2. No Messi, no problem
Barcelona went into the Clasico of the 2014-2015 season with the worry that Lionel Messi wouldn’t be available. He was on the bench but it was his first time back since suffering an injury that kept him out of action for a little over a month.
Fortunately, they still could count on Neymar and Luis Suarez. Both had stepped up tremendously during Messi’s absence and did so once again.
Much like they would do so years later, Sergi Roberto and Luis Suarez once again linked up for the opener following a long string of passes where nearly every outfield player touched the ball.
Andres Iniesta would be key to team’s second goal after recovering the ball, waiting for Neymar and making an inch-perfect pass barely beating the offside mark. Had it not been for Marcelo, Barcelona would have entered the half winning 3-0.
Iniesta made his presence felt again in the second-half. This time by thundering a shot past Navas after a cheeky backheel by Neymar. Iniesta scoring was a rarity but when he did, he certainly picked the best spots to do it.
Managed by Rafael Benitez at the time, Madrid looked outmatched in every facet of the game. To add insult to injury, Lionel Messi would make his return and play a key role in Luis Suarez scoring the fourth and final goal.
It was another match of complete domination by the Catalans and one that would ultimately seal the fate of Benitez some time later. Had it not been for some poor decision-making by Barcelona in the final third, the scoreline would have been much more lopsided.