Legends recall their own clasico days

It was the beautiful game in all its splendour.

Barcelona demolished Real Madrid 5-0 in El Clasico on Monday night in front of an enchanted global audience of 400 million.

A scintillating display of attacking football in the Nou Camp ended Jose Mourinho's 19-game unbeaten run as Real boss and knocked their arch rivals off top spot.

Some pundits have hailed it as the greatest club performance of all time but how did it compare with two of the most remarkable displays from Liverpool's glorious past?

In April 1988 the Reds took the plaudits after dishing out an emphatic 5-0 thrashing to Nottingham Forest at Anfield, while a decade earlier Spurs had been sent packing on the back of a memorable 7-0 hiding.

Former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie played in the victory over Brian Clough's Forest and admits Barca's triumph over Real brought back memories of that night.

While Pep Guardiola boasts Lionel Messi and Xavi, Kenny Dalglish could call on the glorious talents of John Barnes and Peter Beardsley.

"I don't think I've seen a better spectacle than Monday night," Gillespie said. "I'd been impressed with Real Madrid so far this season and thought they might get a result but they never stood a chance.

"Barca bossed it from the start, got two early goals and completely dominated. We rave about the football Arsenal play in this country but they were made to look very ordinary by Barca not long ago.

"There are comparisons between Barca now and the Liverpool side I played in back in 88.

"They have some exceptional individual players like Messi and Xavi and so did we with the likes of Barnes and Beardsley. Those top class stars bring out the best in solid players around them.

"They are such an attacking side that the way Barca chase people down and work so hard to get the ball back gets ignored a bit.

"It was the same with that Liverpool team. Like Barca, our back four used to play high up the pitch.

"The hard graft before the glory sometimes goes unnoticed but you need to have players willing to work their socks off."

That Reds performance against Forest was famously lauded by England and Preston legend Sir Tom Finney.

"It was the finest exhibition I've seen the whole time I've played and watched the game," he said. "You couldn't see it bettered anywhere, not even in Brazil. The moves they put together were fantastic."

After that win Liverpool went on to clinch the title by nine points but Gillespie, who scored the third goal against Forest, fears the ban on English sides playing in Europe meant many on the continent never appreciated just how good Dalglish's side were.

"When you talk about hammering Forest now it doesn't sound that remarkable because they are a Championship side but at the time they were one of the top sides in the country," he added.

"We had beaten them a few days before in the FA Cup semi-final but it was a tight game.

"It was lovely to hear such accolades for our performance from such a revered figure as Sir Tom.

"It was one of those nights when everything clicked. The fact I scored highlighted how dominant we were!

"It was just such a shame that team never got the chance to play in Europe. We never got the chance to prove ourselves at that level. We'll never know what that team could have achieved.

"Barca are special but I'd like to think the Liverpool of 88 would have given them a good run for their money."

Alan Kennedy was part of the great Liverpool side that thrashed Tottenham 7-0 at Anfield in September 1978 and went on to lift the title.

The attacking full-back had only made his debut the previous month after signing from Newcastle and could barely believe his eyes as a team containing Ossie Ardilles, Ricky Villa and Glenn Hoddle were ripped to shreds.

"I think Liverpool played with 10 men that day because I was just stood out there admiring," Kennedy said. "It was my first season at the club and I was just in awe of how good Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish were.

"Everything we touched turned to gold and we made a decent Spurs team pay for their mistakes. We got an early goal and they couldn't live with us.

"The highlight was the seventh goal scored by Terry McDermott. We went from our penalty box to scoring in 10 seconds with a great move. It was a fantastic game of football."

Kennedy admits he was transfixed by Barcelona's exhibition in the Nou Camp on Monday - but how would Bob Paisley's class of 78 match up against Guardiola's entertainers?

"Barcelona have been playing like this for a few years now and seem to get better and better," he added. "Every time they attacked they looked like scoring and Real didn't get a kick. It was a mauling and that performance was as good as you'll ever see.

"It's always difficult to compare teams from different eras. We didn't play as much football as Barcelona do but the Liverpool side who beat Spurs that day would certainly have given them a game.

"We scored 85 league goals in 1978-79 and our strength was that everyone contributed.

"With Alan Hansen, Souness and Dalglish down the middle you would always have a chance of winning any game. Even against a team as talented as this Barcelona side."

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.