It was a night to forget for Real Madrid, as Barcelona stunned the home crowd with their dominance, leaving no doubt as to who ruled this El Clásico. The Catalan side's performance was a masterclass, dismantling their rivals on their own turf.
Robert Lewandowski led the charge with a brilliant brace, while Lamine Yamal and Raphinha added to the scoreline, cementing the Catalans' superiority.
At the end of the first 45 minutes, there was nothing to separate the two sides, with Real Madrid and Barcelona going into the half-time break at the Santiago Bernabeu level at 0-0.
Despite the scoreline, the first half was action-packed. Mbappé appeared eager to make his mark on the game, but the French striker repeatedly found himself flagged offside, with the linesman intervening on four occasions when he was poised to score. One particularly significant offside call saw his delicate chip into the net disallowed, ensuring the score remained level.
Barcelona dominated possession away from home and forced Lunin into two comfortable saves. However, Lewandowski struggled to find his rhythm, despite good service from Yamal and Raphinha during the opening period.
Upon returning from the break, Casado took control in the centre circle, spotting the gap between Real Madrid’s centre-backs and delivering a perfectly timed pass through the lines to Lewandowski. The striker, staying onside, reached the edge of the 18-yard box, deceived the goalkeeper with a glance, and calmly slotted a low, right-footed shot into the bottom corner.
The Santiago Bernabeu fell into silence as Barcelona scored their second goal in just 120 seconds. Lewandowski, positioned at the penalty spot, met Balde’s cross with a glancing header, leaving Lunin with no chance as the ball nestled into the far post.
Shortly after, Yamal added to Barcelona’s tally with a powerful strike. Latching onto Raphinha’s precise pass following Peña’s goal-kick, Yamal unleashed a thunderous right-footed shot that crashed into the roof of the net before settling in the back, giving Lunin no opportunity to react.
Despite Real Madrid's attempts to rally, Barcelona maintained their composure throughout the match, ensuring a comfortable 4-0 victory and securing all three points. With Lewandowski's clinical finishing and strong contributions from Yamal and Raphinha, the Catalans outclassed their rivals from start to finish.
Mbappé’s First El Clásico for Madrid
The French winger displayed flashes of his extraordinary talent in his first El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu, but it was ultimately a frustrating night for him. Mbappé repeatedly found himself caught offside, with VAR intervening to rule out several of his promising runs. Despite his determination, his fourth attempt—a deft chip over Iñaki Peña—was also disallowed for offside, compounding his disappointment.
Unfortunately, the frequency of offside calls left him largely out of the game, and he struggled to make an impact. It was a tough night for Mbappé, as his much-anticipated debut in El Clásico at the Bernabéu didn’t go as planned.