Goals from Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham earned Real Madrid a 2-1 victory over Barcelona in a fiery El Clasico on Sunday, snapping a four-match losing streak against their rivals and extending their lead at the top of the LaLiga standings.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a close-range finish after a perfectly timed through ball from Bellingham. However, Barcelona capitalised on an error by Arda Güler to equalise in the 38th minute through Fermín López.
Real regained the lead five minutes later when Bellingham tapped in from inside the six-yard box following an inspired run and cross by Vinícius Jr.
The hosts created several chances but were denied by an outstanding performance from Barça goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, who saved Mbappé’s penalty early in the second half.
Barcelona rarely threatened Real keeper Thibaut Courtois after the break and finished the match with 10 men after midfielder Pedri received a second yellow card for a sliding tackle from behind on Aurélien Tchouaméni in stoppage time.
The closing stages were marred by drama as Vinícius Jr reacted angrily to being substituted by manager Xabi Alonso, storming down the tunnel before returning to the bench. The Brazilian was later involved in a heated exchange between players from both sides, prompting Spanish police to intervene to prevent a full-scale brawl.
Real moved to 27 points at the top of the table, five clear of Barcelona in second.
After four consecutive defeats to Barcelona across three competitions, Real entered the match desperate for a statement win to validate new manager Xabi Alonso’s project.
“I’m very happy for the lads. They needed this feeling of winning a big match,” Alonso told reporters. “We know it’s still October and early days, and we have a lot of work to do. But we wanted to feel good about ourselves, and that’s how it’s been. We need more of what we saw today.”
**Penalty overturned**
Roared on by a sold-out Santiago Bernabéu crowd, Real dominated a match that began with referee César Soto Grado overturning a penalty for the home side following a VAR review. The official ruled that Vinícius Jr had kicked Lamine Yamal’s leg while attempting a shot, reversing his initial decision.
But it was not the only call that angered Real Madrid’s players and coach. Minutes later, Mbappé had a stunning long-range strike ruled out for offside, despite replays suggesting Barcelona’s López may have been the last to touch the ball.
Real kept piling on the pressure, controlling over 75% of possession in the opening half-hour. However, they were repeatedly frustrated by Szczęsny, who produced remarkable saves to deny Mbappé, Dean Huijsen, and Vinícius Jr from close range.
Their persistence eventually paid off when Mbappé latched onto Bellingham’s through ball and slotted home to break the deadlock, though Barcelona equalised against the run of play following Güler’s mistake.
Vinícius Jr tormented Barcelona’s defence in the build-up to Real’s second goal, breezing past Frenkie de Jong and Jules Koundé on the left before crossing for Éder Militão, whose header found Bellingham to tap into an empty net in the 43rd minute.
Real had several chances to extend their lead early in the second half, including a penalty for Eric García’s handball. But Szczęsny, Barcelona’s standout performer, denied Mbappé with a superb one-handed save — one of several crucial interventions that kept the visitors in contention.
Despite seeing more of the ball in the final half-hour, Barcelona lacked creativity and failed to test Courtois. Their frustration deepened when Pedri was dismissed late on.
“In the first half, we weren’t quite sharp enough with the ball, and that’s where they’re very dangerous,” De Jong told _DAZN_. “In the second half, we controlled the game, but we struggled to create dangerous chances.”
\-REUTERS