Madrid, Nov 21 (EFE; additional context by The Costa Rica Star).- FC Barcelona turned the latest edition of Spain’s Clasico into a laugher, crushing Real Madrid 4-0 here Saturday evening to move six points clear of the Blancos in the La Liga standings.

The match at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where a moving tribute was paid to the victims of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, was in one sense a triumph of sports over fear, but it was also an emphatic victory for the visitors over their arch-rival.

Barcelona’s victory stemmed from its superiority in midfield, where Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Sergi Roberto dominated the action, thanks in large part to Real Madrid essentially ceding control of that area of the pitch to the Catalans.

Sergi Roberto took advantage of that open space to find a seam in the defense and deliver the ball to Luis Suarez, who opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a classy strike just inside the far post.

Barcelona then doubled its lead 18 minutes later when Iniesta moved uncontested through Real Madrid’s defense and found Neymar, who fired a shot under the arm of Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas from close range. The goal was allowed even though Suarez appeared to be offside.

The visitors then wasted no time piling it on at the start of the second half, with Iniesta receiving a delicate back-heel pass from Suarez and blasting the ball into the upper part of the goal in minute 53.

With the game well in hand, Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique decided to insert superstar striker Lionel Messi, who had missed several games with a knee injury.

Rafael Benitez also made a switch, sending on Isco to replace Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez, but it was far too late for any game-changing adjustments.

One final goal added insult to injury in the 74th minute, when sloppy defense allowed Suarez to break completely free and score in a one-on-one opportunity against Navas, who had been the league’s stingiest goalkeeper coming into Saturday’s Clasico.

With the win, Barcelona now has 30 points and is six points ahead of Real Madrid, which could fall into third place by the end of the weekend if Atletico Madrid defeats Betis on Sunday. EFE

For star goalkeeper Keylor Navas, this match signaled an end to his impressive streak of clean sheets this season. He did not allow a single goal in the four Real Madrid home matches played this season, plus another two matches in the European Champions League.

Fans in Costa Rica were hoping that Navas could extend his record of 885 unbeaten minutes. As it happens, Barcelona is the Spanish club that has scored the most goals against him, taking into account his previous time playing with Levante.