Despite Kylian Mbappe bagging a hat-trick, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona made it four out of four wins in 2024/25 El Clasico encounters against Real Madrid on Sunday – but the Frenchman’s comments, before striking his first of the affair, to the Catalan side’s players have caught the attention of fans.
Mbappe, widely regarded as one of the best players in world football, was at the double within 14 minutes – and a Real Madrid victory looked inevitable, but that’s before Eric Garcia notched in the 19th minute. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha then stepped up.
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The two Barcelona stars – with the latter scoring a brace – made it 4-2 before half-time beckoned. With 20 minutes of play left on the clock, Paris-born Mbappe scored a mere consolation, but footage of his interaction with some of Barcelona's stars pre-spot kick has emerged – and his 12-word comment had them in stitches.
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Inigo Martinez and Raphinha cracked up at the Frenchman
The young – and therefore, inexperienced – Pau Cubarsi was at fault as his loose touch landed in the vicinity of the former Paris Saint-Germain world-beater, who scrambled to get a touch on the ball as Wojciech Szczesny rushed out to regain possession.
Instead of making contact with the ball, the Polish shot stopper cleared out the Los Blancos striker. Referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez pointed to the spot and Mbappe, 26, drew first blood, despite Szczesny diving the right way.
Before he stepped up from 12 yards out to open the scoring, Mbappe was surrounded by the likes of Inigo Martinez, Raphinha and Gerard Martin as they were unhappy with a penalty being given within five minutes of getting underway.
Mbappe – who, in his maiden season in Spain, has scored 38 goals thus far – joked with the aforementioned La Blaugrana trio by pointing to his shirt and urging them to speak with Hernandez Hernandez rather than him. He said:
“Look at my shirt, it’s white not yellow. I’m not the referee.”
Barcelona, thanks to their 4-2 win last weekend, are now one step closer to lifting La Liga gold. As things stand, they have a seven-point cushion on their rivals, Real Madrid, and winning one more game will be enough for them to secure their 28th title.
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Elsewhere, Carlo Ancelotti’s men – who are record winners of the Champions League – are at risk of doing something they are not used to as a serial-winning club: going trophyless, and that's despite adding the talismanic Mbappe to their ranks in the summer of 2024.