Barça revel in Messi's clásico stranglehold over Real Madrid

Two Bernabéu victories mean Barcelona now lead the head-to-head between the sides for the first time since 1932

“Playing and winning here really turns me on,” Gerard Piqué said. When the final whistle went on Saturday night’s clásico, he led Barcelona’s players to the north end of the Santiago Bernabéu, a place they’ve come to know well. High in the corner a couple of hundred fans remained while the rest of the stadium silently emptied, defeated. Piqué raised his fists. “Time for a beer,” Ivan Rakitic said, heading to join them. Arms around each other’s shoulders, they sang, bounced about a bit and then turned towards the tunnel. Piqué embraced Lionel Messi, teammates since they were 13. Luis Suárez looked west, where the families sit, and waved. And in the dressing room, someone took a photo; “Déjà vu,” the caption read. It was only a short while and it wasn’t particularly wild, which probably said something, but together they celebrated.

Related: Ivan Rakitic goal earns victory for dominant Barcelona over Real Madrid

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