Exhibition Barcelona Performance Underpinned by Sensational Claudio Bravo
Barcelona's Claudio Bravo probably won't feature too heavily in the headline writers' thoughts in the aftermath of this one-sided affair.
Thanks once again to the twin terrors of Neymar and Luis Suarez, Barcelona were almost out of sight before half-time, and were definitely so not long after.
Andres Iniesta's exocet missile was the cherry on a big Blaugrana cake, his first goal since his last visit to the same venue ensuring a 4-0 victory for Barcelona at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
Yet the plaudits deserve to land at Bravo's door.
The Chilean was in sensational form and his well-deserved clean sheet was the first that Barca have managed in more than a dozen Clasicos.
His reaction save from a point-blank Cristiano Ronaldo header will be talked about in dispatches for an age. Rightly so. It was a world-class save.
But what of the full-length dive from James Rodriguez's snap shot or the one-on-one with Ronaldo? There were at least five other saves, some crucial to the outcome of this match.
Barcelona were in the mood from the off, and the tone of the match felt akin to another November night five years ago where Madrid were once again torn to shreds, this time at the Camp Nou.
How Gerard Pique would have loved to have held the big-hand aloft again, and he may well have been given the chance had Munir El Haddadi not continued his ever-so-slightly annoying habit of missing the target in each game that he plays.
The cacophony of boos that greeted Pique's every touch from the first whistle would've been repaid with interest had the Catalan had the last word.
No matter. This was as comprehensive a win as Luis Enrique and his staff could've hoped for and Bravo's heroics in goal mean that Barca now have a better goal difference than their rivals too. Unthinkable a few weeks ago.
Per an interview with TV3 (via Stefan Coerts of Goal.com), Bravo's rival Marc-Andre ter Stegen had admitted earlier in the year that he was unhappy with only being the cup 'keeper at the club:
"I am happy with the support from the fans and the work I do with my team-mates, but I am not satisfied with my role.
"
The coach has been using me in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, but I also want to play in the Primera Division.
It will not be easy, though, because Bravo has been doing very well.
The young German will know, after watching such a masterclass from the more experienced custodian, that he still has some way yet to go before claiming a permanent No. 1 jersey for himself.
A fifth successive clean sheet, per WhoScored.com, and sixth out of the last seven, is in stark contrast to the eight games prior to that when Barca conceded in every one.
It's also worth harking back to a year ago when Barca hadn't conceded at all until their Santiago Bernabeu date when Real Madrid were worthy winners. This season it had been Real that had started with defensive stability, but that has all but been eroded over their last couple of games.
The only possible downside to Barca's victory was the injury to Javier Mascherano, which could keep the Argentinian sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Jeremy Mathieu did what needed to be done on the night, but the Frenchman doesn't really give Bravo quite the protection that a Mascherano-Pique combo does.
As Barca head into December and a date at the World Club Cup, where they hope to take Real's "World Champions" badge and let it once again adorn the Blaugrana, Claudio Bravo can look back on a job very well done and know that his contribution was vital in giving the Catalans a six-point advantage at close of play.
Not insurmountable at this stage of the season, of course, but Barca will take some stopping if they continue playing such mesmeric and beautiful football.
Bravo!
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