Car horns blared around Madrid late into the night on Saturday.

The city was in jubilant mood as Real Madrid swept aside Barcelona 3-1 in an absorbing league contest. As the front cover of Marca, Spain's biggest-selling newspaper, proclaimed the following morning, Real "ate them".

The atmosphere in the Santiago Bernabeu was strangely muted in the first half of the game, owing to an unusual, late afternoon kick-off time rather than the customary night-time clasico fixture. The slot was arranged to cater for the clubs' global fan-base, more than half of which are drawn from Asia, and, of course, their shirt sponsors from the Middle East. Because of unsavoury behaviour, the home side's hardcore fans, the Ultras Sur, have been banished from behind their usual south-end station to the eaves of the Bernabeu.

The stadium, like the Camp Nou, which raised ticket prices by 18% two seasons ago in the middle of a never-ending recession in Spain, is becoming more gentrified by the year.

Barca's early goal, of course, added to the subdued air around the 81,000-seater stadium. Luis Suarez, who became the first Barca player to make his debut in a clasico since Steve Archibald scored in one 30 years ago, provided an assist with his first touch of the action. A little over three minutes into the game, he arrowed a cross-field ball into Neymar's path; the Brazilian controlled the ball before slaloming across the goalmouth and scoring in the corner. The stadium fell silent.

There was a familiar feel to Barca's line-up, which included their old midfield axis - Xavi, who had been out of favour early in the season, team captain Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets - but as the match progressed their control of the game loosened. They lack the conviction of old; the tireless pressing of three years ago has gone for a burton.

Lionel Messi, who is on 250 league goals in Spanish football, was seeking to equal a goal-scoring record that goes back to the 1950s. He was denied a goal by a fingertip save from Iker Casillas after 23 minutes, one of several chances Barca squandered to create a two-goal advantage early on.

Their old failings re-emerged. After coughing up a penalty before half-time to Cristiano Ronaldo, who has now scored 16 goals in eight league appearances, Barca gifted a headed goal to Pepe - who was the bookies' favourite to be bitten by Suarez - from a corner early in the second half.

The goal which killed the game came after 61 minutes. It was a rapid, quintessential Real counter attack. Ivan Rakitic, in his first act of the game, scuffed a corner for Barca and the ball was swept up field. Real's Isco tracked back and somehow managed to emerge with the ball on the half-way line after Iniesta misjudged a pass.

Isco immediately trucked the ball on to Ronaldo, who swivelled and passed to James Rodriguez, who played a neat offload into Karim Benzema's path, and the French centre-forward finished neatly.

It is the first time that Real have come from a goal behind to defeat Barcelona in 21 years. After 76 minutes, their fans broke into a round of condescending "oles" to accompany some keep-ball play by their side; merry-go-round passing is, of course, usually a feature of their Catalan rivals.

At the final whistle Luis Enrique, sporting a black suit and black-and-white trainers, disappeared quickly down the tunnel. Before the kick-off, Real's ultras had berated Enrique in song. Having spent five seasons with Real in the 1990s, the Barca manager is one of only a few high-profile players to play for both teams.

Meanwhile, his Real counterpart, Carlo Ancelotti, ambled around the centre circle, hugging his players and shaking hands with the dregs of Barca's players left on the pitch. The Italian had put in a useful shift.

His team has cut Barca's lead at the top of the league table to one point and, after a shaky start, last year's Champions League winners - even without Gareth Bale, the world's most expensive player - look ominously strong.