Barcelona conceded several clear chances to Real Madrid in the second half of El Clasico, including two that would have signified the equaliser for Kylian Mbappe and Victor Munoz. However the feeling after the match was that the Blaugrana were the much better team during the game, despite the narrow margins in their 4-3 comeback win.
After going two goals down in the opening quarter of an hour, Barcelona returned to the front foot in emphatic fashion, scoring four times in the space of 20 minutes. Following Eric Garcia’s header from a corner, the Blaugrana took complete control.
Pedri González: “I imagined a more comfortable match, with fewer goals. Throughout the season, we’ve had the ability to come back, and today was the same. The team’s mentality has improved a lot.”
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) May 11, 2025
Real Madrid did not leave half for 23 minutes
That was best exemplified by an incredible statistic provided by MD. They say that during a 23-minute period in the first half, Real Madrid did not register a single touch in the Barcelona half, the Blaugrana scoring three goals during that spell. Between Kylian Mbappe converting Vinicius Junior’s assist at 13:39 in the first half, and a Jude Bellingham header – which ended up at the feet of Pedri – at 37:32, Real Madrid were restricted to their own territory.
Then completed their first successful pass in the Barcelona half since the Vinicius assist at 40:05, 27 minutes later, with Raul Asencio finding the Brazliian with a long pass from deep in his half. The Catalan daily add that Barcelona ran an extra 10km compared to Real Madrid, registering 108km compared to Los Blanco’s 98km.
An historic Barcelona comeback
Meanwhile statistician Pedro Martin also noted that it was just the third time in history that a team has come from two goals down to win a Clasico. The last example was in 1959, with Barcelona winning 4-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu. The only other occasion was 75 years ago, with Los Blancos running out 3-2 winners at Les Corts in 1950.
Remontadas de dos goles en los clásicos:2-3 Barça-Madrid en enero de 1950 (en Les Corts)2-4 Madrid-Barça en junio de 1959 (en el Bernabéu)4-3 Barça-Madrid en mayo de 2025 (en Montjuic)
— Pedro Martin (@pedritonumeros) May 11, 2025
Overall, it moves Barcelona within one win of Real Madrid in the total balance between the two, with Real Madrid on 105 wins, and the Catalans now on 104. There have been 52 draws between the two sides. Hansi Flick became just the second Barcelona manager after Pep Guardiola to win four straight Clasicos too, with Barcelona scoring 16 goals to Los Blancos’ 7 over the course of the season.
Midfield problems for Real Madrid
The numbers could be taken as another symptom of a consistent issue for Real Madrid this season, who have sorely missed Toni Kroos this season in midfield. Los Blancos are set to focus on their backline this summer, and Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga will return to the middle of the pitch next season, but Real Madrid have struggled for control in the middle of the pitch all season.
