Sport
Real Madrid beat Barcelona in El Clasico
Real Madrid beat Barcelona 3-1 in an entertaining El Clasico behind closed doors at the Camp Nou.
Federico Valverde smashed Real, who had lost their previous two games, into the lead from Karim Benzema’s pass.
Barcelona’s Ansu Fati, 17, levelled from Jordi Alba’s cross, becoming the youngest goalscorer in El Clasico history.
Sergio Ramos scored from the spot after he was fouled by Clement Lenglet and Luka Modric smashed in a late third.
The result takes Real top of the fledgling La Liga table with 13 points from six games, six points above Barcelona.
Efficient Real Madrid brush off recent defeats
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has not lost any of his six matches as a manager at the Nou Camp, with three wins and three draws.
Morale may have been low after defeats in their previous two games by Cadiz, in La Liga, and Shakhtar Donetsk, in the Champions League.
But they started brightly when Benzema fed Valverde, who slammed the ball into the far corner, leaving Neto with no chance.
Fati’s almost immediate equaliser made it the first time both sides scored in the opening eight minutes of a Clasico in La Liga since 1940.
After that, Barca threatened to take control but Real did well to turn the tide.
The turning point was a lengthy video assistant referee decision. Referee Juan Martínez Munuera did not spot Lenglet’s pull on Ramos’ shirt but eventually gave a penalty after viewing it on the screen.
Ramos’ low penalty beat Neto and marks the first time he has scored 10 La Liga goals in a calendar year.
There was time for a late third as Luka Modric stepped past Neto before a classy finish.
Real are unbeaten in three Clasicos for the first time since 2012-13.
