Clasico: Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona

Barcelona dealt a stinging blow to Real Madrid‘s title hopes when Luis Suarez and Neymar continued their scintillating form to fire the champions to a stunning 4-0 victory in the La Liga “Clasico” yesterday.

Facing widespread criticism for a game plan that seemed to fail calamitously, the Madrid press have not held back in blaming Benitez for a second straight defeat that left them six points adrift of their arch rivals at the top of La Liga.

“I was in the same position once, we lost 3-0 at the Bernabeu and we didn’t get near the goal”.

“We are all responsible and now we have to show unity in order to win the next game and give the fans something to be happy about, which is something we failed to do (against Barcelona)”, the 55-year-old Benitez said.

“My plan when I first started playing football was to try to reach the pinnacle – and Real Madrid is the pinnacle”, he said in an interview with several national newspapers.

It’s still so, so early because we are only in November, and the league doesn’t end till May, but a gap of six points in November could prove to be pivotal when it is all said and done.

“There is a long way to go, it’s not decisive at all but we are going away very, very satisfied”, added the Spain playmaker. “Of course it hurts, it hurts a lot to lose like this”, Benitez told a news conference.

When Iniesta was substituted following his masterful performance on Saturday, many of Real Madrid’s stung fans set aside team allegiance by standing up and clapping as he strolled to the dugout.

“Cristiano Ronaldo has never said anything about anyone”.

Suarez opened the scoring in the 11th after receiving a flawless pass by Sergi Roberto behind the defenders.

Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo came up with big saves in the few chances created by Real Madrid, including a couple by the lackluster Ronaldo.

One final goal added insult to injury in the 74th minute, when sloppy defense allowed Suarez to break completely free and score in a one-on-one opportunity against Navas, who had been the league’s stingiest goalkeeper coming into Saturday’s Clasico. Neymar leads the league with 12 goals, one more than Suarez.