Barcelona 5-1 Real Madrid: Luis Suarez hat-trick surely draws curtain on Julen Lopetegui's tragic reign
Relive all the action from the Nou Camp
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Your support makes all the difference.Luis Suarez scored a thrilling hat-trick to surely draw the curtain on Julen Lopetegui's tragic reign as Barcelona ran rampant against Real Madrid at the Nou Camp.
It was initially set to be somewhat of an anti-climactic encounter between the two sides with Lionel Messi out injured and Real Madrid still struggling in the post-Ronaldo era yet it proved anything but.
Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring for the home side after just twelve minutes when Jordi Alba cut in behind the laboured Nacho and his pull back alowed the former Liverpool midfielder to guide it into a near-empty net.
Moments later Suarez broke free in the box only to be bundled over by Raphael Varane and although the referee initially waved away the Uruguayan's penalty claim, upon reviewing the screen at pitchside under instruction from VAR officials, the penalty was awarded. Thibaut Courtois guessed correctly but Suarez's strike nestled right in the side netting and Barcelona were two goals up with just 30 mins played.
An increasingly despondent looking Lopetegui switched his system at half time to a three-at-the-back which initially bamboozled Barcelona's front men and after spurning a number of opportunities the ball broke to Marcelo on the edge of the box who chested it onto his weaker right foot before scything home.
Suddenly Madrid were haranguing Barcelona's defence as the Nou Camp became subdued and Luka Modric drilled a low shot against the outside of the post.
Yet, completely against the run of play, Ousmane Dembele dribbled at the Real Madrid defence before laying off to Sergi Roberto whose rifled cross was brilliantly glanced home by Suarez from near to the edge of the box.
From there on out things only became embarrassing for Lopetegui's side. Sergio Ramos fumbled the ball in his own-half leaving Suarez in acres of space to run at goal before deftly dinking it over Courtois. Substitute Arturo Vidal then added the fifth and final wound with a header from just six-yards after some fine trickery from Dembele.
The question is not so much as whether Julen Lopetegui will be sacked in the morning, but whether it may happen ever soooner?
Barcelona 3-1 Real Madrid
77': Gareth Bale, who has barely been a passenger in this game, is brought off in place for Marco Asensio
Barcelona 3-1 Real Madrid
79': And it goes from bad to worse for Madrid. Marcelo, who has scored three goals in his last three games, has tweaked a hamstring and Mariano comes on.
Barcelona 4-1 Real Madrid
Goal 82' Suarez: And there it is. The final dagger in Real Madrid and surely in Julen Lopetegui. Luis Suarez breaks away and is all on his own against Courtois. He looks either side before dinking it over the former Chelsea keeper. A hat-trick for Suarez.
Barcelona 5-1 Real Madrid
Goal 85' Vidal: It's getting seriously embarrassing for Madrid now. Dembele dribbles past the hapless Nacho as though he's not even there and chips it onto the head of Vidal who nods home the home side's fifth. Sacked in the morning? Or before?
FT: Barcelona 5-1 Real Madrid
The referee puts Madrid out of their misery early. A wonderful display by Barcelona who have torn Lopetegui's managerial future to shreds in the last 20 minutes of this match.
It did briefly look as though Madrid might stage a comeback in the second-half but it after Suarez snatched Barca's third on the breakaway it was all over. The rest only added salt to the wound.
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