The Special One fails at Classico

Barcelona produced a dazzling display of attacking football to hammer Real Madrid 5-0 and move top of the Primera Liga table.

The first El Clasico of the season, held over from the weekend due to the Catalan elections, saw Jose Mourinho return to the Camp Nou where he once worked as a translator and assistant coach.

The Portuguese tactician did not receive the warmest of receptions prior to Monday's match and by the final whistle he had suffered complete humiliation as Real slumped to their first defeat of his tenure.

Mourinho was appointed to help bring a period of Barcelona dominance to an end and re-establish Real as the best team not only in Spain but also Europe.

But the gulf appeared wider than ever as Barca ran riot courtesy of first-half goals from Xavi and Pedro, a double from David Villa after the interval and a late Jeffren strike, while Sergio Ramos saw red for Real.

Stunning Another Messi run at the start of the second half almost created a third goal for Barca, but Villa's shot was well kept out by Casillas.

Xavi also hit the side-netting after a breathtaking passage of play again heavily involving Messi, before Villa struck twice in the space of three minutes to put the outcome beyond any doubt.

Both goals were stunning in their simplicity as Villa latched onto incisive Messi passes and finished with aplomb, first sweeping a shot past Casillas on 55 minutes and then cheekily poking one through the goalkeeper's legs.

With more than half an hour remaining it was a case of damage limitation for Real and Mourinho, who made a defensive substitution with the introduction of Alvaro Arbeloa.

Barca were playing so well that nothing looked impossible, with holding midfielder Sergio Busquets almost scoring from the halfway line with a shot that had Casillas scrambling back before just dropping over the bar.

Leniency was then shown to Carvalho when the former Chelsea centre-back deliberately handballed to prevent a goalscoring opportunity but only received a yellow card.

The hosts took their foot off the gas in the closing stages but could still find a cutting edge when required and substitute Jeffren got in on the act with a fifth goal from Bojan's cross.

Real never came close to scoring a consolation and their misery was compounded just before the final whistle as Ramos was sent off amid a mass melee.