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Real Madrid avoided a crisis in the best possible way on Saturday by winning Barcelona 3-1 in the first Empty Classic, landing an early hit in The league title race.
Barça had the opportunity to inflict a third consecutive defeat on their rivals and increase the pressure on Zinedine Zidane.
Instead, Madrid’s victory gives them a six-point lead over the Catalans, after having played one more game.
“There are only three points but you have to enjoy them, especially after everything that has been said about the squad,” said Zidane.
A penalty from Sergio Ramos and a late goal from Luka Modric ended Barcelona after Federico Valverde and Ansu Fati exchanged the first goals in a frenzied game that challenged those who expected more evidence of two declining heavyweights.
“You always have losing streaks in a season and hopefully this only lasted a week,” Ramos said. “Winning at the home of your oldest rivals is always a satisfaction.”
Barcelona may feel bad, especially as Ramos’ penalty was awarded after a VAR control and a hugely exaggerated knockdown by the Madrid captain after Clement Lenglet threw his shirt at him.
“Maybe one day you can explain how VAR works here in Spain,” Koeman said. “We have five games in the league and the VAR has only intervened against Barça.”
But aside from an impressive period in the first half, when Lionel Messi threatened to win the match on his own, Madrid were dominant for longer periods and walked away when it mattered.
This was Ronald Koeman’s first Clásico as Barcelona coach and some of the pressure that Zidane would have felt from a loss is now transferred to the Dutchman, who has overseen just three wins in his first six games in charge.
Barcelona will face Juventus in the Champions League this Wednesday, without the suspended Gerard Piqué.
Each Barça setback now reflects the future of Messi, for whom it could even have been the last Clásico at the Camp Nou. The Argentine, who failed to leave last summer, has yet to score in open play this season.
Mundo Deportivo had declared the game “The least Classic of Classics” on its cover on Saturday morning.
The coronavirus pandemic caused the largest soccer stadium in Europe to remain silent during the match that La Liga president Javier Tebas had claimed “remains the most important soccer match in the world.”
The week before, Real Madrid had lost to Shakhtar Donestsk and the newly promoted Cádiz, while Barcelona fell to Getafe.
However, a drop in quality does not have to mean a drop in drama and any questions about the excitement of this match were answered within eight minutes as both teams had scored.
Madrid made the exit they dreamed of when Karim Benzema dived deep into the right channel and was allowed to turn, with Valverde running past him.
Valverde opened the gap before lifting a curved shot past Neto and into the far corner.
But after three minutes, Barcelona was level. Messi, almost from the left side, hit a ball over the top to free Jordi Alba, who shot the front post where Fati went ahead of Ramos and got in.
He was quick and open for the rest of the half, with Messi enjoying a golden spell. He passed Casemiro and then swerved around Ramos, but with his right foot, the shot stabbed Thibaut Courtois at the first post.
Benzema should have scored too and Madrid finished stronger before the break, but Barça were better right after. Fati swerved and Philippe Coutinho missed a free header off the back post.
His momentum was slowed by an error by Lenglet, a pull in the area clear enough that Ramos’ jersey was stretched, although the fall was comical. Referee Juan Martínez checked the monitor. Ramos found the corner.
Barca wanted a penalty themselves when Ramos kicked a punt on Raphael Varane’s arm, but this time there was no whistle and Madrid hardly bothered thereafter.
Ramos and Valverde could have made three in the final minutes before substitute Modric did, finishing beautifully after Neto ran off.
