For the first time in a while, Barcelona fans have something to be cheerful about. Their club dominated bitter rivals Real Madrid in a 4-0 El Clasico win on Sunday night and it signaled better times for the struggling Catalan giants.
Real was a favorite entering the match, sitting comfortably at the top of La Liga’s table and having just eliminated Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League. However, Barca was more than ready to crash the party at the Bernabeu.
Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 29th minute, scoring an uncharacteristic header after a cross from Ousmane Dembele. Ronald Araújo and Ferran Torres added a couple more in 38th and 47th minute, respectively, before Aubameyang scored another in 51st for 4-0. This turned out to be the game’s final result as Real was unable to do anything that would challenge Barca’s dominance.
The win, their first in El Clasico since 2019, got Barcelona got closer to moving up on the La Liga standings, as they are only three points behind Sevilla on No. 2 with a game in hand. But more importantly, it is another confirmation that the club finds itself on the right course under new head coach Xavi.
Barcelona is now undefeated in the past 12 games in all competitions and has nine wins during that span. They might not be able to challenge Real for the title in 2021-22, as the Madrid club already accumulated a 12-point lead, but there is no doubt that they have already regained their status as La Liga’s powerhouse.
