Given how both sides had started the season, there had been a fear that this would be the most underwhelming Clasico in years, a clash of two sides short of cohesion, short of panache, and short of confidence. But not a bit of it. The quality may not have been exceptional, and it would take an extremely bold observer to make any firm conclusions about the structure of either side, but it was undeniably fun.
After a miserable few days in which it lost to Cadiz and then a coronavirus-hit Shakhtar, Madrid ended the week with a 3-1 victory over Barcelona that returned the club to the top of the table in La Liga.