[REAL MADRID-BARCELONA] The reaction to Barcelona's 3-1 win over Real Madrid was rather ho-hum.

Another clasico -- the record seventh of the year -- and another Barcelona victory. But this one was pretty big.

SUPERIORITY COMPLEX. Instead of Real Madrid going ahead by six points -- plus a game in hand in La Liga -- Barcelona was off on its long flight to Japan for the Club World Cup knowing that it was tied with the return game at the Camp Nou still to play.

"We leave with a good taste in our mouths and we leave with the intention of winning the tournament," said Xavi, who scored the second goal on a deflection off Real defender Marcelo.

Xavi said Barcelona was simply better than Real Madrid despite going behind after Karim Benzema's goal 21 seconds into the game.

"We were very superior to Real Madrid today," Xavi told La Sexta.

THE LUCK FACTOR. Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho preferred to see luck as the deciding factor in the game -- Cristiano Ronaldo's failure to convert a couple of chances and the deflection off Marcelo on Xavi's goal.

"That was pure luck," Mourinho said of the Barcelona go-ahead goal. "It was not talent, it was not a mistake, nothing – it was just lucky. At 1-0, we had a chance to make it 2-0 and Cristiano, who's a fantastic player, normally scores those. Then Kaka's shot went wide off [Victor] Valdes, which was lucky, too."

Barcelona's second goal:

 
A '1' FOR RONALDO. The Madrid press blamed the loss on Ronaldo. "His decision-making was almost always poor," according to Marca. "Cristiano Ronaldo disappeared when Real Madrid needed him," noted As, which gave him a grade of 1 out of 10.

Dec. 10 in Madrid
Real Madrid 1 Barcelona 3. Goals: Benzema 1;  Sanchez 30, Xavi 53, Fabregas 66.
Real Madrid -- Casillas, Coentrao, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Diarra (Khedira 63), Di Maria (Higuain 68), Ozil (Kaka 58), Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema.
Barcelona -- Valdes, Alves, Pique, Puyol, Abidal, Busquets, Xavi, Fabregas (Keita 79), Iniesta (Pedro 89), Sanchez (Villa 84), Messi.
Att.: 79,900.