It was the game that was touted as a must win for the beleaguered Julen Lopetegui and it appears as if the Spaniard will be getting his P45 sooner rather than later after Barcelona pumped Real Madrid 5-1 at the Nou Camp this evening.
It looked as if Barcelona could run away with the game in the first half after Philipe Coutinho opened the scoring in the 7th minute after being set up by Jordi Alba:
| GOOOOOAL! |
Jordi Alba lays it on a plate for Philippe Coutinho who applies the finishing touches. ?
Advantage, #Barca in #ElClasico. #PureFootball pic.twitter.com/c1RVQ4vMj4
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) October 28, 2018
Barcelona's second goal would come 19 minutes later, after Luis Suarez was clumsily felled by Raphael Varane in the box. The penalty wasn't called initially, but after the referee consulted VAR, a spot kick was given.
| VAR |
History is made! The first VAR penalty has been awarded in #ElClasico.
It goes to Barcelona... ? pic.twitter.com/wO2aUsXuO7
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) October 28, 2018
Suarez dusted himself off to double the Catalans advantage, striking low to Courtois' left:
| GOAL! |
Luis Suarez makes history. The first man to score a penalty awarded after VAR consultation in #ElClasico! ⚽️
Barcelona 2-0 Real Madrid pic.twitter.com/3LV7KwJth2
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) October 28, 2018
Real Madrid did come back into the game in the second half, halving the deficit through Marcelo after the ball broke kindly in the box:
| GOAL! |
Game on in #ElClasico! Marcelo nets his third in as many games to get Real Madrid back into it. ?
This second half is going to be good || https://t.co/fPSma92loW pic.twitter.com/HuaAJeALtn
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) October 28, 2018
However Madrid could not get back on level terms and the Catalans went 3-1 up through Suarez. The ball was played into the box by Sergi Roberto, and with Suarez hovering around the penalty spot, the Uruguayan somehow managed to generate great power on the header to fizz the ball into the goal and put paid to Madrid's hopes of getting anything from the game.
| GOAL! |
Suarez nets his second, and Barcelona's third. Real Madrid looked to be back in it, but that looks to be the decisive blow. ??#ElClasico pic.twitter.com/0UsPWI9h9j
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) October 28, 2018
And it would get even worse for Lopetegui and co. as Suarez completed his hat trick on 83 minutes, with a delicate dink over Courtois. Arturo Vidal would add insult to injury on 86 minutes, heading in from close range after the ball was lofted into the box by substitute Ousmane Dembele:
The result leaves Madrid 9th on 14 points, seven behind Barcelona who sit atop La Liga on 21.
