Barça in form at the Bernabéu

Having won only two games on its travels so far this season, and both by a single goal, Barcelona finally translated its staggering home form to a foreign field on Saturday evening to defeat Real Madrid 3-1 in the first clásico of the season. Before the match, the momentum had been all Real's - 15 consecutive victories in all competitions and goals by the hatful - but José Mourinho was unable to conjure up the win that all of Madridismo desires the most.

The match could not have started in finer form for the home side, however; Karim Benzema pounced on an uncharacteristic error by Víctor Vadés to score the swiftest goal in clásico history after 22 seconds. Before the game Mourinho's assistant, Aitor Karanka, had indicated Real would line up in a 4-3-3, as it had in a pulsating 3-2 win at Valencia. However, the team Mourinho fielded was his standard 4-2-3-1; the same formation that had been torn apart by Barcelona last season at Camp Nou. Pep Guardiola, too, had his ploy arranged. After the match the Barça coach said he had planned to switch to a back three after two or three minutes to add a man in midfield, but the early goal prevented him from doing so until later in the half. Still, despite the smoke and mirrors, the inalienable fact remains that Barça in full flow is still the prettiest of them all.

Mourinho shook his fist at lady luck after the defeat, and not without an element of validity. Barça's second goal came from a heavy deflection that left Iker Casillas wrong-footed and Cristiano Ronaldo, who had a subdued evening, missed two gilt-edged chances that would normally, against other opposition, have rippled the net. But the Real coach could have little complaint against Barça's deference to style. Even after conceding so early, the visiting team never lost its shape, or its cool, eventually passing its way out of trouble. Real appeared unnerved by being in front and was guilty of too many hastily concluded attacking moves.

"The thing was not to lose our philosophy," Xavi told the cameras after the final whistle. "We don't know how to play any other way. Víctor was very courageous in spite of his error and we were far superior to Madrid. We wanted to play like this. We played an incredible game in all areas."

"In all sports there are small details that make the difference, and luck played an important part. At 1-0 we had a chance to make it 2-0 and, in normal circumstances, we would have done so because the fantastic player that Cristiano is puts those away. With 2-0, the game is a different story entirely," noted Mourinho. "If we don't lose in Seville, we will be leaders at Christmas."

Although he was keen to play down the standing after the game, Guardiola's side departed for Japan on top of the league anew, and had prevented Real from potentially opening up a nine point lead in its absence.

"We didn't come here looking at the classification," said Guardiola. "I don't why there is such interest in naming a champion in November or December. Even if we had lost, the league would not be over, and it's not over now."