Barcelona replaced Real Madrid at the top of La Liga last night with a scintillating 5-0 rout of their great rivals at Camp Nou.

Jose Mourinho's team arrived in Catalonia on the back of seven straight league victories and with expectations soaring. They left humbled, with their pride in tatters.

For Mourinho, it was the worst defeat of his career in management. His previously unbeaten team were dominated by a masterful Barcelona performance. And they were put to the sword with a swagger that will have the purists purring.

"This is the first time I have ever been beaten 5-0," Mourinho said after the game.

"It is a historically bad result for us. It is not a humiliation but I am very disappointed. It is sad for us.

"But it is not difficult for me to swallow. What's difficult to swallow is when you lose a game because you have hit the post or the referee has been bad. I have left here in that state before with Chelsea and Inter Milan but that was not the case tonight. It is easy for me to take because it is fair.