Suarez hat-trick as Barcelona blow away Real

BARCELONA ran riot in the Clasico on Sunday as Luis Suarez scored the hattrick that will surely spell the end of Julen Lopetegui’s time as Real Madrid coach.

Barcelona were 5-1 winners, dominant at Camp Nou for all-but a 15-minute period after half-time when the otherwise hapless Madrid briefly threatened a comeback.

All the failures that have underlined their recent problems under Lopetegui were on show here, poor finishing, dreadful defending and key players per- forming well below par, let alone at their best.

There was also some bad luck, as Luka Modric hit the post at 2-1, while Suarez’s second was a penalty, awarded only after consultation with the Video Assistant Referee.

Philippe Coutinho had scored the first and Arturo Vidal finished a late flurry but in between the game belonged to Suarez, who terrorised Madrid and made light of Lionel Messi’s injury-enforced absence.

“We have to be proud of having the best player in the world,” Suarez said. “But we have shown that we are a great team and that we have a great coach too.”

For Lopetegui, it is now one win in six games, as Madrid stay ninth, seven points behind Barcelona, who return to the top of the table.

“What we have shown today is what we have shown all season,” Casemiro said. “We have to run more, stand up more, fight more.”

This defeat was reminiscent of the 4-0 thrashing that spelt the end for Rafael Benitez in 2016. Benitez survived two more months, Lopetegui may not last the week.

Much was made of this being the first Clasico without either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo in 11 years but Suarez’s masterclass will mean it lives long in the memory, particularly for him, coming five days after the birth of his third child.

“It makes me very happy,” Suarez said.