Karim Benzema's 25th goal of the season gave Real Madrid the lead in El Clasico
Real Madrid moved top of La Liga with victory over Barcelona in an El Clasico played in torrential rain at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium.
Karim Benzema broke the deadlock with a sublime near-post flick - his ninth goal in his past seven La Liga games.
Real doubled their lead before half-time through Toni Kroos' deflected free-kick.
Oscar Mingueza pulled one back for Barca before Madrid's Casemiro was shown a late red card.
Barca midfielder Ilaix Moriba's well-struck shot came back off the crossbar in stoppage time as the hosts held on.
The result takes Real above city rivals Atletico Madrid because of their superior head-to-head record.
Atletico, who led La Liga by 10 points as recently as 31 January, can reclaim top spot with victory at Real Betis on Sunday.
Real survive tense finale
Manager Zinedine Zidane's "every game is a final" mantra has served Real well in recent weeks - they had dropped only four points in their previous nine La Liga outings going into Saturday's crucial game.
Benzema's goals have been key in helping them cut the gap to rivals Atletico at the top of the table, and the Frenchman produced another exquisite finish to give Zidane's side an early lead.
The 33-year-old was first to Lucas Vazquez's low cross towards the near post, squeezing a backheeled flick past Marc-Andre ter Stegen for his 25th goal in 35 appearances this season.
Barcelona, who had revived their own title aspirations with 16 wins and three draws from their previous 19 La Liga fixtures, dominated possession but fell further behind when Kroos' free-kick took a deflection off Sergino Dest on its way past Ter Stegen.
Federico Valverde could have made it 3-0 before half-time, but his fierce drive across goal came back off the inside of the far post.
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman switched from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3 formation in the second half and the move paid off 15 minutes after the restart, Mingueza turning Jordi Alba's cross past Thibaut Courtois to set up a tense finish.
Vinicius Junior was denied by the post as Real threatened to restore their two-goal advantage, before Lionel Messi - who had rattled the woodwork in the first half with an inswinging corner - struck the wall from a free-kick on the edge of the box.
Barcelona had a penalty appeal turned down when Martin Braithwaite went to ground under Ferland Mendy's challenge, before a late tackle on Mingueza earned Casemiro a second yellow card.
The visitors almost snatched a draw in second-half stoppage time when Moriba thumped a loose ball against Courtois' crossbar, but Real held on to record three consecutive El Clasico wins for the first time since 1978.
'A very complicated match'
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane said: "I feel very happy. We started the game very well. It was a very complicated match overall, but it was a deserved victory.
"I think we could have scored a third goal, but it's an important win. We did our job today."
Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman said: "I think everyone who saw the game will see that we can be very unhappy with the result.
"I think we weren't good at all in the first 45 minutes. We weren't good in attack or in defence, but in the second half we improved.
"We need to be better when making key decisions. They're decisions that can cost us the game and in the end they did.
"I think we should have got a clear penalty towards the end, and I don't know why it wasn't reviewed by VAR."
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Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Line-ups
Real Madrid
Formation 4-1-4-1
1Courtois
17Vázquez3Militão6Nacho23Mendy
14Casemiro
15Valverde10Modric8Kroos20Vinícius Júnior
9Benzema
1Courtois
17VázquezSubstituted forOdriozolaat 43'minutes
3Militão
6NachoBooked at 69mins
23Mendy
14CasemiroBooked at 90mins
15ValverdeSubstituted forAsensioat 61'minutes
10Modric
8KroosSubstituted forIscoat 72'minutes
20Vinícius JúniorSubstituted forMarceloat 72'minutes
9BenzemaSubstituted forMarianoat 72'minutes
Substitutes
11Asensio
12Marcelo
13Lunin
19Odriozola
22Isco
24Mariano
25Rodrygo
26Altube
Barcelona
Formation 3-4-2-1
1ter Stegen
28Mingueza4Araujo15Lenglet
2Dest5Busquets21de Jong18Alba
10Messi16González
11Dembélé
1ter Stegen
28Mingueza
4AraujoBooked at 26minsSubstituted forKourouma Kouroumaat 72'minutes
15Lenglet
2DestSubstituted forGriezmannat 45'minutes
5BusquetsSubstituted forRobertoat 64'minutes
21de Jong
18AlbaBooked at 84mins
10Messi
16GonzálezBooked at 23minsSubstituted forMachado Trincãoat 81'minutes
11DembéléSubstituted forBraithwaiteat 81'minutes
Substitutes
3Piqué
7Griezmann
8Pjanic
9Braithwaite
12Puig
17Machado Trincão
20Roberto
23Umtiti
24Firpo
26Peña
27Kourouma Kourouma
36Tenas
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano
Match Stats
Home TeamReal MadridAway TeamBarcelona
Possession
Home31%
Away69%
Shots
Home14
Away18
Shots on Target
Home3
Away4
Corners
Home5
Away6
Fouls
Home16
Away10
Live Text
Post update
Match ends, Real Madrid 2, Barcelona 1.
90'+5'
Full Time
Second Half ends, Real Madrid 2, Barcelona 1.
90'+5'
Post update
Attempt missed. Jordi Alba (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Marc-André ter Stegen.
90'+4'
Post update
Attempt missed. Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right following a set piece situation.
90'+4'
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ilaix Moriba (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Clément Lenglet with a headed pass.
90'+4'
Post update
Ilaix Moriba (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90'+4'
Post update
Foul by Isco (Real Madrid).
90'+3'
Post update
Attempt missed. Martin Braithwaite (Barcelona) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jordi Alba with a cross.
90'+2'
Post update
Attempt missed. Ilaix Moriba (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Óscar Mingueza.
90'+1'
Post update
Attempt saved. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
90'
Dismissal
Second yellow card to Casemiro (Real Madrid) for a bad foul.
90'
Post update
Óscar Mingueza (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90'
Post update
Foul by Casemiro (Real Madrid).
89'
Booking
Casemiro (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
89'
Post update
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
89'
Post update
Foul by Casemiro (Real Madrid).
88'
Post update
Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
88'
Post update
Foul by Isco (Real Madrid).
84'
Booking
Jordi Alba (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card.
82'
Post update
Attempt missed. Isco (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Marco Asensio.
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Source: bbc.com