In 2010, Barcelona performed the "manita" on Real Madrid, taking down its rivals 5-0 on its home field.

It was arguably the finest performance by Barcelona in the Clasico and a defining performance of the tiki taka style that flourished during its "Golden Generation."

On Saturday, the team topped that feat, taking down Los Blancos 4-0 in Madrid.

It was a match defined by Barcelona's efficiency in attack without Lionel Messi making a major impact on the proceedings. On the other end of the pitch was a Madrid team that had no answer for a Blaugrana side finding its stride.

In many ways this match was as much a show of Barcelona brilliance as it was of calamitous Madrid play. So what went wrong for Los Blancos?

No holding midfielder

There were many reasons for Real Madrid's downfall but if you want to pinpoint one single reason it was this -- Rafa Benitez's decision to go without a true defending midfielder.

A year ago Asier Illarramendi was the man in charge of this function and he was quite the flop at Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti instead opted for his preferred 4-3-3 with a 4-4-2 in defense, narrowing his attack, but getting defensive contributions from all four midfielders.

Benitez uses a 4-2-3-1, but it was a disastrous decision. This formation can flourish with two holders, but in this Madrid side, the two players in front of the defense were Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, both midfielders better known for what they do in attack than on defense. And so it was that this gem happens.

Notice that space in between those two lines. Do you see a single white shirt? The answer is no, because all of those players are caught up the pitch.

Or how about this image below? Same problem moments before the second goal.

Why was having a defending midfielder so important? Because he helps retrieve the ball. And unlike last year where Illarramendi was not a suitable option, this year Madrid has flourished with Casemiro in the middle, providing physicality and cover for a Madrid side lacking in defensive strength. He shut down Atletico, providing the team with an element that had been lacking against that rougher side. He also helped kill the flow of Paris Saint-Germain in two straight games.

Against Barcelona, he would have been a godsend. Instead he watched on the bench as his team unraveled in the worst way.

No pressure on the ball

This is a fact and has been proven a fact for years -- pressure a team in possession and you force them into mistakes that will reveal their defensive weaknesses.

Another fact -- allow possession sides time on the ball and they will exhaust you by making you chase them all night long.

Apparently Madrid forgot these two facts because the team did not pressure and simply allowed Barcelona to have its way. To be honest, this game could have easily been 4-0 by the end of the first half. That is how easy it was for Blaugrana. They did their own part in finishing Madrid, but the reality is that there was no challenge.

Just look at all four of the Barcelona goals and look at Madrid's lethargic pace in giving up space to Barcelona. There maybe one player chasing the man with the ball, but the others are simply trotting leisurely, watching the ball and completely unaware of the other people around them. They look overwhelmed, fascinating and even in awe of the opposition and the result is a slow reaction to everything going on. Just look at Sergi Roberto manage to dribble through the heart of the midfield for the first goal while no one picks up Suarez ready for the through ball.

Then watch how Iniesta cruises toward the box unopposed with while Neymar is wide open on the wing for an easy go at goal.

The third goal may have been the most frustrating of all. Watch how much time Iniesta gets to run onto that ball and slot it home while Madrid's defenders look around lost.

And then the fourth goal features Madrid's defense following Messi around as he dribbles and creates space for this teammates to dish off for the final goal. Madrid shocking plays a high line there for no good reason, especially considering the sloppiness on the midfield.

Woeful Substitutions

Benitez's decisions to substitute his two best players off the pitch were silly at best. James Rodriguez created some good chances so the decision to trade him for Isco was mind-boggling. Worse still when the Spaniard got a red card to add insult to injury.

Then taking off Marcelo for Dani Carvajal only to shift Danilo to the left flank was even more absurd. The game was lost on that flank, but Danilo was also culpable of the second goal and was generally destroyed by Neymar on the eve. Carvajal should have started from the get-go.

The left flank

Three of the four goals happened on the left side of the pitch for Madrid. Marcelo has never been great defensively, but he was not even facing Messi for most of the night but Sergi Roberto instead. Meanwhile Ronaldo, who was set up as a left wing was found walking more often than not.

There is no defense on the left side of the field and Barcelona has just written a textbook on how to take out this team. Just watch Marcelo drift on that third goal, watching the ball and not doing anything to mind the gap on his side of the pitch. Obviously he wants to hold Roberto in check, but in staying out so wide, he leaves space for Iniesta to eventually exploit. Meanwhile on that goal Ronaldo is caught walking back toward his goal despite being rather close to Dani Alves who makes the pass from the left that ultimately unlocks Madrid. On the opener he stands in place and tells one of his teammates to watch the man that will eventually cut the team wide open.

On the final goal, Danilo literally stands still the entire time watching the play unfold before him on the left flank.

What's next?

There is still a lot of time left, but this is a wakeup call for a team that looked more promising before this loss. Keylor Navas was bailing them out for most of the year, but even here he stood no chance against a superior attack.