The Santiago Bernabeu played host to Real Madrid's heated 2-1 victory over Barcelona in Sunday afternoon's El Clasico. With Lamine Yamal and Dani Carvajal at the heart of the chaos, tensions flared at full-time and a melee of bodies came together – and the father of the former has taken to Instagram to defend his son.
In the 22nd minute, Los Blancos found a breakthrough as Kylian Mbappe latched onto a wonderful pass by Jude Bellingham before slotting home. Barca's Fermin Lopez pegged back in the 38th minute before Bellingham himself got on the scoresheet, remaining unmarked in the middle before tapping home with ease.
Xabi Alonso's league leaders, having missed a penalty in the second half and by virtue of the fact they had three goals chalked off, had plenty of chances to put the game to bed. Barca, overall, were by far the lesser of the two teams – but the match was good value as the winners extended their lead at the top of La Liga to five points.
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Yamal's Father, Mouni Nasraoui, Jumps to his Son's Defence After El Clasico
barcelona lamine yamal
Although some claim the rivalry has gone stale in recent years, Sunday's encounter was a match brimming with moments of brilliance and, more importantly, a bit of needle when it needed the most. Ahead of kick-off, tensions were built nicely as two of Europe's biggest behemoths prepared for one of the most-watched fixtures in world football.
Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, warmed up the all-intense derby just minutes before kickoff, in a live stream on his Instagram. "I cook them here and my son cooks them there," he said, referring to the back line of Madrid and the damage his son was going to inflict on them. That, as we know now, was not the case.
The young Spaniard – who came second, finishing behind only Ousmane Dembele, in this year's Ballon d'Or rankings – was involved in a war of words with his compatriot Dani Carvajal in the immediate aftermath of the affair, which is the 261st of its kind.
The defender, a six-time Champions League winner, had initially planned to speak to Yamal after the latter claimed that Madrid "rob and complain" in the lead-up to the match. He did just that – and Thibaut Courtois was among those to join the post-match fracas.
"You speak too much. Speak now," Carvajal said towards his Yamal, a player he has shared the international stage with for La Roja. Vinicius Jr, as both sets of players made their way towards the tunnel, got involved and could be seen shouting at the teenage sensation. The Brazilian had to be held back by security as the two exchanged words.
Yamal's father, Mouni Nasraoui, has jumped to the young winger's defence after he tasted defeat on away soil. "Good thing he's only 18. See you in Barcelona," he posted alongside a photo of the Barca's star man on the right. Alongside a new photo, a caption from another one of his posts read: "Until death do us part my gang."
Yamal and his teammates now have the onerous task of closing a five-point gap on their table-topping rivalries between now and the end of the campaign. Hansi Flick's men host Elche next in the league, while Alonso's side play host to Valencia next Saturday – and they'll be hoping to bag another three points.
A 23-cap Spain international, Yamal has enjoyed a frutiful start to 2025/26: he's got eight goal contributions (three goals and five assists) in as many games across all competitions – but will he be able to back up his father's statements by delivering the next time Barca and Real meet? We'll have to wait until 10 May to find out.