Robert Lewandowski shows Kylian Mbappe how it's done! Winners & losers as Barcelona striker makes the difference while frustrated Real Madrid star misfires in his Clasico debut

That's what a vintage striker's performance looks like. Last year, there were real concerns that Lewandowski had lost a step. Although the No.9 found the net at a decent rate, his declining athleticism and occasional poor finishing left questions as to whether he could handle another season at the top level. Thus far this year, he has vanquished those worries, thriving under his former manager.

He showed up in style against Los Blancos. He wasn't involved much in the first half, but was deadly when it counted in the second. Both of his goals were wonderful things, a ball tucked into the near post followed by a flicked header into the far corner. There was an uncharacteristic squandered third from the big man - but it mattered little at the end of the day. And as the minutes dwindled, Lewandowski was found at the back, winning some crucial defensive headers and seeing his side over the line. He looks a player renewed, under a manager with unwavering faith in his game. The Pichichi could be on its way, and league glory might also beckon, too.

Well, that's not the best first Clasico ever. Mbappe has, historically, been excellent in big games (see the 2022 World Cup final for proof). But in his first massive test for Los Blancos, he was miserable. Barca's tactic was admittedly simple: play one of the world's fastest attackers offside. But what should have been an excuse for the Frenchman to feast was instead a kind of basic setup that foiled him time and time again.

Mbappe was caught offside eight times over the course of the 90 minutes, and resorted to speculative efforts and squandered shots from the edge of the area. A lot of these, admittedly, came under fine margins - his disallowed goal was a matter of centimeters. Still, the big arrival should be able to handle these situations. Instead, he was left to look rather foolish. There will be other big games to come, and he will simply have to show up in those.

A lot of the talk in the lead up to the fixture was around whether Barca could play their signature risky high defensive line against a side with so much pace on the attack. Surely, Hansi Flick would have to be conservative?

So much for that. Barca were as risky as ever, despite not being blessed with blistering speed at either centre-back position. Mbappe alone was caught offside six times in the first half, while Vinicius, too, struggled to time his runs. It was a well-executed tactic and immense entertainment, helping facilitate a chaotic contest. Perhaps more importantly, though, it worked. Madrid had few clear chances, and Barca picked them off on the break. A clinic in audacious defending.

Ok, this thing is not over. It is October, and there is a lot of football to go. But there was a widespread perception - if not assumption - that Madrid would walk this thing. The addition of Mbappe was less about whether they could win La Liga and more if they could claim all three trophies available.

As it has become clear, this whole thing might not be so easy. Barca are better than expected under Flick, playing some expansive attacking football and doing enough defensively to be able to travel to the home of their fiercest rivals and secure an emphatic win. Meanwhile, Los Blancos have looked unsteady at times in Europe, while the big-money front line hasn't quite clicked. As with all Madrid sides, the real questions will be answered towards the end of the season, in the biggest games. But Saturday showed that this won't be such an easy win.

All credit to Flick here for sticking to his guns. The manager got his tactics all right, and showed no fear at the Bernabeu. For that, he deserves all of the plaudits that will come his way.

More broadly, though, it's been an immense start to life in Catalunya for the German. His treble-winning Bayern side played some wonderful football, but after an unsuccessful stint with the German national team, there was deserved skepticism as to whether he could make things happen for the Blaugrana. Those doubts have disappeared in two short months. With very little investment and holes in a number of key areas, Flick has worked wonders with this team. They are now six points clear of Barca atop La Liga. There is a long way to go here - and Los Blancos will undoubtedly be playing their best stuff in April. But the early signs are good. Flick might just have something cooking here.

If one side showed exactly how to handle an opponent in a big game, the other put on a clinic on how to get it all wrong. Madrid kept it tight in the first half but, once the game opened up, were simply pulled apart. This all started from the front, where Los Blancos put no pressure on the ball. And with Barca more aggressive in the middle, Madrid's four defenders were left helpless.

They lost their shape entirely in three of the four goals, Barca's clinical attackers left wide open for easy finishes. The fourth was probably the worst, a simple long ball over the top - coupled with some poor goalkeeping - summing up a miserable evening. There are some caveats here. They certainly miss Dani Carvajal, while Eder Militao doesn't quite look like his old self a year removed from an ACL tear. Still, such an experienced group one with league and European-winning defenders in the unit, shouldn't be undone so easily.