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Barca thrash Madrid, while Atletico move into second in La Liga

Xinhua, November 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Matchday 12 of the Primera Liga saw FC Barcelona strike a major blow on the table as they humiliated Real Madrid 4-0 in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Over 80,000 Real Madrid fans watched how Barcelona took them apart for 90 minutes with a display of total football in which they outplayed their rivals in every part of the pitch.

Barca controlled the ball and led 2-0 by the break thanks to goals from Luis Suarez and Neymar, the first of which arrived after a passing move involving over 30 touches of the ball by Barcelona players without Madrid getting close to it.

It could have been 3-0 had Marcelo, who later had to go off injured, not cleared Luis Suarez's effort from the goal-line.

Andres Iniesta made it 3-0 early in the second half following a backheel from Neymar and Suarez completed the rout in the closing minutes as the Real Madrid fans vented their frustration of coach Rafael Benitez and President Florentino Perez.

Atletico Madrid moved into second place on Sunday after Koke gave them a 1-0 win away to Betis and are now four points behind Barca in the league table.

Levante climbed off the bottom of the table thanks to a 3-0 win away to Sporting Gijon. Deyverson scored twice and Feddel scored from close range in a game the visitors dominated from start to finish.

Eibar's excellent start to the season continued with a 1-1 draw away to Villarreal. Sergi Enriqe put the visitors ahead midway through the first half and they should have doubled their lead only for Dsni Garcia to have a penalty saved, before Jaume Costa's equalizer five minutes from time assured a share of the points.

Athletic Club Bilbao missed the chance to climb the table as they slipped to a shock defeat 2-0 away to Granada. An Aymeric Loporte own goal in the fourth minute and another from John Success were enough to lift Granada off the bottom of the table.

Eusebio Sacristan debuted as Real Sociedad coach with a win as his side took advantage of two defensive errors to defeat Sevilla 2-0 with goals from Imanol Agirretxe, who volleyed in his ninth goal of the season, and Xavi Prieto, who scored from close range.

Sevilla's day was made worse by the Achilles tendon injury suffered by Marco Andreolli, which will keep him out for the rest of the season.

Two first half goals from Hernan Perez gave Espanyol a 2-0 home win over Malaga, who have only scored in two of their 12 games to date this season and drop to bottom of the table after Las Palmas took a point away to Valencia thanks to a goal from former Valencia striker Jonathan Viera, which cancelled out Paco Alcacer's opener in Mestalla.

Finally Lucas Perez's 23rd minute strike and an injury time own goal saw Deportivo la Coruna win the Galicia derby 2-0 at home to Celta Vigo. Endi