Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona: El Clásico Thriller
The Lowdown
Real Madrid snatched a 2-1 victory from under Barcelona’s noses in an epic La Liga El Clásico, putting the brakes on a four-match losing streak in the fixture & extending their lead at the top of La Liga by five points. Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham showed the scoreboard who’s boss in the first half, but Lamine Yamal wasn’t about to let Madrid run away with it – he got one back for Barcelona.
There were a couple of moments that added to the tension – Mbappé hit the woodwork from the penalty spot & Pedri got sent off with just a few minutes left, all of which was topped off with a bit of post-match controversy between Vinícius Júnior and Lamine Yamal.
The Goals
Madrid got the ball rolling in the 22nd minute when Jude Bellingham picked out Kylian Mbappé perfectly with a pass, & Mbappé made it a one-touch finish past Wojciech Szczęsny. But Barcelona weren’t going to let this one get away – Lamine Yamal equalised in the 38th minute after a quick counter-attack that involved Marcus Rashford & Alejandro Balde. Then, in the 43rd minute, Madrid were back ahead when Vinícius Júnior’s cross had Éder Militão head it back for Jude Bellingham to tap in. It was a pretty twisty-turny game, with a penalty being overturned by VAR, and a goal being pulled back for a foul. Mbappé did get a chance to make it 3-1 from the penalty spot, but Szczęsny made the save.
Player of the Day
Jude Bellingham earned himself the player of the match award after notching a goal and an assist – that’s something that’s made him the youngest Real Madrid player this century to do the double in an El Clásico. Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior were as relentless as ever, and Lamine Yamal & Wojciech Szczęsny really stood out for Barcelona.
