Real Madrid vs Barcelona Review
Real Madrid emerged victorious in an exciting El Clásico, beating Barcelona 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu and increasing their lead at the top of the LaLiga standings to five points. Real entered this high-profile match having won four consecutive games across all competitions, and they seemed to carry that momentum into the early moments of the game. Within two minutes, referee Cesar Soto Grado awarded a penalty when Lamine Yamal fouled Vinícius Júnior, but after a VAR review, the call was reversed. Unfazed, Real Madrid celebrated in the 12th minute when Kylian Mbappé expertly struck a bouncing ball from distance, but the goal was ruled out for a very close offside against the French forward.
Real Madrid kept pressing hard for a breakthrough, which finally came after 22 minutes. Jude Bellingham’s precise control created space for him to slip a pass to Mbappé, who calmly finished to score his 12th goal in nine games against Barcelona. Barcelona found themselves in a familiar position, having conceded the opening goal in five of their last 10 league matches, but they responded well, equalizing through Fermín López’s first-time shot after Arda Güler lost possession deep in his own half.
However, the tie lasted only five minutes before the hosts regained control. Vini Jr.’s strong run ended with a floated cross to the far post, where Éder Militão cushioned the ball for Bellingham to score. As halftime approached, there was one more notable moment: an offside Mbappé pushed the ball over the line during a chaotic sequence, concluding an intense first half. Fortunately for the neutral fans, the HT whistle didn’t signal the end of the excitement. Shortly after the game resumed, Wojciech Szczęsny correctly anticipated Mbappé’s penalty attempt following Eric García’s handball in the box, denying him the goal.
In pursuit of another equalizer, Barcelona’s high defensive line was nearly exposed, but another potential goal was ruled offside when Bellingham finished off an offside Brahim Díaz’s low cross. This chance occurred during a relatively quiet phase, with Real Madrid happy to slow the pace as time wound down. Ultimately, a poor chest control by Jules Koundé wasted Barcelona’s best opportunity to snatch a point, and Hansi Flick’s team was reduced to 10 players in the final moments after Pedri received a second yellow card.
The result leaves Real Madrid with just one loss this season, making Xabi Alonso only the second Real manager in the last eight appointments to avoid losing his first league match against Barcelona. Real’s ninth consecutive home league victory is their best streak in over ten years and keeps Barcelona five points behind them.
