Dubai: Football fans worldwide eagerly await El Clasico and the latest Barcelona against Real Madrid clash did not disappoint.

A shocking goal just 20 seconds into the game gave Real Madrid the upper hand at home, crushing the hopes of Barcelona fans. But by the second half of the match, Barcelona were back with a vengeance and went on to win 3-1 in an exhilarating 90 minutes.

"I was on the edge of my seat," said Farah Assaf, a hardcore Barcelona fan.

"When Real Madrid scored that first goal, I was going to cry because I thought it was over for Barcelona."

For Assaf, who has been following Barcelona for nearly six years, the match was definitely an exciting one. She said: "I was starting to doubt Barcelona, especially at the start of the match. They had no defence at all. It was like Real Madrid was playing the match alone.

"It helped that it was a home game for Real Madrid, which means they had the home support of the fans. The second half though, Barcelona suddenly transformed and they were ready to play with the quick passes they are famous for."

For Necip Camcigil, another Barcelona fan, the match exceeded his expectations. "Both teams were playing quite aggressively," he said. "The first few minutes were good for Real Madrid. I didn't think Barcelona would be able to get back in the game, but they made an impressive comeback."

Better team won

A football fan for nearly 20 years, Camcigil was not surprised at Barcelona's overall performance. "The better team won, basically," he said. "Barcelona has always been a much stronger team and I don't think anyone has figured out how to beat them."

Another football fan, Amos Ojo Ayegbusi, was shocked at the outcome because of the good form of Barcelona.

"Barcelona is better than Real Madrid," Ayegbusi said. "They have stronger players, but Real Madrid still needs to develop."

As a match fans always look out for, the shocking element for Ayegbusi was the number of goals Barcelona scored.

"I was expecting 2-1 or even 1-0," he added.

Longtime football fan Nasser Hafez also agreed the score was more of a surprise than the team that won.

He said: "I thought it would be a close match like 1-0, but 3-1 was quite amazing. For a match that everyone looks forward to, 3-1 is a very interesting score.

"Barcelona is probably the best team. They can't get any better. Everyone expected Real Madrid to challenge Barcelona, but Barcelona really brought it, which Real Madrid wasn't prepared for."

One thing is for certain, this year's El Clasico did nothing but fuel the fire between Real Madrid and Barcelona.