Real Madrid takes on TOOTHLESS Barcelona

Luis Suarez’s Barcelona debut ended in defeat as Real Madrid slice the gap on the La Liga leaders to merely a point while they originated from behind to win El Clasico 3-1 on Saturday.Playing for the very first time in a competitive game since being handed a fourth month ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, Suarez’s Barca career had got off to a traveling start as he create Neymar to slide home the opening goal after just three minutes.However, Real responded like European champions as Cristiano Ronaldo levelled from the penalty spot before second-half goals from Pepe and Karim Benzema handed them a deserved ninth consecutive victory in most competitions.Barca boss Luis Enrique had sprung several surprises together with his starting line-up as not just did Suarez start, but Xavi and Jeremy Mathieu were also preferred to Ivan Rakitic and Jordi Alba.

However, the Uruguayan proved his worth within 3 minutes as his cross-field pass was taken down by Neymar who skipped inside Dani Carvajal and Pepe before sliding the ball to the far corner for his 11th goal in as numerous games this season.The goal sparked Madrid into life as Benzema failed to obtain the target from a slender angle as he was pressured by Claudio Bravo ahead of the Frenchman crashed a header off the bar from Ronaldo’s cross.Both Messi and Neymar were booked for late challenges on Toni Kroos and Carvajal whilst the hosts upped the pressure searching for an equaliser.

However, these were thankful to captain Iker Casillas midway through the half as he spread himself to prevent Lionel Messi becoming the joint top goalscorer in La Liga history from the tempting cross from Suarez.Just when Barca had appeared to own taken the sting out of Madrid’s pressing, though, they gifted the hosts a route back in the overall game as Marcelo’s low cross was blatantly handled inside the location by Gerard Pique. Ronaldo stepped up and confidently buried the resulting spot-kick to become the initial man to score against Barcelona in nine league games this season.

Your home side might even have gone in at half-time in-front as James Rodriguez’s header drifted just wide from another Marcelo cross.It took Carlo Ancelotti’s men just 5 minutes to go in-front following the break as Toni Kroos’s out-swinging corner was powered past Bravo by Pepe.

Barca came near to setting up the Madrid defence a few times as Suarez slipped after turning Sergio Ramos in the box before Ramos made a last-ditch tackle to avoid Messi turning home Neymar’s cut-back. Casillas then produced another stunning save to avoid Jeremy Mathieu’s rising drive finding the best corner. However, inside their haste for an equaliser, Barca were caught on the counter-attack from their own corner as Isco, Ronaldo and Rodriguez combined to play in Benzema to fire home his seventh El Clasico goal. Suarez’s debut was then delivered to a premature end as he made means for Pedro Rodriguez and matters got worse for the visitors when Andres Iniesta hobbled off to be replaced by Sergi Roberto. And Madrid comfortably saw the overall game out in the ultimate 20 minutes to inflict Barca’s first league defeat of the season. –