Barca win first El Classico of season

It wasn't a classic but the first El Classico was certainly better than the fare served up in North London and on Merseyside today. Real Madrid, fielding five newbies to the occasion, had the better of the first half and Cristiano Ronaldo should have scored when set-up by Kaka but was denied buy the right leg of Spain's number three choice goalkeeper Victor Valdes.

Unlike last year when the first league meeting between these two was dominated by the pre-meditated fouling of Lionel Messi there was little in the way of over exuberance and the tackling was earnest but never nasty. Real Madrid created more chances and there was the nagging doubt that with Theirry Henry again misfiring and Iniesta looking short of fitness the home side might struggle to get a shot on target. Things changed in the second half when, after a quarter of an hour, Sergio Busquets was sent-off for the second of two stupid offences. Sergio B is a bit of a liability at times and it's no coincidence that his page on Wikipedia features a photograph of him receiving a yellow card.

The sending off seemed to affect Real Madrid more than the home side and Kaka, Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso became less effective rather than taking the game away from Keita and Xavi in midfield. When the Madrid team did break through they were denied by the Catalans captain Carles Puyol who produced three tackles of the highest quality.

After fifty minutes Pep Guardiola sent on the world's second most expensive player and five minutes later Zlatan Ibrahimovic volleyed in with his left foot following a cross by Danny Alves. After that a series of substitutions saw Real Madrid send on Benzema for Ronaldo and then in a show of either inspired genius of sheer desperation they took off their left back Arbeloa and replaced him with the 'King' of Spain. Real still couldn't score and Barca should have scored through Eric Abidal and Lionel Messi, the latter denied by a brilliant save from Spain's Number One, Victor Valdes.

To compound Real's misery Diarra was sent off near the end for a pointless (aren't they all) foul on Xavi. So after what could have been a difficult week for the Spanish and European Champions they have emerged with home victories over Inter Milan and Real Madrid and tonight sit back on top of La Liga. Next up on Wednesday night are bottom club Xerez away, Real don't play until next Sunday when they play the team known in our house as Emma Bunton, by the time they kick off they could be five points behind their big rivals.

Barca are apparently tracking Jermain Defoe was a possible January signing, just what the top scorers in Spain need - another striker. I'd rather they put another £35 million than the £15 million they'll need for Defoe, on the table and prised David Villa away from Valencia.