Embarrassing? Humiliating? Demoralizing? It is tough to find an appropriate word to describe the ‘insert statement of choice here’ that occurred at the Camp Nou on Monday night, but the result was rarely in question.

Barcelona were the superior side, earning the 5-0 drubbing that was handed down to the visiting Madrileños. In a night that was all Azulgrana, the positive takeaways for the visiting side were few and far between.

Not only did were Madrid outshone by a brilliant display of football, but they were completely outclassed as well. Pleasantries were not to be expected but the frustration displayed in the eight cards shown (seven yellow, one red) to the visitors is a testament to the aggravation caused by Barcelona’s superior ball control and overall domination.

It was not beautiful finishing that undid Los Blancos on Monday night, in fact quite the contrary, as most of the final touches involved some fortunate bounces (how the ball bounced up to Xavi for the opener seems to defy physics) and/or auspicious positioning; however, the control, passing and vision displayed by the hosts is some of the best you will ever see. Real Madrid is a phenomenal team; one of the best in Europe right now and Barcelona made them look foolish. Madrid’s midfield probably needs to become a bit more disciplined to keep pace with their Catalan rivals yet this was not the type of display anyone was expecting. It is not a sentiment of pessimism, Barcelona were just that good on the night, reasserting that they still, for the time being, are the best team in Spain.

Ten of the twenty-three players on FIFA’s shortlist of Ballon d’Or candidates took part in the first leg of El Clasico; one would be hard-pressed to amass a greater amount of talent on one pitch. The world’s two best players faced off against each other as Jose Mourinho got his first taste of the Derbi Español (his winless streak, now six matches, continued at the Camp Nou as the Portuguese coach also lost his first match by more than four goals). Pep Guardiola’s side put on a brilliant display of football, making it a night to remember for the close to 100,000 in attendance.

Leo Messi did his best impression of Andres Iniesta; as architect of three goals, the Argentine international showed he can do a lot more than just dribble through defenders (though not a bad talent to have). Towards the end of the first half, Barcelona had controlled the ball for three quarters of the match. Nonsensical statistics in a fixture of this magnitude played between two World-Class clubs. The quality in Barcelona’s midfield made the likes of Mesut Ozil, who has adjusted phenomenally to La Liga, disappear, the Germany star only lasting one half.

The defensive mistakes will be corrected, Mourinho will reinstall confidence in his side, and Madrid will rebound. There is still a lot of football to be played, and Madrid are only two points back. The season will be decided in May, not November, and while it was an embarrassing defeat that is all it was: one loss. But maybe this was also good for Los Blancos. Undefeated and almost unchallenged to this point, Madrid’s confidence was well deserved; however, one wonders if the humbling they received at the hands of their Northern rivals won’t help Mourinho’s side in the long run. A chip on their shoulder, hardly, but playing through a spell of adversity may develop the character needed to conquer Europe once again. Trying to spin a 5-0 hammering in a good light is tricky, but in the end it’s the trophies that matter most in Madrid. This defeat stings but hoisting silverware at the Bernabeu could serve as a very easy remedy to what could prove to be only a minor, early season setback for Los Blancos.