CHILLING

It is now safe to assume that for Barcelona beating Real Madrid is no longer sufficient. It has now become implicit to humiliate them.

Barca's Monday evening's 5-0 mauling of Real was a savagery not witnessed by one side at the highest echelons of European football against another since the Catalans themselves suffered the wrath of Arrigo Sacchi's all conquering AC Milan back in the 1994 Champions league final. The now legendary 4-0 massacre in Athens.

Sixteen years on similar carnage has been inflicted on Jose Mourinho's Madrilenos by a home side whom with thirty minutes remaining and already four goals up decided to make this a night their supporters would tell their grandchildren of. A cold hearted desire to crush their hated rivals by not only a devastating scoreline but their spirit also was overwhelming.

So began an exhibition orchestrated by the magical Barca-midfeld duo of Xavi and Iniesta that left Mourinho's much vaunted '˜new Madrid' bedraggled, shattered and tormented. Every pass came tinged with the cold, chilling immeasurable weight of history.

Terrible times causing bad blood that as each generation goes by shows scant signs of easing. One's that witnessed Catalans suffering intolerably under the Nationalist fist of a pro Madrid General Franco When to utter defiance or whisper the merest of insolence towards the Franco's regime entailed swift passage to the gallows or a firing squad.

The ball went left, right, back and forward with mesmerising precision. White shirted Madrilenos dangled at will by these conjuring Barca puppeteers. Each aimed beyond the grave and a bullet in the eye for the long, gone Generalissimo.

Then the final curtain call, one that left a Nou Comp crowd already drunk on happiness dancing in the aisles. On ninety minutes, as if on cue to end proceedings a last encore. A fifth goal. Perfection, unforgettable -- -- -- chilling.

Come full time and the tearful expressions on the faces of Madrid's new breed of superstars Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil spoke a thousand words and more. A dose of footballing reality Barca style.
In the bitter aftermath of this nightmarish debacle Real coach Jose Mourinho claimed they were not '˜humiliated, just heavily beaten'˜. Clearly hurting Mourinho was in no mood to hand out plaudits on a night when forced to endure a heaviest ever defeat in a place where he and his team were hated like no other.

In the Spanish media and beyond those critics claiming Mourinho had already in his short Bernabeu reign closed the gap on Barcelona were left red faced and having to reassess their now invalid opinions. For this was more than a beating, it was revenge for events long past and perhaps even more ominous, the shape of thing to come for a Madrid team that simply did not know what hit them.