Barcelona have ended the year with a very sweet taste in their mouths after a commanding 3-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Although the Catalans did not play a game meeting their regular standards, especially in the first half where Madrid were the drivers on the field, the Blaugrana stood strong against Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. and put three past Keylor Navas to reach a historic win in addition to the three golden points.
The starting line-up was no surprise as Ernesto Valverde went with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez up front and Paulinho in a more attacking position in the midfield. And as expected, the Brazilian shined on the pitch, continuing to silence his critics.
Take a look at our players’ ratings for the win against Real Madrid in El Clasico.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
Amazing as always. Quick on his feet and did not let the pressure get to him. The German came up with several crucial stops in order to keep Los Blancos off the scoreboard. A major part of Barcelona’s triumph.
Jordi Alba
Had a great match, linking-up well with Andres Iniesta. Despite, the high pressure from the whites in the first half, the speedy player managed to carry the ball to the middle and front of the field. Alba also was very effective defending the left side.
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Thomas Vermaelen
After Samuel Umtiti’s injury, all fingers were pointing to the Belgian who has surprised many with his strong performances. And today was not an exception. He defended well in set pieces and proved to be an excellent replacement for the Frenchman.
Gerard Pique
Was the man of the hour in the defense area. Stopped many dangerous chances and was a big contributor in moving the ball up the field. Excellent performance from the Catalan.
Nelson Semedo
Came on for Iniesta in the latter part of the second half. Did not disappoint and kept the Barca defense strong. Pretty strong performance from the 23-year-old.
Sergi Roberto
Another impressive match from the versatile player, cementing his future with Barca. The first half was pretty sluggish from Barcelona, and the only attacks came from the right side of the field due to Sergi Roberto. Gave a killer one pass assist to Saurez, who sent it home. World-class.
Andres Iniesta
As time passes, Iniesta only seems to get better and better. Splendid performance by the captain. Helped create movement throughout the field and his vision and creativity were a big contribution to the team.
Sergio Busquets
Despite a shaky first half from the midfielder, Busquets showed his world-class self in the second part of the game. He was the major factor behind the first goal, opening the field and creating spaces for the attack to move. Truly amazing.
Ivan Rakitic
A good game from the Croatian. Could have been better but overall was a strong performance. He helped maintain the ball in midfield and also contributed to the attack.
Paulinho
The outspoken star of the game. Attacked well, defended well, as he did everything he needed to do. The Brazilian linked-up perfectly with Messi and was also in the right position whenever the ball was lost. A big influence on the match.
Luis Suarez
Not only did he score the first Barca goal but his contributions on the field were amazing. He is definitely back to his normal in-form self.
Lionel Messi
There are no other words to describe this man. He has once again left the world speechless with his amazing passes, vision, dribbles, and creativity. All there is left to say is that he is the greatest footballer in the history of the game.