El Clasico: the biggest game in world football (according to some, anyway).
Sunday afternoon's clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid was, however, a sombre affair compared to the star-studded, herculean and blockbuster occasions of years gone by.
It wasn't so long ago that we witnessed immense encounters between the attacking tridents of Lionel Messi - Luis Suarez - Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo - Karim Benzema - Gareth Bale. On Sunday, only one of those names featured at Camp Nou - a signal of the transitional period of both of these gargantuan clubs.
And, led by the combination of a trusted old guard and exuberant youthfulness, a lot was made about match-ups between the two sides - particularly the battle between two prodigal players.
On Ronald Koeman's side, there was the heir to Messi's iconic number 10 shirt, while on Carlo Ancelotti's there was a wonderkid finally finding his feet in the striking white of Real Madrid.
