Madrid give Barça La Liga guard of honour

A lot was said about a guard of honour before the Clasico even though Barcelona made it clear they had no intention of giving Real Madrid one for their Club World Cup success. Players, coaches and directors all said that there was no need for one and that they don't give guard of honours for competitions they haven't played in. 

So, instead, Real Madrid began the game by showing off the trophy they won in Abu Dhabi as a reaction to Barcelona's refusal, boasting of being the champions of he Club World Cup and then taking a knee in La Liga.  

Zinedine Zidane's side tried to implement small team tactics with their man marking of Lionel Messi and their attempts to block the midfield in the first half. Then in the second half they fell apart and ended up giving their own guard of honour to Barça, who moved 14 points clear of them in La Liga (Madrid have a game in hand) and nine clear of second-placed Atletico. 

Now, the league can only be lost by Barça, but they will be strengthened by this win against Madrid. Despite not always shining this season, they've reserved their best moments for when they've been needed.