STATS Perform/dpa
MADRID
Real Madrid leapfrogged Barcelona at the summit of La Liga as goals from Karim Benzema, Federico Valverde and Rodrygo sealed a 3-1 triumph in El Clasico on Sunday.
Barca had conceded just one goal in eight league games this season prior to the visit to the Santiago Bernabeu, but two clinical finishes from Benzema and Valverde saw them two goals down at the interval.
Xavi’s side pulled one back with seven minutes remaining through Ferran Torres, but the hosts restored their two-goal advantage in stoppage time courtesy of Rodrygo’s penalty.
The result marked Barca’s first league defeat of the campaign, with victory for Los Blancos moving them three points clear of their great rivals at the top of the table.
Madrid went ahead in the 12th minute when Benzema fired home from 12 metres via a deflection from Sergi Roberto after Marc-Andre ter Stegen had raced off his line to deny Vinicius Junior.
Barca were presented with a golden opportunity to restore parity in the 25th minute, yet a stretching Robert Lewandowski somehow managed to scoop the ball over the crossbar from just a few metres out following Raphinha’s cross.
Xavi’s men were punished for that miss 10 minutes before the interval when Valverde whipped into Ter Stegen’s bottom-right corner from 20 yards.
Benzema thought he had scored a wonderful second shortly after half-time, but his curled effort was ruled out for offside.
Substitute Torres reduced the deficit with a simple finish at the back post after superb work from Ansu Fati, yet Rodrygo wrapped the win up for Madrid from the spot after he had been tripped by Eric Garcia - the decision given following a VAR review.
Madrid managed just four shots on target, but that proved enough to score three goals against Barca and seal an eighth win in nine LaLiga games this season.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have now won six of their past seven matches against Barca in all competitions - more than they achieved in the previous 18 meetings.
After failing to find the back of the net in LaLiga last season, Valverde has now scored four in nine appearances this term. The Uruguay international’s fine strike was the first Madrid have scored at home against Barca from outside the area since Raul did so during the 1998-99 season.
Both sides are in LaLiga action in midweek, with Madrid away to Elche on Wednesday and Barca at home to Villarreal a day later.
Ancelotti salutes ‘complete match’ from Madrid in Clasico
Carlo Ancelottiwas pleased by the confidence and control demonstrated by his players. When asked what was the key to his side’s victory, he told DAZN: "Everything. We had to make a complete match, and we did it.
"It is true that the beginning was good, we got ahead quite early and we controlled it well in the second half. We had a lot of confidence, with and without the ball.
"It was clear that [Eder] Militao had to put pressure on [Robert] Lewandowski. We controlled the players well between the lines with [Toni] Kroos and [Aurelien] Tchouameni.”
Valverde scored the pick of the goals with his fine 20-metre strike doubling Madrid’s lead in the 35th minute, while it was the first Los Blancos had scored at home against Barca from outside the area since Raul did so during the 1998-99 season.
After failing to find the back of the net in LaLiga last season, the Uruguay international has now scored four in nine appearances this term.
"I try to enjoy each position, to give the maximum in each position,” Valverde said. "I know that further forward I can contribute with goals and assists, and in the middle with work and energy. I was able to score and I’m very happy.
"I think we worked well, we knew how to defend and suffer, and in attack, we came out quickly.”
Xavi demands more
‘aggression’ from Barca after Clasico defeat
Xavi demanded more "aggression” from his Barcelona players after a 3-1 Clasico defeat against Real Madrid on Sunday.
Barca were usurped at the summit of LaLiga as strikes from Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde and a late Rodrygo penalty sealed a comfortable win for Carlo Ancelotti’s champions at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The defeat was Barca’s first of the season in LaLiga and Xavi called for more from his players, starting with Thursday’s clash against Villarreal.
"We’re leaving empty-handed. We haven’t taken advantage of our moments and Madrid have,” he said.
"It worries me that we haven’t been at our level of play. The first goal can’t happen.
"We’re in a situation that doesn’t work out for us and we have to change it as of Thursday. I can’t be happy with losing 3-1. "We have been very good in the league but we have to improve our forcefulness and aggression.
"I don’t think that the Inter game [in midweek] had an influence.
Without playing a great game, we’ve had our moments to draw 1-1, 2-2, but when you don’t concentrate at the Bernabeu these things happen.” Barca now trail their rivals by three points and return to league action with the visit of Villarreal on Thursday.