In the early hours of April 11, a matchup touted as one of the league's most pivotal of the season took place at the Estadio Di Stefano, and Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 in what was undoubtedly a triumphant romp.
This "national derby" not only let Real Madrid's league points beyond Barcelona, but also with one game less than Atletico Madrid team equal, by virtue of the mutual relationship between victory and defeat, Real Madrid temporarily climbed to the top of the table.
Benzema opened the scoring for Real Madrid with a clever heeled goal, while Kroos' free-kick made it 2-0 at half-time.
Barcelona did not give up, however, and Minguetza's goal in the 59th minute made the game tense, but Real Madrid ultimately struggled to hold on for the win thanks to tenacious defense and consistent play.
After the match, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane said that his team's dominant start allowed them to win the match despite the strong opposition. Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman, on the other hand, expressed his dissatisfaction with the referee's decisions, arguing that several rulings affected the course of the match.
Nonetheless, with eight rounds of La Liga remaining and Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona not too far apart in terms of points, the title is still up for grabs.
This "national derby" victory, undoubtedly for Real Madrid injected a shot in the arm, while Barcelona need to re-energize, ready for the next game.
