Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona: 5 Talking Points | LaLiga 2019-20 

The 244th edition of the El Clasico was played out at a packed Santiago Bernabeu, with Real Madrid getting the better of their old rivals with a 2-0 victory.

Both sides had played out a dour goalless draw in December - which happened to be the first Clasico without a goal in 17 years - and for much of this game, it looked like we would have a repeat scenario.

In what was a classic tactical battle in the first half, neither side gave much away although Barcelona managed to fashion the best chances, with Antoine Griezmann inexplicably missing the target from 10 yards out after a brilliant cutback from the returning Jordi Alba.

The French international soon found Lionel Messi but the Argentine international could only muster a weak right-footed shot from an acute angle but should have done better when he was played through by Sergio Busquets, instead shooting straight at Thibaut Courtois.

Real Madrid upped the tempo in the second half and played with improved intensity, with Isco drawing a smart save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen with his shot from just outside the area, while he saw a header cleared off the line by Gerard Pique soon after.

Karim Benzema blasted wide when he should have done better but the hosts got the breakthrough their performance deserved when Toni Kroos played Vinicius in and the Brazilian international found the back of the net off a deflection by Gerard Pique.

This should have sparked Barcelona into life but that failed to happen and Real Madrid wrapped up the game when Mariano Diaz stepped off the bench to make it 2-0 with his first touch of the game.

The win gives Los Blancos bragging rights in club football's biggest game and here, we shall be highlighting five talking points from the LaLiga fixture.

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#5 Real Madrid regain advantage at the summit of LaLiga

Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two most dominant teams in LaLiga history and while some other clubs have mounted challenges in recent years, the pair largely remain the big dogs in town.

Despite their poor start to the campaign, both sides soon found their bearing and occupied the top two spots at the midway point of the campaign but Barcelona's loss to Valencia saw Los Blancos usurp them at the summit.

A one-point advantage is never ideal and the capital side saw themselves playing catchup following their surprise loss to Levante last week and came into this fixture two points behind their eternal rivals.

Anything other than a victory here would have handed a massive blow to their title aspirations but Real Madrid had other ideas and their victory means that they have regained their position at the top of the standings.

Although their lead on paper is one point, the head-to-head rules for classification in LaLiga means that this is effectively a two-point lead and although there is still a lot of football to be played in the season, the advantage is very much with Los Blancos.

#4 Vinicius silences critics

Real Madrid CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga

Ever since completing his mega move from Flamengo, Vinicius Jr has impressed and disappointed in almost equal measure.

While the 19-year-old wins praise for his high-energy and enthusiastic style of play, his poor decision making in the final third has been a major cause of exasperation and for a club like Real Madrid, this is simply not good enough.

The arrival of Eden Hazard and rise of his compatriot Rodrygo placed more pressure on Vinicius but Zinedine Zidane has been unwavering in his support for the Brazilian international - who also deserves praise for not cowering in the face of pressure.

The Frenchman handed him a start in the Clasico and his decision was well justified, with the youngster by far the brightest spark of the Real Madrid attack, putting the Barcelona defenders on the backfoot with his bursting runs down the left flank, although he was let down by his final touches on a number of occasions.

His pace was brought to the fore once more when he latched onto a through ball by Kroos and found the back of the net via a deflection but he did not care and his impassioned kissing of the club badge in his celebration was indicative of what this meant to him.

With the goal, Vinicius Jr overtook Lionel Messi as the youngest player to score an El Clasico goal in the 21st century and even though his performances have to vastly improve, his goal against Barcelona would go some way in silencing his critics.

#3 Barcelona's good run at the Bernabeu comes to an end

Real Madrid CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga

For all the hype, pomp, and pageantry accorded the El Clasico in buildups, an underlying fact is that Real Madrid have a notoriously poor record in recent years, with the Catalans coming into this game on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run, and some one-sided results were gotten in this time including a 5-1 victory at Camp Nou last season.

Real Madrid have been particularly poor at home and had not defeated the Blaugrana at the Santiago Bernabeu since 2014, with Barcelona having won on each of their last four visits to the capital by an aggregate score of 12-3.

This is a less than flattering statistic for the Madrid side, especially given the historical nature of the fixture and prestige attached to the game.

It was with this at the back of their mind that the players took to the field and the will to win was evident in their game, with their high intensity and passion fuelled by an expectant crowd.

As it happened, they did enough to get a well-deserved victory and the Blaugrismo can no longer revel in their recent superiority at the Bernabeu.

#2 Zinedine Zidane gets vindicated

Real Madrid CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga

Despite all he has achieved in a relatively short spell in the dugout, there are many who do not rate Zinedine Zidane highly as a coach, opining that the 47-year-old was simply a beneficiary of the greatness of Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, nothing could be further from the truth and the Frenchman is actually a more astute tactician than people give him credit for and this much was evident in the clash with Barcelona.

Harrowing losses to Levante and Manchester City threatened to derail Real Madrid's season and the game against the Blaugrana was seen as a defining one for their manager.

With Quique Setien electing to go with four midfielders, Zidane countered this by matching the Catalans, with Isco drifting between the flanks and occupying the hole behind Karim Benzema and Vinicius.

This proved to be an excellent decision and the former Malaga man was unarguably one of the best performers in a white shirt, with his linkup play with Benzema fashioning a number of chances, while he also provided the best attacking contributions prior to Real Madrid's opener.

Another contentious decision Zidane made was starting the maligned Marcelo in place of the in-form Ferland Mendy and it was again a stroke of genius, with the Brazilian playing a major role in ensuring that Real Madrid's high press limited Barcelona's ability to play out from the back and forced them into numerous errors.

The left-back also contributed defensively to further justify Zidane's decision, while Mariano Diaz came off the bench to put the nail in the coffin of Barcelona in what was his coach's last act of the game.

#1 Subdued performance from Lionel Messi

Real Madrid CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga

With 26 goals in El Clasico games, Lionel Messi is the greatest goalscorer in the history of this iconic fixture, while his 14 assists are also more than anyone else has managed.

The Argentine international is a veteran of many a Clasico and was appearing in his 44th meeting with Real Madrid but he could well have been making his debut, as it seemed the occasion got the better of him.

Messi's abilities are well-documented and he has decided this tie almost single-handedly numerous times in the past but his usual magic and brilliance was non-existent in this latest clash.

The Rosario native has almost turned the Bernabeu to his stomping ground, with 15 of his 26 goals against Los Merengues coming in their backyard but he gave a subdued performance and was nowhere near his blistering best.

Messi struggled to get a sniff of goal for the entirety of the match and missed two chances in the first half, shooting a tame shot at Courtois from a tight angle, while he should undoubtedly have done better when he found himself one-on-one with the Belgian goalkeeper in the 40th minute.

That was as good as it got for the Barcelona skipper, with Casemiro putting a number on him and ensuring that he did not get any space and Messi's frustrations seemingly got the better of him when he lashed out at Federico Valverde with a frustrated tackle that got a deserved yellow card late in the game.

A perfect summation of his off-colour performance was when he was played through in the 73rd minute but with Barcelona trailing, Marcelo somehow raced clear of the Argentine and made a perfect tackle that was given the loudest cheer by the Bernabeu.

He also had a poor delivery from a late freekick that saw Ter Stegen come into the box as the Catalans chased an equalizer.