Barcelona: Even as a peripheral influence in this Clasico, Cristiano Ronaldo still managed to seize star billing. As Real Madrid players smiled and pumped fists for a celebratory dressing-room photograph to mark a point at Barcelona, which did much to affirm their credentials as title winners-in-waiting, their talisman insisted on staring smoulderingly into the camera, like a catalogue model.
If he was bothered by the slurs thrown at him by a small number of Barcelona fans on Saturday during a tense, see-sawing Clasico, in which Sergio Ramos maintained Real's six-point advantage at the top of La Liga with a last-minute header, he had a curious way of showing it. One section of fans at the Nou Camp baited him with a chant of "Cristiano, come out of the closet", which could prompt a league investigation. La Liga has promised to respond strongly to all reported instances of homophobia after Ronaldo was the target of similar abuse in last season's game here.
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Such crass attacks on a player who will in all likelihood pick up a fourth Ballon d'Or next month after winning the Champions League for Real and the European Championships with Portugal have become a running sore in the Spanish game. During last month's clash with Atletico Madrid, midfielder Koke allegedly called him a "f----t" to his face. Ronaldo is said to have replied: "A f----t with a lot of money".
Ronaldo had a chance of offering a rebuke to Barca, who led for much of the second half through Luis Suarez, only for his header in the closing minutes to deflect off Jordi Alba. For Real, it was merely a case of satisfaction deferred as Ramos headed Luka Modric's free-kick beyond Marc-Andre ter Stegen to sustain the club's progress towards a first league triumph since 2012.
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Ramos, who dedicated his goal to the victims of the Chapecoense plane disaster, reflected: "We mustn't get too carried away, but it is better to have it in our own hands than to depend on others".
The Real captain has every reason to be confident. The last time Barcelona had the same meagre haul of 28 points at this stage in December, in 2007, his team swept to glory by an 18-point cushion.
Piece by piece, the Zinedine Zidane revolution is taking shape. With a draw or a victory at home to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, in a Champions League group from which they have already qualified, his side will emulate a 34-game unbeaten run last accomplished by Leo Beenhakker's class of 1989. Then, stars such as Hugo Sanchez and Emilio Butragueno led the line. Today, it is the glittering triumvirate of Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, although it has arguably required Zidane's stardust to unlock their fullest potential.
Zidane, given his pedigree in the club's colours and his status as a former world player of the year, is perhaps the one figure in management who can command Ronaldo's unqualified respect. It is striking how, given his squabbles with Rafael Benitez after a 4-0 Clasico defeat 12 months ago, Real's most bankable star will not hear a word said against the Frenchman. Although Zidane has been in the job for a little under a year, he boasts a win ratio of 82 per cent, the highest in the history of the Spanish top flight.
Saturday's 1-1 result, Barcelona's fourth successive draw, leaves them stuck in a state of inertia. Suarez and Lionel Messi are struggling to find their range and acquisitions like Andre Gomes look out of their depth.
Their manager, Luis Enrique, cannot be absolved of responsibility. His decision to offload several La Masia-bred talents, including Alex Grimaldo and Munir El-Haddadi, has run contrary to decades of club philosophy. His substitutions, too, seldom help to change a game.
Against Real, not even the restoration of Andres Iniesta, who showed glimpses of his silky best after 42 days out with a knee injury, could protect the lead. Enrique acknowledged that Barcelona would need to win every game left to stand a hope of chasing down their rivals. Even eight trophies in two years may not save him.
The Telegraph, London