Classic el Clásico #2 – Hat-trick hero Romario inspires Barca to a five star display

By Staff Writer
Updated: 7 October, 2012

Barcelona’s five-goal victory over Real Madrid in the 1993/94 season will be forever associated with the magnificent hat-trick performance of their Brazilian hit-man Romario. And quire rightly so.

Benito Floro’s Madrid side were humiliated 5-0 by a rampant display from Johan Cruyff’s dream team, and the little striker was the star of the show. Romario opened the scoring in the 24th minute with the only goal of the first-half, slotting past the goalkeeper after a mesmeric turn had left his marker flat-footed on the edge of the area

Despite only holding a narrow lead at the interval, Barça destroyed their bitter rivals in the second period with an imperious display of free-flowing, attacking football. Skipper Ronald Koeman doubled the lead with a trademark thunderbolt free-kick just two minutes after the re-start, before Romario grabbed his second after beating the visitor’s offside trap.

The great Brazilian completed his treble in the 81st minute when he calmly stroked past the keeper following great work by Michael Laudrup – a player who he ironically (and indirectly) forced out of the club months later. Ivan Iglesias completed the rout with five minutes remaining and Barça went on to finish the season as champions for the fourth consecutive time.

In reality, the game could be seen as the last hurrah for Cruyff’s legendary team as the Dutch tactician left the Camp Nou two years later.

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