Barcelona 1 - 2 Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo seals El of a win

Sami Khedira’s opening goal was Real’s league-record 108th goal of the season and Ronaldo sealed the victory with his own league-record 42nd goal moments after Alexis Sanchez had levelled for Barcelona.

Real are now seven points clear of Barcelona at the top of the table with just four games to go.

And Barca boss Pep Guardiola conceded afterwards that the title was Bernabeu-bound. He said: “I want to congratulate Madrid for the win and for the league they are going to win.”

Real skipper Iker Casillas said: “We played as a team. Cristiano did a fine job but all 11 did well. We worked well from start to finish although we suffered when they equalised. But we responded and got the win.”

On the title race, the keeper added: “Although there are still points at stake and we must be respectful, we have taken a giant step.”

The win was Real’s first at the Nou Camp since 2007 and coach Jose Mourinho’s first there in ten visits with three different teams. The game had been hyped as a duel between Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Madrid’s Ronaldo and the Portuguese forward came out on top, moving one goal ahead of his Argentine rival in their own personal duel to see who is the top all-time scorer in a single Spanish league season.

With the scores level and the Catalan crowd roaring for a winner, Ronaldo used his pace to race free and beat goalkeeper Victor Valdes from a tight angle on the right to seal the win that practically wrapped up the title race.

Although a draw would have been a good result for Real, Mourinho fielded a balanced side, the same one which lost 1-0 at Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals in midweek. His sole defensive concession was to retain the much-criticised Fabio Coentrao over Marcelo at right back.

Barca coach Guardiola, however, made two changes to the side which lost 1-0 at Chelsea, with young winger Cristian Tello and Thiago Alcantara starting in place of Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas.

Ronaldo forced Valdes to swat a header over the bar after four minutes as Madrid started well.

Right back Dani Alves began the match playing up the pitch, leaving Barcelona with a three-man back line and the Brazilian international almost beat Real keeper Casillas on the break in the sixth minute. But, otherwise, Real’s disciplined defending stifled Messi’s incursions through the middle.

The first goal came in the 17th minute after Valdes failed to hold a corner headed down by Karim Benzema and Carles Puyol was slow to clear, allowing the German midfielder Khedira to poke the ball in.

That goal broke the league record the club had set with 107 goals in the 1989-90 season.

After half-time Barca’s Tello had a good chance but fired high. Guardiola then sent on Alexis after 69 minutes and, a minute later the Chilean scrambled in a rebound to give the home side and huge Catalan support in the Nou Camp some hope.

But Ronaldo crushed any thoughts of a fightback when he scampered behind the defense to latch on to Mesut Ozil’s pass and score.