El Clasico win shows signs of progress for Barcelona under Xavi

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Sunday night’s El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu produced what could only be described as a battering for home team Real Madrid, as the Spanish league leaders went down to a 4-0 mauling at the hands of perennial nemesis Barcelona on home soil.

Maybe the result was partly down to some slight complacency from Los Blancos, but Barcelona bossed the game from the first kick to the last.

In fact, the home side was slightly fortunate that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was in good form or the result could have been embarrassing.

The Catalan giants headed into this clash in red-hot form. However, many expected league leaders Real Madrid to end that run and put Barcelona in their place as a team that has struggled to challenge them for the title this season.

That never happened and a Karim Benzema-less Real Madrid was given a football schooling by Xavi’s new-look Barcelona team.

One man who proved crucial in the win was former-Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored a brace and should have added even more goals to his goal tally for the season.

The Gabon international continues to look like the bargain of the January transfer window, as he has now scored six goals in his last five La Liga appearances for the Blaugrana.

It would be wrong to single out a Barcelona player for praise, though, as the whole team brought Xavi’s football philosophy to life in spectacular fashion against their bitter rivals from the capital.

The Blaugrana legend has turned the team around in spectacular fashion since his arrival in late November.

Although it seems too late to mount a title challenge, as they are 12 points behind Real Madrid, albeit, with a game in hand, the signs are there that next season Barcelona could be a far bigger force in the fight for the Spanish title.