3 takeaways from El Clasico: Neymar has surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo

If El Clasico was somehow responsible for determining Spain's political future, the autonomous community of Catalonia would have gained independence and then some.

What transpired at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 4-0 in the 171st clash between the eternal rivals in La Liga, was nothing short of a thrashing. However, beyond the scoreboard, there were many lessons and reminders of the footballing sphere in the Iberian Peninsula.

Here are three takeaways from El Clasico:

Barcelona possesses Earth's top two players

If there were any lingering doubts about Neymar's status as the second-best footballer on the planet, they were effectively killed by 90 minutes of dazzling play from the Brazilian phenom.

As Neymar has not only filled the void left by Lionel Messi's injury but gone above and beyond, it feels as though there's been a puzzling lack of discussion about where he ranks in comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps it's down to a lack of desire to weaken the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo, or perhaps it's because there are still some haters who illogically continue to view Neymar as if he's still at Santos, yet to prove his worth on the European stage.

Either way, Neymar has dethroned Ronaldo as the second-best player in the solar system, and there really shouldn't be a counterargument.

The kid from Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil absorbed the spotlight at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday like a sponge absorbs water, making Ronaldo so irrelevant that all those watching El Clasico may have forgotten he was on the pitch were it not for the odd closeup of a dejected Portuguese man on television.

Neymar scored a beauty that involved one of his iconic, perfectly timed runs down the left.

He played back-heel flicks that doubled as key passes, putting the ball on a plate for the likes of Andres Iniesta and Messi in Brazilian fashion, as if he values enjoyment as much as winning.

He drew fouls like it was nothing, luring James Rodriguez and Dani Carvajal into yellow cards before drawing Isco into a straight red card that not even Isco could protest.

All of Neymar's best attributes were on display, while Ronaldo was merely a fly on the wall, watching as Claudio Bravo swatted away his shots.

Andres Iniesta is an architect

Believe it or not, but, before Saturday, Iniesta had actually never tallied both a goal and an assist in the same edition of El Clasico.

The Guardian's live blog of the fixture featured one update in which a commenter named Alan wrote: "Iniesta is the conductor. The rest are merely the orchestra. He is beautiful to watch."

However, the analogy of an architect feels more accurate. Iniesta constructed the victory with one goal, one key pass, a pass accuracy of 95.7 percent, 78 touches, and a leadership role that can't be quantified. The product of La Masia, playing in his first El Clasico as captain, made life easier for all those around him and dictated the tempo of the match from kickoff to the final whistle. Everyone on Barcelona benefited from his presence, and everyone on Real Madrid suffered because of it.

When he scored the third goal of the game, it was a just reward for his overall impact on the contest.

Real Madrid's supporters lack class

Off the pitch, El Clasico was a lesson in how a supporter should not back his or her respective club.

Real Madrid's supporters have a reputation of being short on patience and self-entitled while holding unreasonable expectations. That obviously doesn't mean that the widespread belief is accurate, but the club's fans did themselves no favours as Los Blancos were torn apart over the course of 90 minutes.

After Real Madrid found itself trailing by two goals, white handkerchiefs were waved throughout the Santiago Bernabeu, signalling surrender. Then, at the interval, chants of "Florentino, resign" echoed across the stadium, calling for Florentino Perez, the club's president, to step down. In the final 10 minutes, Ronaldo was whistled mercilessly, as if he was directly at fault for Barcelona's phenomenal display.

In other words, those who had the privilege of attending one of the greatest sporting events in the world turned on their team, their president, and their poster boy within a two-hour span.

At least there were some who deserve to be commended for their applause of Iniesta ...