is lastly over because the Catalan membership loved a shocking 4-0 win Sunday and confirmed its title hopes within the Spanish league perhaps aren’t completed simply but.

𝙊𝙝 𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙚 ! 𝙊𝙝 𝙡𝙖 𝙡𝙖 !
𝙎𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙘̧𝙖 𝙚́𝙨, 𝙚𝙡 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙝𝙞 𝙝𝙖 ! pic.twitter.com/6yZQsaTdUW

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 21, 2022

Barcelona stored its good momentum below coach Xavi Hernandez within the final ‘clasico’ of the season. The win ended a five-match shedding streak to its rival and maintained an outdoor probability of combating for the title after a troublesome begin to its first season with out Lionel Messi.

The victory _ its first in opposition to Madrid since 2019 _ got here in fashion, like a couple of others Barcelona loved on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with Messi in his prime.

It was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who thrived this time, scoring twice to proceed his nice streak since being signed within the ultimate minutes of the winter switch window. Ronald Araujo and Ferran Torres added a purpose every to offer Barcelona its seventh win within the final 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 stated. “Everything went our way and we could have scored even more goals.”

The end result moved Barcelona inside 12 factors of league chief Madrid with 9 rounds to go, and it might additional lower the hole to 9 factors if it wins its recreation in hand in opposition to Rayo Vallecano.

“If we have a minimum chance, we will keep fighting,” Busquets stated. “We know it’s going to be hard, but in soccer anything can happen.”

“A big step for the team”

— @ericgm3 after Barça’s 4-0 win in #ElClásico pic.twitter.com/g21aj8kk87

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 21, 2022

Barcelona is stage on factors with fourth-place Atletico Madrid and is three factors behind second-place Sevilla, which was held 0-0 at house in opposition to Real Sociedad earlier Sunday for its third straight draw within the league.

Madrid, which badly missed the injured Karim Benzema, was unbeaten in its final eight video games within the league, with six wins. It had overwhelmed its Catalan rival 2-1 at Camp Nou of their first league recreation final yr.

“The result says it all,” Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez stated.

“We played badly and they played well. Nothing worked for us. It was our first bad match this season. Maybe we were too relaxed because of our advantage in the standings.”

It was Madrid’s first house loss in 24 league video games, since shedding to Levante in January 2021.

Barcelona has been revitalized by Xavi and its assault has been crimson scorching, outscoring opponents 24-5 in its final eight matches, with Aubameyang and Torres combining for 15 objectives since arriving on the membership this yr.

“This is a very good moment to celebrate”

— Xavi after Barça’s 4-0 win in #ElClásico pic.twitter.com/L9120ieCv4

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 21, 2022

Aubameyang has now scored 9 objectives in his 11 appearances since arriving from Arsenal.

He opened the scoring with a close-range header after a cross by Ousmane Dembele within the twenty ninth minute, and sealed the victory with a pleasant flick over goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in a breakaway within the 51st.

Araujo had added to the lead with a header off a nook kick within the thirty eighth earlier than Torres scored the third within the forty seventh after a intelligent flick-pass by Aubameyang because the Madrid protection collapsed but once more.

Barcelona had a number of different important scoring alternatives all through the match, with Aubameyang, Torres and Dembele amongst these lacking good possibilities.

Benzema, the league’s prime scorer with 22 objectives, couldn’t play due to a left-leg harm sustained within the league match in opposition to Mallorca, when he scored for the eighth time in 5 video games in all competitions. The French striker had netted a hat trick in Madrid’s thrilling comeback win in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain final week within the Champions League on the Bernabeu.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti didn’t substitute Benzema with one other striker, as a substitute utilizing Luka Modric in a false-nine place on the prime of the attacking line together with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. Madrid barely threatened, although, and Ancelotti needed to change techniques within the second half by placing Mariano Diaz up entrance, which additionally didn’t assist a lot.

Barcelona has additionally secured a spot within the quarterfinals of the Europa League. It hosts Sevilla within the league after the worldwide break, whereas Madrid visits midtable Celta Vigo.

OTHER RESULTS

Fifth-place Real Betis missed an opportunity to realize some floor after being held to a 0-0 draw at Celta. Manual Pellegrini’s group stayed 4 factors behind Barcelona and Atletico, and two factors forward of Real Sociedad in a decent struggle for the Champions League locations.

Villarreal stayed three factors behind Betis after a 1-0 loss at Cadiz, which is simply outdoors the relegation zone. Mallorca stayed some extent behind Cadiz after shedding 1-0 at Espanyol for its sixth consecutive defeat.