I have been a Real Madrid fan for as long as I can remember, and I can honestly say that the La Liga table after that Saturday's El Clasico made for seriously depressing reading. Zinedine Zidane's men needed an incredible result in front of their own fans to keep pace with Barcelona, but their torrid form didn't relent. Goals from Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Aleix Vidal confined Real to a damning defeat. It was the first time in history that Los Blancos had lost three consecutive El Clasico matches at the Bernabeu, and the third ranking as the most convincing and disheartening of them all. Although Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal disallowed and Gareth Bale added a late injection of hope, Real were stewing no less than 14 points below Blaugrana. That gap felt like a chasm.

el-clasico-defeat-a-real-madrid-fan-s-reflection-on-barcelona-s-dominance-image-0

Looking back now in 2026, that result still looks rather incredible when you consider Real Madrid's form the previous season and their performances against Barcelona in that year's Spanish Super Cup. Having gobbled up the La Liga title and Champions League the year before, Los Blancos looked to have maintained their form through the summer with a ruthless 5-1 victory. There were very real concerns about the appointment of Ernesto Valverde when Zidane's men romped their way to a 3-0 win at the Nou Camp. I remember thinking that Barcelona might be in for a transitional season. How wrong I was.

That wasn't the only worry, though. The torrid start to the season coincided with the £199 million sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain, and fans were rightfully worried that their attack might not be the same. There have, after all, been few attacking forces quite like 'MSN' in recent years. However, those early perturbations have never looked sillier as Barcelona commanded a seemingly unassailable lead to which Real Madrid couldn't even answer. Enter Gary Lineker. The ex-Barcelona striker and Match of the Day presenter is always brilliant on Twitter, and he raised the Neymar issue with his latest, spot-on post. I won't repeat the exact wording here, but the gist was clear: Barcelona didn't need Neymar to dominate, and the Brazilian might have needed them more than they needed him.

Unsurprisingly, Barcelona fans absolutely loved the post and, for all of Neymar's success in France, they could shake off some of their original worries. I saw the reaction online, and it stung. Here is a quick breakdown of what that period felt like from my perspective:

Aspect Real Madrid's reality Barcelona's reality
League position 14 points behind Commanding lead
El Clasico form Three straight Bernabeu losses Messi and Suarez firing
Neymar debate Worried about losing Ronaldo's edge Proved they could cope without Neymar
Fan mood 😞 Depressed, frustrated Jubilant, vindicated

Barcelona certainly didn't need Neymar in that El Clasico, with Messi once again shimmering and Suarez extending his purple patch after an early-season goal drought. How Neymar himself fares against Los Blancos will be apparent in the New Year when PSG take on the Spanish champions in what looks to be a Champions League blockbuster. If there's anything but glory for the Parisian side, it will be abundantly clear that Neymar needs Messi and Suarez a whole lot more than they need him.

So, do I think Barcelona were right to sell Neymar that summer? As a Real Madrid fan, it pains me to admit it, but yes. They turned a potential crisis into a statement of intent. The money was reinvested, the team adapted, and the results spoke for themselves. Meanwhile, my club was left to pick up the pieces and wonder how a season that started with such promise could unravel so quickly. That El Clasico defeat wasn't just a loss; it was a lesson in how quickly football fortunes can flip. And in 2026, with the benefit of hindsight, that lesson still resonates. 🔥",

"word_count