madrid– kilian mbappe And Jude Bellingham killed in the first half real Madrid Beat barcelona 2-1 to extend their lead at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday classico Rivals up five points at the top of LaLiga.
fermin lopez Mbappe’s opener was briefly canceled out in the 38th minute of an incident-packed game, but Bellingham netted the winner five minutes later as Madrid ended a four-match losing streak against Barca. there could have been more to it Wojciech Szczesny In the second half, Mbappe saved a penalty, while Madrid also scored three goals from offside.
Barca tried to rally late, but too late Jules Conde On chances that he could not completely control, they never looked to trouble the home team. After the game, there was a dispute inside and outside the field between the players and the staff. PedriThe late red card for the second booking raised the temperature. –Sam Marsden
alonso turns classico Tide with victory statement
Xabi Alonso needed it. There have been plenty of signs of improvement since Carlo Ancelotti took over as coach in the summer, but In fact In high-profile game, Alonso’s Real Madrid fell short: lost 4-0 Paris Saint Germain Club World Cup semi-finals and 5–2 Atletico Madrid In the Madrid derby a month ago.
Now, there’s Alonso’s first signed win, and in the game that matters most for Madrid: classicoThe quartet of defeats to Barca last season were a clear sign that the Ancelotti era was coming to an end – it wasn’t that Madrid lost all four, it was the scale of those defeats, with an aggregate score of 16-7 – and Sunday’s result, and performance, is a statement of intent.
Madrid played with intensity, aggression and cohesion here, disrupting Barça’s buildup as they often put pressure on goalkeeper Szczesny and the center backs. pau cubarsi And eric garciaAlonso’s decision to select an additional midfielder by sacrificing a wide player, Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga joined in Aurélien Tchoumeni And Arda Guler In a 4-4-2 when out of possession.
Alonso still has challenges to overcome, especially how to handle them Vinicius JuniorWho reacted so strongly when he was substituted in the 72nd minute, in a very public display of dissent. And there were moments when Madrid’s defense looked vulnerable, even if Barça struggled to create clear chances.
Overall, it was a first performance – on the biggest stage – that Alonso can point to as solid evidence of real progress, even if he will stress that they are still just getting started. –Alex Kirkland
Barca’s defense looks weak on the biggest stage
The focus is often on Barca’s high line, but if they can’t defend seriously, it doesn’t matter how high up the pitch the back four are. The defense was very weak throughout the game for a match of this intensity.
alejandro balde Mbappé was played onside for the first goal and Bellingham was left unmarked to tap in the second as Baldé was beaten too easily in the air eder militaoBeyond the goals, Kounde was too passive in defending Vinicius one-on-one, and there are still question marks over Garcia’s centre-back pairing, which was unlucky in giving away penalties missed by Mbappé and Kybersi. Long-term partnerships are not realized at this stage.
After huge losses of inigo martinez In the summer, many thought Flick would move with Quebec and ronald araujo As a pair of them in the middle of the backline. However, the selection of Garcia, who has performed well this season, was testament to the German coach’s favorite partnership. The thinking is that they are the duo that give Barça the most chances on the ball, but the bigger question is whether they offer more than they take when Barça have to defend against the best forwards in the world. — Marsden
Mbappé at the center of everything
Mbappe scored a respectable five classico scored goals last season, but he still needs to exorcise some demons from the game at the Bernabeu, where his debut came classico He was caught offside a career-best eight times without scoring as Barça won 0–4. There’s no doubt that this was a significant improvement on that performance, even if it was not a perfect game from Mbappé, given his second-half penalty miss.
A dream start in the 12th minute – hitting the ball into the net from distance, with the sweetest finish – was negated by a VAR check, which showed Mbappé was partially offside. Without any fear, he scored after 10 minutes, taking his tally to 16 goals in all competitions this season, and 11 in LaLiga. There was no hesitation in the finish, and no doubt that he would find the net.
Another offside goal later – this time a clear – and then a penalty, which Szczesny did very well to save. Mbappe was unreliable at times last season, saying he had reached “rock bottom” after a series of mistakes last season. liverpool And athletic clubSo far this campaign, he has earned five consecutive penalties.
When he was substituted in the 91st minute, his statistics suggested limited involvement, with the fewest touches of any player on the pitch. But the reality was very different. –Kirkland
Yamal gives Madrid plenty of reasons to talk
Lamin Yamal This was followed by Public Enemy No. 1 at the Bernabeu Comments he made midweek Madrid were suggested to “get all the referee calls” and still “complain.” This comment did not go down well with the Madrid fans and he was jeered when his name was read out before the game. Whistles were blown at every touch from the first minute to the last.
Some of the biggest cheers came when alvaro carrerasHe got the better of someone who defended him well, or when he comfortably fired a shot over the bar in the second half.
Yamal has often performed at his best when the spotlight is most focused on him. “Criticism motivates him,” Barca assistant coach Marcus Sorg said before the game, but this time he couldn’t dig Barca out of the hole just a week after returning from a groin injury. Of late he was moved into a central role away from Carreras, but it was a move that perhaps came too late.
“They can’t say anything while I’m winning,” Yamal grumbles as Barça enjoy classico Dominated last season. There will be a lot of talk in Madrid on Sunday night. — Marsden
Bellingham looks to be at his best in Madrid
Bellingham built his Madrid reputation in decisive moments classicos: Scored famous, match-winning goals in both dramatic games with Barça in his debut campaign, 2023–24. The previous season was more difficult, failing to score in any of Madrid’s four heavy defeats, his form matched by the team’s struggles.
But here, there was another match-winning goal, and it was Bellingham’s second in a week, after scoring the only goal of the game against juventus On Wednesday. It was one of the most direct goals Bellingham had ever scored, a close-range tap-in, but as always the midfielder’s ability to be in the right place at the right time shone through. Earlier, there was an assist for Mbappe, also with a trademark, perfectly executed through ball.
For Madrid to perform at their best – and compete at the highest level in Europe as well as LaLiga – they need their best, star players to perform. Here, Mbappé, Bellingham and Vinicius were all important, even if Vinicius spoiled it with his reaction to being substituted. There remains work to be done on where Bellingham fits in at Alonso’s Madrid, but here – in a midfield four, sometimes out wide, sometimes switching infield – he looked comfortable.
Bellingham’s comeback after shoulder surgery in July has been slow and steady, and he was moved back ahead of schedule. But now, in the last week, we are seeing Bellingham in his first season in Spain, and it is great news for Madrid. –Kirkland
Barca’s absence dashes any hopes of a comeback
Firmin was on target again after scoring a hat-trick in midweek uefa champions league victory over OlympiacosHe has the ability to get into the box at exactly the right time, not dissimilar to Frank Lampard. Same was the case here as he timed his race exactly to meet marcus rashfordPass and level the game. Barça also missed his intensity as he sat out the entire season due to injury at the start of the campaign.
However, his desire and thirst for goals, which is often a positive for Barça, also cost his team in the second half. On two occasions, on the edge of the area, instead of giving a pass, he took a shot. Both times, Thibaut Courtois saved comfortably.
Ultimately, though, it was Barça’s lack of bodies that troubled them late on. Due to the lack of attacking options on the bench, he had to wait until the last 15 minutes to make a change. and together Robert Lewandowski, Rafinha, Gavi And dani olmo Araújo and others were among the missing. mark casado Who were assigned the task of trying to overturn this game. — Marsden
