In a thrilling El Clasico match, Barcelona secured a resounding 4-0 victory over Real Madrid. Check out the top moments from this memorable La Liga clash.
Robert Lewandowski scored two goals in Barcelona’s 4-0 victory over rivals Real Madrid on Saturday, handing the Spanish champions their first La Liga defeat in more than a year.
Teenage winger Lamine Yamal and Raphinha wrapped up the victory, whereas Real Madrid’s star Kylian Mbappe experienced a frustrating first Clasico appearance with two goals disallowed for offside. As a result, Los Blancos now find themselves six points behind league leaders Barcelona.
France’s captain, Mbappe, repeatedly found himself outmaneuvered by the visitors’ high defensive line, much to the frustration of Santiago Bernabeu’s increasingly agitated crowd. Their mood further soured as Barcelona scored four goals in the second half.
Barcelona ended Madrid’s 42-match unbeaten run in La Liga, falling just one game short of the Catalan giants’ record. This victory added extra luster to their success.
In just a few months, Hansi Flick has transformed Barcelona and snapped their losing streak in the Clasico with an impressive victory. This young team demonstrated significant progress and made a powerful statement about how far they’ve come under his guidance.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti chose to bolster the midfield by selecting Eduardo Camavinga instead of Luka Modric. The team’s strategy was clear: defend in numbers and aim to launch long balls toward Mbappe or Vinicius, exploiting the space behind Barcelona’s high defensive line.
This resulted in a dynamic yet repetitive first half, with Barcelona’s defense catching Madrid offside eight times.
Mbappe struck the side-netting and chipped over, only to be offside on both attempts. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham forced an outstanding save from Barcelona’s goalkeeper Inaki Pena; however, that effort would also have been ruled out for offside.
At the other end, Barcelona’s teenage star Yamal attempted a gentle shot at Andriy Lunin after being set up on goal by an excellent flick from Lewandowski.
Raphinha missed a shot over the bar, and Lunin made another save from the Brazilian winger. However, Barcelona lacked the fluidity they had shown in recent weeks, which was highlighted by their impressive 4-1 Champions League victory against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Mbappe believed he had broken the deadlock as he slipped in behind and executed a superb dinked finish over Pena. However, once again, the forward was just marginally offside, cutting his celebration short.
Although it felt as if they were continually threatening Barcelona, Madrid managed only one legitimate shot in the first half. Vinicius dragged a shot into the side-netting while attempting to surprise Pena at the near post.
Keen to gain more control, Flick substituted Frenkie de Jong for Fermin Lopez at half-time, and Barcelona quickly went ahead.
Casado threaded a pass to Lewandowski, and with Madrid defender Ferland Mendy trailing his teammates by a step, the Polish forward was onside.
The 36-year-old skillfully shot low past Lunin, quieting the Bernabeu crowd. Just two minutes later, he seized another opportunity.
Lewandowski nodded in a cross from Alejandro Balde to increase Barcelona’s lead and score his 14th league goal in just 11 games, maintaining his remarkable resurgence under Flick after facing challenges last season.
Mbappe saw a second goal disallowed due to offside as Madrid struggled to find their footing, while Pena blocked a low and powerful shot from the former Paris Saint-Germain forward.
Lewandowski missed two excellent opportunities to secure his hat-trick. He hit the post following a pass from Raphinha and later shot over the bar after impressive play by Yamal.
Spain’s Euro 2024 standout, Yamal, netted Barcelona’s third goal by firing a shot home after receiving an assist from the dynamic Raphinha. Flick celebrated with excitement in the dugout.
Raphinha capped off the rout with a lob over Lunin, leaving the Bernabeu stunned.
