If Barcelona's form in La Liga is a signal that they are back, Real Madrid's announcement on Wednesday was that they never left, and that they remain king. The 4-0 win at the Camp Nou was more than just a victory that gets Los Blancos into the Copa del Rey final, it was further affirmation that they can turn it on whenever they want, better than anybody, and that Barca are far from a finished product.
At risk of losing of losing a fourth straight El Clasico just this season, Real came to life with three goals in the second half to obliterate Xavi's team, resulting in another cup exit for the Catalan side, one that had Xavi taking questions about the team's mental state after such an embarrassing defeat. The manager went as far as saying that the second goal was essentially what damaged his team mentally, and they weren't the same after that.
"When you don't kill Real Madrid, Real Madrid kill you," Xavi said after the match. "We didn't score at least one goal...They were better than us, and this is football."
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Karim Benzema was at his best, a second hat trick in as many games, blowing up a Barca defense with the likes of Vinicius Jr., Luka Modric and others slicing them up like nobody had done this season. Benzema's hat trick was the first by a Real Madrid player at Barca since Ferenc Puskas back in 1963.
Remember, this is a Barca defense that is allowing just 0.33 goals per game in La Liga. They've conceded nine times total and two of those were own goals. On Wednesday, they allowed four goals in a game for the first time all season, and it came in their home stadium against their most hated rival.
"The second goal was really bad for us," Xavi said.
"We are playing against Real Madrid....They are a great team....They showed their best level in the second half."
That's 10 goals in Real's last two games and with Chelsea looming in the Champions League quarterfinals next week, who is going to bet against them? They recently blew the doors off Anfield and now the Camp Nou.
It's scary to think of what comes next. Modric is getting enough rest and looks like he's 30 again, Vinicius Jr. is pulling out all the tricks and Benzema, well, there's just no stopping him. Chelsea saw that firsthand as well just last season when he dropped a hat trick on them in the second half of their Champions League quarterfinal matchup.
On a night where momentum for what's to come was on the line, only one team showed up for the entirety of the match. Real have what it takes to conquer Europe -- they typically do.
As for Barca, this is a team with a long way to go and one with an uncertain future. With a UEFA investigation and financial issues in addition to a sale of players expected in the summer, it's still an uphill climb to reach the level that they desire, one where they are contenders in Europe.
Elimination from the Champions League group stage and the early knockout stage of the Europa League suggest Barca are well off the pace of being, once again, elite. La Liga glory is likely around the corner, which is nice, but on Wednesday, Real Madrid showed them what elite looks like.
