Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 4 (Suarez 10’, 74’, Neymar 40’, Iniesta 52’)
Luis Suarez looked every bit the €80 million (Dh313m) centre forward when he put Barcelona ahead after 11 minutes in Saturday night's clasico, but the man who provided the assist did not cost a penny.
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique made a big decision to start 23-year-old Sergi Roberto for the first time against Real Madrid, especially as it also meant keeping Lionel Messi on the bench. But the Catalan quickly justified it by accelerating through Barca's midfield to set up Suarez.
Three minutes later, he set up Ivan Rakitic, a player once considered another obstacle to Roberto’s first-team aspirations, but the Croatian blazed over the bar.
Roberto has been a revelation thanks to his coach, who has switched him from an assiduous central or defensive midfielder to a tireless right-back who can play anywhere on the right.
Enrique tried it in pre-season against Manchester United and Chelsea in the United States because of an injury to Dani Alves, the departure of Marc Montoya and the sanctions preventing Aleix Vidal from playing.
He liked what he saw and, when Roberto was outstanding against Atletico Madrid in the Calderon in September, he made his mind up: this was a player for the biggest games.
In the Bernabeu, Roberto started up front alongside Neymar and Suarez.
[Gallery: Barcelona run riot at Real Madrid to pile the pressure on Benites - in pictures]
Roberto has featured in a Bernabeu clasico before, in 2011 when Pep Guardiola saw enough in the 19 year old to bring him on for David Villa, but until this season he has been considered a fringe player, one faced with the dilemma of limited minutes at Barca (he played only 918 minutes last season, most of them in the Copa del Rey) or taking one of the many offers for him.
Valencia, Tottenham Hotspur and both Milan giants were among the clubs who have made offers and Roberto’s problem is similar to Marc Bartra, who grew up 12 miles from him in southern Catalonia.
Bartra is a Spain regular who performed well for his country midweek, but he did not even make the squad for the clasico and deleted a tweet saying how much he was looking forward to the match. Roberto has not made a full Spain debut, yet he has the confidence of Enrique.
“Look at Sergi Roberto for Barca,” former teammate Xavi said recently.
“He’s a different player. Why? Confidence. He knows Luis Enrique believes in him.
“Without that, it’s impossible to perform. Confidence is the greatest variable in life, not just in football.”
With the introduction of Messi after 56 minutes for Rakitic, Roberto switched into midfield to a backdrop of white cards held up by frustrated home fans who had seen their side, with several players looking short of fitness, outclassed.
The 200 travelling fans chorused that Madrid were going to the second division.
Goalscorers Neymar, Suarez and Andres Iniesta – to whom Roberto ran after scoring Barca’s third and who shredded the tightest defence in Spain – will continue to be more celebrated, but Roberto is a rising star, another product of Barca’s youth system.
He has already played more minutes this term than the whole of last season, and he capped his impressive display by cutting out a cross-field Madrid ball to start the move which saw Barca score their fourth.
They demolished Madrid, who they now lead by six points, thanks to their stars, but also the homegrown heroes like Roberto.
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