A stunning goal from Luis Suarez handed Barcelona a crucial victory as Luis Enrique's side established a four-point lead over their bitter rivals at the top of La Liga. In a match billed as the latest clash between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, it was the Uruguayan signed from Liverpool last summer who stole the show with his winning effort in the second half.

The first goal had also come from an unlikely source. Barcelona were given a free-kick on the left for a foul by Pepe on Suarez, another glimpse of a battle that was building. Messi curled the ball in and Jeremy Mathieu headed down and into the net. It was Mathieu's first goal of the season and Messi's 22nd assist, more proof that things are not always as they seem: this the ninth header that Real Madrid have conceded in the league this season. Barcelona had conceded just one – to Pepe in the first clásico of the season.

And yet the lead was far from secure. Ronaldo had already hit the bar with a volley at the far post, Isco’s shot had skidded wide and then Ronaldo had leapt to head over, all in a minute. Trailing now, they took another step forward.

The equaliser came just after the half hour and less than a minute after Neymar had somehow passed up the opportunity to make it 2-0, side-footing into Iker Casillas’s arms from four yards.

Luka Modric’s neat pass found Karim Benzema who provided a gorgeous assist, back-heeling the ball first time into the path of Ronaldo and he steered it away from Claudio Bravo. He has now scored in seven of his last eight visits to the Camp Nou.

Barcelona’s weakness was revealed and Madrid honed in on it, heading ever further up the pitch. Gerard Pique held his side together, racing to put out fires at every turn. Gareth Bale slid in the second goal but was pulled back because the linesman judged Ronaldo offside when he flicked the ball on.

The Wales captain shot wide from just outside the six-yard box after the ball dropped to him from a corner. And then Benzema, controlling beautifully on the chest and shrugging off his man, combined with Bale and Ronaldo. His shot was struck hard, the ball shifting in their air as it flew goalwards where Bravo pushed it over.

If the half-time whistle was welcome, a chance to correct and reconnect, the second half began in a similar manner. Within two minutes Bravo again had to intervene, Ronaldo and Benzema combining for the Frenchman to shoot.

There was something eloquent in the wild, nervous way that Mathieu hacked the ball away, likewise in the way the Camp Nou roared when Sergio Busquets and Xavi Hernandez left the bench to warm up: control was needed urgently at Camp Nou.

Wrest control

Madrid’s pressure troubled Barcelona but Barcelona did not trouble to press Madrid. In possession, they found more space and time than they could have expected. Unable or unprepared to wrest control of the ball in the middle, Barcelona turned more direct. It worked too: Dani Alves’s long ball found Suarez, running in behind Pepe.

The first touch to control the ball as it hit the turf was sublime and the finish was assured, guided low into the far corner beyond Casillas.

Now tackles flew, players tumbled, and yellow cards were waved. Madrid and Barcelona were winding each other up now. It was all becoming chaotic, the noise rising and the pace quickening.

A long ball over the top saw Neymar tumbling as he sought to run into the space behind Dani Carvajal and a few minutes later, the Brazilian raced through the middle, evading tackles, until he reached the edge of the area, where a brilliant run should have concluded with him dropping the ball off to Suarez. Instead, he sliced a wild shot over the bar.

Madrid had lost control now and in the chaos Barcelona appeared the happier, pouring into the space that had opened up. Messi produced the classic Messi run, only that it did not end with the ball in the back of the net. Coming in from the right he curled a shot just wide.

A minute later, he was running at Madrid again, the middle of the pitch no longer so populous, laying the ball into the path of Neymar.

Again, the shot was sliced, flying wide at the near post. Next Neymar found Messi, but as he came inside and the Camp Nou held its breath, his close range shot was blocked.

The misses meant that this was still not over. Bravo produced a sharp save to push away Benzema’s deflected shot. Control was the aim, but chances came and the game did not truly slow. Suarez pulled one shot wide and then Jordi Alba accelerated through and exchanged passes with Messi, the speed breathtaking as he burst into the area, but his shot was pushed wide.

The same pair combined a minute later, Messi hitting Alba’s pull-back first time only for Casillas to save at the near post. Barcelona sought the third at one end, the risk being that they might lose their lead at the other and the nerves continued until the end.

Indeed, as Barcelona came forward looking for a third, some supporters wished they would not. The third goal did not come, but the victory did. Barcelona have some much needed breathing space and will take some stopping now. Guardian Service