Barcelona ∙ Real Madrid only managed to score two goals at the start of the game; Barcelona won the El Clasico with four goals in the first half, leaving Real helpless.
Barcelona players celebrate after defeating Real Madrid in El Clasico (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)
Real tried to come back with a hat-trick in the second half, but Barca easily held on (4–3). With the victory, Barca took a 7-point lead at the top of the La Liga points table. Barca took a hand in the cup with only 3 matches remaining. Barca also has the complete achievement of winning all 4 El Clasicos against Real this season. ∙ 45 minutes, 6 goals
Real made a shocking start for the hosts at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. Real were awarded a penalty in the 5th minute after Kylian Mbappe, who had rushed into the box, was brought down by Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Stens. Mbappe’s kick bounced off the goalkeeper’s glove and into the net. In the 15th minute, Mbappe struck again. The French striker’s shot from Vinicius’ pass put Real 2-0 ahead. The moment fans worried that Barca’s youth team had recovered from last week’s Champions League semi-final defeat to Inter Milan.
But within the next half hour, the Barca team dispelled that doubt. In the 19th minute, Dani Olmo’s corner was headed by Ferran Torres and passed to Eric Garcia’s head. The Spaniard’s header went into the net (2-1). In the 32nd minute, the Barca fans were waiting for the magic of Lamine Yamal. Ferran Torres’s ball was passed and Yamal put it into the net with a beautiful left-footed shot (2-2).
Barca took the lead within two minutes, leaving the stunned Real players helpless. Pedri, who took advantage of the confusion between Real players Ceballos and Mbappe, passed the ball to Rafinha. Barca was ahead with a cool finish (3–2). Rafinha scored the next goal before halftime. He took advantage of the ball lost by Lucas Vazquez to finish (4–2).
∙ What a war!
Real’s third goal came from the excellence of veteran player Luka Modric, who came on as a substitute. Modric, who received the ball in midfield, split the Barca defense and passed it to Vinicius. Vinicius turned the ball back and Mbappe completed his hat-trick (4–3). But more than the goal, the VAR check made the second half more remarkable. In the 82nd minute, Barca’s Ferran Torres shot hit the hand of Real defender Aurelien Schwameny, but the referee did not award a penalty after a VAR review.
A Barca goal was later ruled out for handball. A penalty awarded to Real in the first half was also ruled out by the referee after a VAR review.
