Xavi: Clasico thrashing can transform Barca

Coach hails magnitude of Madrid mauling as La Liga leader humbled

Xavi Hernandez said Barcelona's 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid could be transformative for the club after its Clasico demolition at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Barcelona blew Madrid away as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice either side of goals from Ronald Araujo and Ferran Torres.

The match was billed as a test of Barca's progress under Xavi and it passed with flying colors, a humiliation of its fiercest rival suggesting it is primed to challenge again for La Liga next season.

"It can change the dynamics of the present and the future," said Xavi. "We had lots of chances and we were much better than Madrid, far superior. We deserved to score so many goals."

Asked if Barca is back, Xavi said: "It can be. This is the right path."

And while the result might have little bearing on the title race this term, a defeat of this magnitude, at home, and against Barca, will cause serious reverberations at Madrid.

It will go down with other historic Clasico thrashings, like when Barca won 6-2 in 2009 under Pep Guardiola or 5-0 at home two years later.

Questions will be asked about Carlo Ancelotti's future, with Madrid outplayed tactically and technically by Xavi's Barca, which was faster and slicker, and could easily have won by more.

"We played badly and I planned the game badly," said Ancelotti.

"I am sorry for the defeat and I am sad. But we have to keep it in perspective."

Madrid was admittedly without the injured Karim Benzema and Ferland Mendy while there could have been a degree of complacency, given it kicked off nine points clear at the top of the standings after Sevilla was held to a goalless draw by Real Sociedad.

But none of that will excuse a loss as dramatic as this one, the only relief now that a resurgent Barcelona is still 12 points behind, albeit with a game in hand.

"Of course we didn't expect this scoreline, but we did everything we intended to do from the start," Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets said. "Everything went our way and we could have scored even more goals.

"If we have a minimum chance, we will keep fighting," Busquets added. "We know it's going to be hard, but in soccer anything can happen."

Aubameyang's double means he now has nine goals in 11 games for Barcelona. The Gabon striker is looking like a superb January signing from Arsenal, where he was stripped of the captaincy by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta following a disciplinary breach in December.

Pedri was outstanding again too－but this was a night for the bigger picture, as Barca's revival made its biggest statement so far.

When Barca was beaten by Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup in January, the Catalans were criticized for celebrating the manner of its narrow defeat.

"We are getting closer," said veteran defender Gerard Pique at the time.

After five consecutive losses to Madrid, a win of any kind was the next step for Barca but a hammering like this could be transformative, delivering a huge boost to confidence, vindication of Xavi's project and optimism for next season all in one fell swoop.

'We are back'

Shortly after the final whistle, Pique tweeted: "We are back."

Madrid, which badly missed the injured Benzema, was unbeaten in its last eight games in the league, with six wins. It had beaten its Catalan rival 2-1 at Camp Nou in their first league game last year.

"The result says it all," Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez said. "We played badly and they played well. Nothing worked for us. It was our first bad match this season. Maybe we were too relaxed because of our advantage in the standings."

Eder Militao clattered Pedri in the opening minute and that was about as close as Madrid got to him all game.

Soon, the chances started coming for Barca as Torres pulled back for Aubameyang but he scuffed straight at Thibaut Courtois, who then had to palm wide a curling effort from Ousmane Dembele.

Barca's dominance was growing and in the 29th minute the visitor scored, Dembele racing round the outside of Nacho and crossing for Aubameyang to head in.

Vinicius Junior might have changed the game if he had converted after being sent through but a heavy touch allowed Marc-Andre ter Stegen to save.

Instead, Barcelona doubled its lead when Araujo headed in from a corner before halftime, and then the humiliation began.

David Alaba and Militao both committed themselves to sliding tackles and both missed, Aubameyang executing a superb flicked pass to Torres, who made no mistake.

Worse was to come, as Pique's ball over the top allowed Aubameyang to scoop in a brilliant finish for a fourth in the 51st minute. Madrid thought it was spared by the offside flag but VAR intervened and the goal stood.

Aubameyang, Torres and Dembele could all have furthered the embarrassment for Madrid, the latter poking wide after skipping in behind and holding off Militao.

By then, Aubameyang had been replaced by Memphis Depay, the victory already complete and the stadium quickly emptying.

Agencies