Striker Pierre-Emerick scores two and sets up third in 4-0 rout of Real Madrid
Barca’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang beats Real Madrid custodian Thibaut Courtois to make it 4-0. Pic/AFP
Barcelona’s players had just returned to the locker room when Gerard Piqué put out a message on Twitter.
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“We are back,” it read.
Pique and his teammates had stayed on the field at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium celebrating the team’s commanding 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Spanish league. They jumped and sang along with the few hundred visiting fans still left at the mostly empty venue.
Inside, coach Xavi Hernández embraced each player as they returned, saying: “Vamos, vamos! [Let’s go],”
Torres adds to tally
Aubameyang scored twice and Ferran Torres added another to take their combined tally to 15 goals since joining the club this year. Ronald Araujo scored the other Barcelona goal against Madrid, who won the last five Clasicos.
It was the type of statement Barcelona needed in a difficult rebuilding year following the departure of Lionel Messi and the collapse of its finances.
The rout on the road against their biggest rivals, who are comfortably leading the Spanish League and had just eliminated Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, reassured Barcelona are on the right path. “This can change the dynamic of the present and the future,” Xavi said.
“We hadn’t been having many reasons to celebrate in the recent past and today we made a statement. You can say we are on our way back. We competed against Real Madrid in their stadium and could have won by more goals. It was spectacular.”
Catalans catch up
Barcelona have finally found their stride after a slow start to the season, which included being eliminated from the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. Xavi revamped Barcelona’s offense and it has thrived recently with a more vertical attacking style that damages opponents with quick and efficient bursts.
The club have outscored opponents 24-5 in their last eight matches thanks to new signings Aubameyang and Torres. “This [win] reinforces our project, reinforces our style, reinforces me as new coach. This is how Barcelona must compete,” Xavi said. Real have a nine-point lead atop La Liga with nine games to go.
Ancelotti criticised
Madrid media slammed Real manager Carlo Ancelotti’s tactics after their 0-4 defeat to Barcelona on Sunday. “Ancelotti’s hari-kari,” read a headline in daily newspaper Diario AS. “Thibaut Courtois saved what could’ve been a bigger humiliation,” said Marca’s front page.
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