El Clasico: Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 4: Futures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafa Benitez look clearer after rout

It was a weekend that left many Real Madrid supporters wondering who will leave first – Cristiano Ronaldo or Rafa Benitez?

Both had miserable evenings on Saturday as a Barcelona side without Lionel Messi in its starting line-up put four past them at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ronaldo, meantime, was reportedly being publicly courted by the Manchester United manager, Louis van Gaal, and Benitez was being given a vote of confidence from his president. Both men look destined to be elsewhere by the start of next season.

Van Gaal said after his side’s 2-1 win over Watford on Saturday: “We are looking at all players, not just Ronaldo. But these players are mostly ungettable. With Ronaldo, let’s wait and hope.” This sparked a flurry of headlines suggesting that a £60m move was on the cards, though calmer heads suggested that this was nothing more than a general observation by Van Gaal and that, anyway, United would be unlikely to want to pay the sort of wages their former forward would demand.

French media claimed a few days ago that Paris Saint-Germain’s chairman, Nasser al-Khelaifi, met Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, last week to discuss signing the player for the club in the summer. This appears more likely.

As for Real, this 4-0 defeat was their most humbling loss at home since they were beaten 6-2 by Barcelona in 2009. Marca suggested yesterday the fate of 55-year-old Benitez is sealed, even if he will not move on until the end of the season.

Real Madrid responded to that briefing privately by saying his job was completely safe and, yesterday reports in Spain said he still has the unconditional support of the board, who will meet today or tomorrow. This will be followed by a related press conference or statement expressing backing for the manager.

Today Benitez will begin preparations for away games against Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine and Eibar in the Basque country. They are both long trips – the last thing Benitez needs with the squad evidently not completely behind him.

Stories published in Italy yesterday suggested Ronaldo had given Real’s president, Florentino Perez, an ultimatum amounting to “either the coach goes in the summer or I do”. These have been dismissed by sources close to both sides, but Ronaldo made little secret of not wanting previous manager Carlo Ancelotti sacked and his relationship with Benitez has never developed.

Ronaldo did not escape the whistles and jeers on Saturday. Madrid’s failure to score despite fielding their first-choice front four, with Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema all back from injury, made sure of that.

“Benitez go now” and “Florentino resign” were the other demands from the 83,000 inside the stadium.

Barcelona are now six points clear in La Liga and they have managed it without Messi. They were unplayable on Saturday, ending the game as a contest before Messi came on as a 57th-minute substitute.

Luis Suarez now has 15 goals in all competitions this season, 11 in the league, and he got the first goal and made the next. Neymar scored that second goal for his 12th in La Liga. And Iniesta scored the third having played so well that even Madrid supporters got to their feet to applaud him when he was substituted.

Messi’s introduction did bring goal No 4 (also scored by Suarez) and Gerard Pique appeared furious with young substitute Munir El Haddadi when he missed a chance the defender felt he should have allowed to run to him.

After the game Pique tweeted a photograph of himself with Munir and a light-hearted caption: “Great stuff Munir but next time leave it for me, OK?” It summed up the spirit in the Barcelona camp – something that seems to be in short supply at Benitez’s Madrid.