Barcelona stunned Real Madrid in the last Clasico of the 2021/2022 season played on Sunday night to end a five-game El Classico losing streak.
Former Arsenal skipper, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice to continue his great streak since being signed in the final minutes of the winter transfer window.
Ronald Araujo and Ferran Torres added a goal each to give Barcelona its seventh win in the last eight matches in all competitions.
The victory gave Barcelona title hopes in the Spanish league after a slow start to the season.
The result moved Barcelona within 12 points of league leader Madrid with nine rounds to go, and it could further cut the gap to nine points if it wins its game in hand against Rayo Vallecano.
Barcelona is level on points with fourth-place Atletico Madrid and is three points behind second-place Sevilla, which was held 0-0 at home against Real Sociedad earlier Sunday for its third straight draw in the league.
Madrid, which badly missed the injured Karim Benzema, was unbeaten in its last eight games in the league, with six wins. It had beaten its Catalan rival 2-1 at Camp Nou in their first league game last year.
It was Madrid’s first home loss in 24 league games, since losing to Levante in January 2021.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti did not replace Benzema with another striker, instead, he used Luka Modric in a false-nine position at the top of the attacking line along with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
Madrid barely threatened, though, and Ancelotti had to change tactics in the second half by putting Mariano Diaz upfront, which also didn’t help much.