Soccer: Prolific Barcelona humiliate arch rivals

Barcelona players savour scoring a sixth goal against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Photo / AP

MADRID - Barcelona couldn't have asked for a bigger confidence booster before its Champions League semifinal at Chelsea than yesterday's 6-2 rout of classic rival Real Madrid.

Barcelona's biggest-ever scoring output at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium came a year after the Catalans had to salute Madrid on the same ground as newly crowned Spanish league champions.

Now, Barcelona hold a seven-point lead over their rival with four games to play after the "clasico" win and are on the verge of ending a three-year trophyless drought.

"Last season when we played here it was one of the worst days of my life - this has been one of the best," captain Carles Puyol said. "It's historic, a very important game. We're euphoric."

With Real well beaten and their domestic league looking secure, Barcelona were relishing Thursday's Champions League match at Chelsea, after a 0-0 first leg draw.

Barcelona produced total football, as preached and practised by rookie coach Pep Guardiola.

"It's a glorious night because winning at such an important stadium against a marvellous club like this is very, very big," said Guardiola, a former Barcelona player who played under Johann Cruyff. "We're going [to Chelsea] feeling very good."

Barcelona are rewriting the league record books after reaching 100 goals to sit only seven shy of matching the best mark for a season.

Samuel Eto'o (27 goals), Lionel Messi (23) and Thierry Henry (19) have combined for 69 league goals to become the league's highest scoring trio, surpassing the 66 by Madrid greats Ferenc Puskas (28), Alfredo di Stefano (21) and Luis del Sol (17) during the 1960-61 season.

Barcelona's players celebrated the victory, staying on the field long after the final whistle to enjoy the moment while fans gathered along Barcelona's Las Rambla street to celebrate a big step toward adding silverware for the first time since a Champions League-Spanish league double in 2006.

"We dominated most of the match and we leave with a great feeling that we've taken a step that is nearly definite in the league," said Andres Iniesta, who was even applauded by 80,000 fans as he came off in the 86th minute. "Not quite, but almost."

Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez played perfect providers to Messi and Henry up front, with Messi playing in a centre-forward position to take advantage of Madrid's slower centrebacks.

Eto'o just stopped short of calling Guardiola's tactical move genius.

"We knew we had to play our game and that's what we did," Messi said. "We were superior."

Madrid coach Juande Ramos said Madrid would have to make major changes if they hoped to compete with Europe's best.

"That's an element that is very clear at this moment. In comparison to the major clubs of Europe, we can't compete on a sporting scale," Ramos said.

Madrid striker Raul Gonzalez said the Spanish champions would try to keep their slight hopes alive.

"Clearly it depends on them. We'll try to finish the best that we can," Raul said. "That's football, they were better. [But] it's the kind of defeat that hurts."

- AP