Barcelona vs Real Madrid: It might be too soon to call it revenge, but Real Madrid have finally erased the pain of four straight El Clasico defeats. After a trophyless campaign last season, Los Blancos began the new one in style, beating Barcelona 2–1 in a thrilling encounter at the Santiago Bernabéu. The scoreline could have been even more one-sided had Kylian Mbappé not missed a penalty and seen two goals ruled out for offside.
The buildup to Sunday’s clash was already fiery. Lamine Yamal’s pre-match taunts calling Real “thieves” and “sneakers” added extra spice to the contest. Xabi Alonso’s men, however, let their football do the talking. Real struck twice in the first half through Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, while Fermin López managed a response for Barca. A late red card for Pedri summed up a frustrating night for the Catalans.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Barcelona entered the match under pressure Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Gavi were all sidelined, while coach Hansi Flick served a touchline ban. In contrast, Real came in hungry for payback after last season’s humiliation, when they lost all four Clasicos and conceded 16 goals. Alonso’s side showed steel this time, turning possession into purpose.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Despite Barcelona enjoying 63% of the ball, Real Madrid were far more clinical. Flick’s men managed 5 shots on target from 15 attempts, while Real fired 9 on target from 22. Defensively, Madrid stayed compact, leaving Rashford and company with limited chances.
The action began almost immediately. Real were awarded a penalty in the 2nd minute, only for VAR to overturn it after ruling that Vinícius Jr. had fouled Yamal. Moments later, Yamal hit the post before Mbappé saw an early goal disallowed. In the 22nd minute, however, the Frenchman made no mistake slotting home from Bellingham’s perfect through pass to make it 1–0.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Thibaut Courtois denied Ferran Torres with a comfortable save in the 33rd minute, but Barça equalized soon after. López pounced on Rashford’s smart assist to level in the 36th. The parity didn’t last long Bellingham’s glancing header from Militão’s cross restored Madrid’s lead in the 43rd minute. Another Mbappé strike was chalked off for offside before halftime, leaving the hosts 2–1 ahead. (Source)
Barcelona vs Real Madrid: The second half brought more drama. Mbappé missed a penalty, while López and Eric García squandered good chances for Barcelona. Bellingham’s second goal was also disallowed for offside in the 68th minute. Despite no further goals, the tension remained until the final whistle.
Although Vinícius looked frustrated when substituted, Alonso’s smile at full time told the story. With the victory, Real Madrid extended their lead at the top of La Liga, sitting on 27 points from 10 matches. Barcelona remain second on 22.
