Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona: 5 talking points as Los Blancos dominate

2. Messi-dependencia no longer working for Barcelona

Usually the plan of giving the ball to Lionel Messi and letting him win a game almost on his own worked for Barcelona. It used to be a formula for success.

Not anymore.

The Argentine had a few chances to score and was unable to convert. He looked a step or two off his usual pace and looked uncomfortable, for lack of a better word.

His frustration was apparent when he was booked after hacking down Marcelo late in the game. He’s been the club’s talisman for more than a decade but he’s now at an age where he can’t do everything.

Not to mention that he’s playing through an injury for more than a month now. Because of the injuries to Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembélé, he’s had to do even more in their absence. He’s now become the team’s goalscorer and creator.

Even when he’s not scoring he’s providing the assists.

Barcelona have spent hundreds of millions to try to take the pressure off of Messi and no one has worked out. Antoine Griezmann was the new, expensive signing this season and has yet to gel despite being more than halfway through the league campaign.

If Barcelona want to have any sort of shot of winning LaLiga or Champions League, they are going to need a fit Messi. The only way for that to happen is to rest him and let him heal from his injury.

But because they now trail Madrid by a point instead of possibly being up five and with Real Sociedad, at home, next on the schedule, the likelihood is Messi will continue to play and run the risk of potentially aggravating the injury.

With such a small squad, Setién has a tough job on his hands. Should the club walk away empty-handed, his future may be in doubt. In many ways his future will depend on the health of Lionel Messi.

1. Potential catalyst for Real Madrid

With beating Barcelona and claiming the top spot in LaLiga, Real Madrid could use this win as a stepping stone for what lies ahead.

The confidence they gained by beating Barcelona could very well carry to the return leg at the Etihad against Manchester City. This could be the game that turns around their season.

This Real Madrid is by far one of the weakest ones in recent memory but that does not matter. There is not one team in Europe who is vastly superior to anyone left in the Champions League.

Even Liverpool, the reigning European Champions and Premier League leaders, have suffered setbacks against Atletico Madrid and Watford. The point is they no longer look as invincible as they used to.

The Madrid sides that won back-to-back-to-back European titles weren’t the best team in any of those seasons either. But they got hot at the right time and were not phased by the big occasion.

Zinedine Zidane knows how to manage Real Madrid and his influence on the team can no longer be questioned.

Every successful team looks back at a certain game or moment where they can point to as the one that changed things for them. The victory at home against Barcelona could be the game Real Madrid look back at when all is said and done.