A hat-trick from Luis Suárez helped Barcelona crush their fiercest rivals, taking them back to the top of the league and in all probability ending Julen Lopetegui’s short reign as Real Madrid manager on Sunday.
The Catalans were without Lionel Messi who suffered a fractured arm in a win over Sevilla last week, but Barca still had too much for a Real Madrid side who have now lost five of their last seven matches in all competitions.
Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring after just 11 minutes, finishing into the gaping net after good work from the rampant Jordi Alba down the left side. The advantage was doubled on the half-hour mark when VAR was used to award the hosts a spot kick, with Suarez converting.
Real Madrid mounted something of a comeback at the start of the second half as Marcelo clawed one back and Luka Modric struck the post. But that only prodded Barcelona back into life, with the two-goal cushion re-established through a stunning Suarez header.
Suarez secured his hat-trick with a chipped finish over the desperate Thibaut Courtois, with Arturo Vidal coming off the bench to complete the scoring and give Barcelona a comprehensive Clasico win. It seems unlikely that Lopetegui will survive this.
