This Sunday, Real Madrid won the first El Clásico of the season: 2-1. In a thrilling encounter, Jude Bellingham scored the decisive goal just before halftime. The match was full of tension, but Real Madrid held on to their lead. With this victory, they extend their advantage over Barcelona in La Liga to five points.
Real Madrid and Barcelona faced each other in the Spanish capital for the tenth round of La Liga. Real Madrid started the match as league leaders, with a two-point advantage over second-placed Barcelona. For the home side, Dean Huijsen returned to the starting eleven after missing the Champions League match against Juventus due to injury. In addition, Eduardo Camavinga was back in the starting lineup, which meant Brahim Díaz started on the bench. The away team made two changes in midfield compared to their 6–1 Champions League victory over Olympiakos Piraeus. Frenkie de Jong and Fermín López both started, while Marc Casado and Dro Fernández returned to the bench. On the sidelines, Barcelona were guided by assistant coach Marcus Sorg, who took charge following the suspension of head coach Hansi Flick.
After an incredible choreo from the Los Blancos fans, Real Madrid started the game full of energy. In just the second minute, referee César Soto pointed to the penalty spot. In his view, Lamine Yamal had fouled Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior, but after a VAR review, the penalty was cancelled. Ten minutes later, VAR once again went against Real Madrid. The Bernabéu erupted when Kylian Mbappé scored with a stunning long-range strike, but while the fans were still celebrating, VAR ruled that the French striker was offside.
Luckily for the Madridistas, Mbappé found the net again in the 22nd minute. Midfielder Jude Bellingham played a pass through Barcelona’s defence, setting up a one-on-one situation for the striker. The Frenchman remained composed and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper into the net: 1–0. It was a deserved lead and his 16th goal of the season.
Real Madrid kept pushing for a second goal, while Barcelona couldn’t get themselves into the game. Mbappé tried his luck again, but was denied by Wojciech Szczęsny. Moments later, centre-back Dean Huijsen’s attempt was also saved by the Polish goalkeeper. In the 33rd minute, Barcelona finally had their first big chance when Ferran Torres found himself almost free in front of goal. Thibaut Courtois was called into action for the first time, but the Belgian easily saved the effort. At the other end, Vinícius Júnior tried to double the lead after receiving the ball from Mbappé, but his shot towards the far corner was saved by Szczęsny, resulting in a corner kick.
After another missed opportunity for Real Madrid—Jude Bellingham’s shot was saved by the goalkeeper—Barcelona finally appeared on the scoreboard. Marcus Rashford broke free down the left, dribbled into the penalty area, and squared the ball to Fermín López. The midfielder was completely unmarked and calmly placed the ball past Thibaut Courtois.
It took Real Madrid only four minutes to regain the lead. After a cross from the left, Éder Militão headed the ball to the far post, where Jude Bellingham was unmarked and easily tapped it into the net. It was his second goal of the week, after scoring against Juventus in the Champions League. The stadium erupted for the second time, and both teams went into the dressing rooms at halftime with Real Madrid leading 2–1. Los Blancos made full use of the electric atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabéu and could have easily scored more.
The second half had only just begun when Real Madrid got a golden opportunity. Jude Bellingham dribbled inside the penalty box on the right side and tried to cross the ball to his teammates. Eric García blocked the ball with his hand. After a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty. Kylian Mbappé stepped up to take it but was surprisingly denied by Wojciech Szczęsny.
After that, Barcelona tried to attack more, resulting in small chances at both ends. Fermín López had an open shot from outside the penalty area, which Courtois easily saved. Later, Bellingham thought he had scored his second of the match, but VAR ruled that he had been offside in the build-up.
In the 72nd minute, Real Madrid made some substitutions to bring fresh energy into the team. Vinícius Júnior and Federico Valverde left the pitch, replaced by Rodrygo and Dani Carvajal. Vinícius Júnior was clearly unhappy with the substitution and immediately walked into the dressing room instead of sitting on the bench. Barcelona brought on Marc Casado and Ronald Araújo, while Ferran Torres and Eric García were taken off.
As the game approached its final minutes, Real Madrid were happy to let Barcelona have the ball. The away team couldn’t create any clear chances, while Real Madrid looked dangerous on the counterattack with the space Barcelona were giving away. In a late attempt to equalize, Barcelona substituted attacker Roony Bardghji for defender Pau Cubarsí.
The stadium felt the tension of the match, and with nine minutes of added time, anything could happen. Barcelona tried their best but couldn’t create any major chances. In the final minutes, the drama for Barcelona was complete when Pedri received his second yellow card. A confrontation broke out between the two teams near the dugouts, and the referee blew the final whistle shortly after, allowing Real Madrid to hold on and secure a 2-1 victory. With this win, Real Madrid remains at the top of La Liga, five points ahead of second-placed Barcelona.
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