Barcelona defeated arch-rivals Real Madrid four times in 2024/25, but Real Madrid drew blood first by triumphing over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
Kylian Mbappé broke the deadlock for Los Blancos in the 22nd minute, and Fermín López equalized in the 38th. The final word of the half (and eventually the whole match as it turned out) would, however fall to Jude Bellingham in the 43rd.
Barcelona ended the game with 10 men, as Pedri picked up a second yellow card deep in the second-half stoppage time.
Team News and Tactical Setups
Real Madrid, under Xabi Alonso, lined up in a 4-2-3-1: Thibaut Courtois in goal; Álvaro Carreras, Dean Huijsen, Éder Militão, and Fede Valverde across the back; Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga anchoring midfield; Arda Güler, Bellingham, and Vinícius Jr. supporting Mbappé up front.
Injuries kept Antonio Rüdiger, David Alaba, and Ferland Mendy out, but Alonso still fielded a formidable XI.
Barcelona, coached by Hansi Flick, deployed a 4-3-3: Wojciech Szczęsny in goal; Alejandro Balde, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, and Jules Koundé in defense; Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Fermín López in midfield; Lamine Yamal, Marcus Rashford, and Ferran Torres leading the attack.
Flick was without Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Gavi, and Marc-André ter Stegen, forcing a reshuffle that left Barcelona vulnerable on transitions.
Match Recap: A Rollercoaster of Emotions
The game began with controversy. In the 3rd minute, Real Madrid were initially awarded a penalty for a supposed foul by Lamine Yamal on Vinícius Jr., but VAR overturned the decision, ruling an offensive foul against Vinícius. Minutes later, Mbappé thought he had scored, only for the goal to be chalked off for offside after another VAR check.
Persistence paid off in the 22nd minute. Bellingham split Barcelona’s high line with a sublime through ball, and Mbappé finished clinically past Szczęsny for 1-0.
Real dominated early, creating overloads and forcing saves from Szczęsny, who denied Huijsen and Vinícius in quick succession. Against the run of play, Barcelona equalized in the 38th minute: Arda Güler lost possession, Rashford pounced, and his cutback found Fermín López, who slotted home for 1–1.
The Bernabéu roared back to life five minutes later. Vinícius danced past Koundé and De Jong, whipped in a cross, and Militão’s header across goal was tapped in by Bellingham (43′) for 2–1. Real nearly added a third before halftime, but Szczęsny again thwarted Mbappé.
The second half brought more drama. In the 49th minute, Real were awarded a penalty for Eric García’s handball, but Mbappé’s spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Szczęsny, keeping Barcelona alive.
Flick’s men pushed forward, with Yamal threading a superb pass to Koundé late on, but the defender’s heavy touch wasted the chance. Tensions boiled over in stoppage time: Pedri received two yellow cards in quick succession, reducing Barcelona to ten men.
Vinícius Jr.’s angry reaction to being substituted earlier added to the chaos, and a police intervention was needed to calm tempers after a heated exchange between players
Mbappé and Bellingham: Proper Real Madrid Stars
Kylian Mbappé was electric—his goal showcased blistering pace and precision, while his movement constantly stretched Barcelona’s high line. Even after missing a penalty, his confidence never wavered, creating space for teammates and drawing fouls in dangerous areas.
Jude Bellingham, meanwhile, was the orchestrator. His assist for Mbappé and the goal he scored himself later underlined his dual threat: creativity and composure. At just 22, Bellingham is already Madrid’s midfield general, dictating tempo and pressing relentlessly.
Szczęsny’s Heroics Keep Barcelona Alive
Despite conceding twice, Wojciech Szczęsny was arguably Barcelona’s best performer. His penalty save against Mbappé in the 49th minute was world-class, diving low to his left with perfect timing.
Beyond that, the Polish veteran made five crucial stops, including reflex saves from Vinícius Jr. and Militão. Without Szczęsny, this could have been a rout.
His performance raises questions: is he now Barcelona’s undisputed No. 1 ahead of a fit-again Ter Stegen? Tough call.
Barcelona’s Tactical Gamble Backfires
Hansi Flick’s insistence on a high defensive line was bold—but ultimately suicidal against Mbappé’s pace.
Time and again, Real exploited the space behind Koundé and Balde, forcing emergency interventions. The midfield trio—Pedri, De Jong, and López—struggled to shield the back four, leaving gaps for Bellingham to exploit.
Flick’s philosophy of proactive pressing works against lesser sides, but against Madrid’s firepower, it felt rather naive.
Discipline and Mental Fragility
El Clásico is always emotional, but Barcelona’s composure cracked. Pedri’s second booking in stoppage time epitomized frustration boiling over.
Meanwhile, Vinícius Jr.’s angry reaction to being substituted and the off-pitch clashes just before and after the final whistle show tensions even in victory.
These flashpoints matter: they affect dressing-room harmony and could spill into upcoming fixtures. For Flick, restoring calm and confidence is as urgent as tactical fixes.
La Liga Rankings
Real Madrid now sit top with 27 points (9W-0D-1L), five clear of Barcelona, who remain second on 22 points (7W-1D-2L). Villarreal (20 pts) and Espanyol (18 pts) trail further behind, making this a two-horse race for now. Atletico Madrid are in distant fifth (16 pts), but with a game in hand as they play away to Real Betis on Monday.
As for Real Madrid, they will welcome Valencia on Saturday next, before traveling to the north-west of England to face Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League, seeking to take advantage of the ongoing crisis the Premier League champions are going through to get some revenge for last season’s defeat on Merseyside.
Barcelona have an arguably easier task, playing at home against Elche and away to Club Brugge in their next two outings.
Real’s five-point advantage doesn’t mean much at this stage of the season, but it could prove a foundation for greater success in the coming months. Then again, it could give them a false sense of security too. But in all likelihood, both sides will be aware of the need to continue pushing as hard as they can against each other.
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