Real Madrid sink Barcelona in chaotic Clasico to regain top spot

Real Madrid climbed back atop La Liga by beating Barcelona 2-0 in a frenetic edition of El Clasico on Sunday in the Spanish capital.

Teenage winger Vinicius Junior scored the opening goal in the 71st minute, bursting down the left wing and beating Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a low shot that ricocheted off Gerard Pique's leg and in. Mariano Diaz came off the bench to double the advantage in the waning seconds.

With their first league win over Barca since 2016, Madrid move to 56 points on the season, one clear of their Catalan rivals.

Coming off a debilitating Champions League defeat to Manchester City, Zinedine Zidane knew that a loss on Sunday could have potentially derailed his side's season.

Though the contest was an open, chaotic affair that often lacked the necessary poise at the crucial moment, Real Madrid always looked the more likely to break the deadlock. Isco was twice denied in the second half, once by a terrific leaping save from Ter Stegen, and then by Pique, who cleared a header from the diminutive Spaniard off the line.

But Madrid were eventually rewarded for their persistence when Vinicius broke free down the wing, taking advantage of a positional mix-up between Nelson Semedo and substitute Martin Braithwaite before getting a slice of luck via the deflection off Pique.

Lionel Messi was largely held under wraps - he completed just one dribble in the match - and on the odd occasion that he did break free, there always seemed to be a Madrid defender nearby to deliver a last-ditch tackle.

Madrid, who kept Messi and Barca off the board across both league matches this season, also leveled the all-time Clasico rivalry at 96 wins apiece.