Real Madrid exorcised the ghosts of last season’s Clasico defeats with a spirited 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Bernabeu on Sunday night.
It was a match that had everything: controversy, quality, and confrontation. Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham sealed Madrid’s 12th win in 13 matches this season and offered a powerful statement of intent in their pursuit of the La Liga title.
But the result was marred by a post-match altercation involving players from both sides that led to red cards, yellow cards, and angry exchanges long after the final whistle.
“Talk is cheap,” Bellingham posted later on Instagram, echoing the tone of a Madrid squad clearly intent on proving a point after being swept by their arch-rivals last season. The England midfielder, who was named man of the match, called it “a magnificent performance from the whole team.”
“This victory is also for the fans,” Bellingham told Real Madrid TV. “Last year we played badly in the big games and today this victory was for everyone.”
The final moments were chaotic. As players and staff shook hands, a scuffle broke out involving teenage Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal, Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, and full-back Dani Carvajal. Reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was shown a red card for his role in the fracas, while Vinicius Jr and others were booked as tempers frayed.
Vinicius himself had endured a turbulent evening. Visibly frustrated after being substituted for Rodrygo in the 72nd minute, the Brazilian went straight down the tunnel before returning to the bench a few minutes later.
“All coaches know there are different personalities,” Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso said afterwards. “Now we’ll enjoy it, and when the time comes, we’ll talk about these things in the dressing room. But this was a great performance from the team.”
The match began at a frantic pace. Within two minutes, Madrid thought they had a penalty when Vinicius went down under minimal contact from Yamal, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review showed the Madrid forward had kicked the Barcelona youngster’s leg while attempting a shot.
VAR intervened again 10 minutes later to rule out what appeared to be a stunning opener from Mbappe for offside. The Frenchman would not be denied for long. In the 22nd minute, after a clever assist from Bellingham, Mbappe broke free on goal and finished calmly past Wojciech Szczesny to put Madrid ahead. It was his 16th goal in 13 matches for club and country.
Barcelona, struggling to cope with Madrid’s pace and movement, found a lifeline in the 38th minute. Arda Guler’s misplaced pass gifted possession to Marcus Rashford, who sprinted down the left and squared for Fermin Lopez to slot home from close range.
But just five minutes later, Madrid restored their advantage. A Vinicius cross was headed toward goal by Eder Militao, and when Szczesny parried, Bellingham was quickest to react, poking the ball over the line to make it 2-1.
The England star, who recently returned from a shoulder injury, followed up his midweek Uefa Champions League winner against Juventus with another decisive strike.
The defeat was Barcelona’s third in all competitions this month, following losses to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Sevilla in La Liga.
Defeat means Hansi Flick's Barca now trail leaders Real Madrid by five points in La Liga.
For Madrid, it was sweet redemption after last season’s humiliations, when they were outscored 16-7 across four meetings and lost all their Clasicos for the first time in history.
Race card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m
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