No Messi? No problem.
Barcelona ensured that Real Madrid's season went from bad to worse on Sunday afternoon, as they cruised to a 5-1 victory over their arch-rivals at the Nou Camp.
It was the first Clasico without Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo since 2007, but Barca coped much better than the visitors.
With Messi watching from the stands, Philippe Coutinho stepped up and assumed creative responsibility.
https://twitter.com/ElevenSports_UK/status/1056569237114929152
The Brazilian opened the scoring, getting on the end of a trademark Jordi Alba cut-back, before Luis Suarez made it 2-0 from the penalty spot, with the assistance of
VAR.
https://twitter.com/ElevenSports_UK/status/1056574345118662657
Real Madrid showed some life in the early stages of the second half, as Marcelo pulled one back after 50 minutes.
https://twitter.com/ElevenSports_UK/status/1056583586424541189
But that only kicked Barca back into gear. Suarez then went on a solo mission to bury Real Madrid and surely Julen Lopetegui, who was already on the brink of being sacked before this embarrassing defeat.
Suarez's second of the afternoon came as he executed the most outrageous header from just inside the penalty box, after a gut-busting run from Sergi Roberto.
https://twitter.com/ElevenSports_UK/status/1056590213605179393
He rounded off his hat-trick with a delicate chip over Thibaut Courtois, who was grandly stitched up by Sergio Ramos, who was caught napping as Roberto nabbed the ball from him.
https://twitter.com/ElevenSports_UK/status/1056591711793754112
https://twitter.com/ElevenSports_UK/status/1056594010062626818
