It started on Wednesday night and ended on Thursday morning but Cesc Fabregas's first game for Barcelona at least ended with him winning a trophy.
He had been on the field for six minutes when Lionel Messi turned in Adriano's cross to give Barcelona a dramatic Spanish Super cup win at the Nou Camp.
Eyes on the prize: Cesc Fabregas (second right) won silverware on his first Barcelona outing;
He was then upended by Marcelo on the touchline - the two-footed lunge from the Brazilian earned him, team-mate Mezut Ozil and the protesting David Villa red cards - and sparked a mass brawl involving both sets of players and both benches.
Fabregas only had 14 minutes but they were 14 incredible minutes as another clasico boiled over and Barcelona once again took the spoils.
Here we go again: Barcelona and Real Madrid players go toe-to-toe;
It is now eleven trophies for Pep Guardiola in little more than three years - equalling Johan Cruyff's tally in eight seasons - and back to the drawing board for Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese was involved in a scuffle with Barcelona assistant Tito Villanova as players and technical staff scrapped and scuffled on the touchline just before the final whistle.
After the animosity between the Real Madrid boss and their bitter rivals last season, Mourinho appeared to pinch Villanova and will face a trial by television.
That winning feeling: Lionel Messi turns to Fabregas after netting the decisive goal;
Meanwhile, Guardiola lifted this cup largely without his new star signing. But while there was no start for Fabregas he was at least thrown straight into a trophy celebration.
One of the biggest cheers of the night came as he stepped off the bench on 57 minutes to warm up and it was topped by the roar that greeted his introduction with eight minutes left.
Feisty encounter: Cristiano Ronaldo scuffles with Gerard Pique;
Such is Barcelona’s strength in depth that both he and Sanchez started as substitutes with the Spanish champions fielding the same team that beat Manchester United in the Champions League final last May.
Mourinho dropped left back Marcelo - Madrid’s attacking full-back so often the weak link defensively in last season’s clasicos - although his replacement Fabio Coentrao looked equally vulnerable against Barcelona winger Pedro.
Little master: Lionel Messi was the centre of attention once more;
His cross was almost turned in by Messi only for Iker Casillas to clear with his feet on 13 minutes. That after Ronaldo had tested Victor Valdes inside the first minutes with a shot the keeper palmed out for a corner.
First blood was drawn on the quarter hour when Andres Iniesta’s lofted finish beat Casillas after Messi had pulled away from Sami Khedira and fed the Barcelona number eight. Madrid responded immediately when Cristiano Ronaldo turned in Karim Benzema’s cross to mark up his century of goals for Madrid.
Welcome to Spain: Marcelo shows no mercy on Fabregas;
Pedro continued to threaten and Casillas then brilliantly tipped his effort over after being put through by Messi. Madrid were still behind on away goals and Ronaldo shook Valdes’s bar after being played in by Khedira.
With Fabregas, yet to play a minute in pre-season, looking on from the bench the frantic pace continued. Khedira went into the book for a wild challenge on Busqets; Xavi was also booked for a foul on Coentrao but both sides were concentrating on football and the play swung from end to end with much of the defending and goalkeeping as breathtaking as the attacking play.
Waiting game: Fabregas prepares for his Barcelona bow;
Valdes palmed away Angel di Maria’s pass after Benzema had split the Barcelona defence. Ronaldo was then brilliantly disposed down in one corner by Alves who got the ball forward to Messi only for Casillas to save.
And Pepe cleanly robbed Iniesta as he was closing in on Casillas’s goal.
Ronaldo tried and failed with another stepover, this time against Javier Mascherano before Messi edged Barcelona in front just before the break.
Target: A laser was shone in the face of Real star Cristiano Ronaldo;
He played a one-two with Pique inside the Real Madrid penalty area and clipped a shot past Casillas.
Messi was at the centre of things as the second half restarted when he was kicked by half time substitute Marcelo and both Ronaldo and Mascherano were booked in the resulting melee.
Messi went looking for Marcelo as soon as he had got to his feet and, the racist chanting that had been directed at Dani Alves three days early in the first leg were now being aimed at Marcelo.
Pepe then cynically charged into Messi and was booked. Tempers flaring on the pitch contrasted with Fabregas exchanging pleasantries off it with Alvaro Arbeloa as both former Premier League players warmed up.
The former Arsenal man had his head in his hands after a mazy run by Iniesta ended with Casillas saving from Messi.
Fabregas might have scored with his first touch had he not run into Gerard Pique on the edge of the box running on to Messi’s pass.
The Argentine got the winner with his second of the night and after mayhem that followed the foul on Fabregas by Marcelo he went on his first lap of honour for six years.
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