MADRID — The rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona has spanned nearly 90 years and more than 220 games. It has seen, at various times, pregame intimidation tactics from a Franco general, a severed pig’s head being used as a projectile from the stands, and more red cards than a poker game. Its worldwide viewing totals are often estimated at 400 million for any given match.
All of which is to say that while Luis Suárez’s return from a four-month suspension for biting an opponent during the World Cup was certainly an attraction on Saturday night, precious little will ever overshadow the basic premise of the showdown known as el Clásico. Madrid against Barcelona, la Blaugrana against los Blancos, has always been a bottom-line affair: When these teams meet, nothing is ever bigger than the final score.
And so it was again. Suárez played 69 minutes for Barcelona in his first official game for the club, and while he was effective in creating opportunities — including one that led to the game’s opening goal — he was not the showstopper. That honor went to a Madrid collective that produced a breathtaking goal early in the second half, capping a thrilling 3-1 victory for los Blancos, who cut their deficit in the Spanish league to just a point behind Barcelona.
Karim Benzema provided an inch-perfect shot on that goal in the 61st minute, but its buildup was just as glorious. Real Madrid prides itself on its explosive counterattacking style, and this connect-the-dots was vintage. The sequence began in Madrid’s own end with Barcelona, at least hypothetically, on the attack, since it had a corner kick.
It turned out the danger was in the other direction. Barcelona scuffed the corner kick, the ball broke free on the left side and, after a mix-up between Andrés Iniesta and Javier Mascherano, Madrid’s players took off as if they had heard a starter’s gun.
The passing was dizzying: Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodríguez, Benzema. The ball was in the back of the net in seconds, and Suárez was one of several Barcelona players who raised hands in desperation while the Madrid fans threw theirs up in jubilation.
“It’s hard to say who was the best because everyone was playing at such a high level,” Madrid Coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
As it turned out, Suárez’s night ended about 10 minutes later, an unsurprising substitution from Barcelona Coach Luis Enrique, since Suárez will surely need more time before he is in shape to run for 90 minutes. Suárez, a Uruguayan striker, was jeered as he jogged off, but his play was solid, with a few clear moments of the magic that has made him a global enigma.
No one ever doubts his play. His incisiveness around the penalty area is what coaches crave from all their attackers, and his powerful crosses inevitably find their way into the crook of the opposing defense. For the past three seasons, he did it for Liverpool and, before his bite, he had done it for Uruguay at the World Cup. It is difficult to imagine he will not show the same skill set in Spain.
The question with Suárez, though, is always about what potential meltdown may lie just around the corner. His chomp on an Italian defender in Brazil was the third such instance of his biting another player, and disbelief over that reality — yes, it has really happened three times — will last far longer than his suspension did.
Suárez looked chipper when he ran on to the field Saturday, grinning and laughing during warm-ups as he soaked in the trappings at Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Suárez started well, too, taking his first touch inside the first minute and then bursting forward down the wing before sliding a pass across to Neymar, who cut back inside and buried a shot past Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Inside four minutes, Suárez had helped give Barcelona the lead.
“I’m happy to be back playing, it’s a big relief and I’m happy that the time has passed,” Suárez said. “It’s a bittersweet feeling because of the result, but this side has come back many a time.”
He added: “It is very difficult to play here, but I did things that were in the reach of my hands. Everyone knows how Clásicos are played.”
This edition was no different. The lively opening was representative; the game was played mostly at a blistering pace. In the first 10 minutes, there were a goal from Neymar, a rare (but deserved) caution for Lionel Messi and a shot off the crossbar from Benzema.
The turning point, though — at least from a Barcelona perspective — may have come after just 23 minutes. Suárez was involved again, this time playing in another tantalizing cross that sat up for Messi right in front of goal.
Somehow, Messi — known by many as the greatest scorer in the world — missed. Casillas deserves some credit for making a save, but it was difficult not to think Barcelona should have been two goals ahead.
Instead, the margin stayed tight, and soon enough, Madrid had leveled after Gerard Piqué was called for a hand ball near the end line. Ronaldo coolly slid his penalty kick into the corner of the net for his 16th league goal this season and the first conceded by Barcelona in 776 minutes of La Liga play.
A header from Pepe six minutes after halftime put Madrid ahead, and then, with a half-hour still remaining, came Madrid’s sizzling jailbreak. Benzema celebrated. Suárez stared. The fans roared. Even the world’s most notorious biter is not bigger than the sport’s most celebrated battle.