Barcelona staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Real Madrid 4-3 in a thrilling La Liga clash on Sunday, moving one step closer to the title after overcoming a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé.
The French striker threatened to drag Madrid back into the title race, but Raphinha’s brace, along with goals from Lamine Yamal and Eric Garcia, gave Barcelona a seven-point cushion over the defending champions with just three matches remaining.
Barcelona had endured a midweek setback, being knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals by Inter Milan, and their season could have unraveled had they lost to Madrid. But, despite Mbappé’s early double, Barcelona held firm, claiming their fourth Clasico win of the season and asserting their dominance over Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
“We’ve opened up a crucial gap,” said Yamal to Movistar. “It was key to win today, especially after the Champions League defeat. The fans have moved on, and so have we. Now, we can enjoy this.”
“It was important to win today to bring the league title closer, and we’re very happy with how it went,” he added.
With this result, Real Madrid are set to finish the season without a major trophy.
“We need to defend better,” Ancelotti admitted. “That was evident today. We defended poorly, and that’s the reality. Mbappé did well, and offensively the team had clear ideas, but defensively, we could have done better.”
Madrid made a strong start, with Mbappé earning a penalty after being fouled by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Despite Barcelona’s protests over a potential offside in the build-up, Mbappé converted, with Szczesny getting a touch but unable to prevent the goal.
In the 14th minute, Mbappé doubled Madrid’s lead with a clinical finish after Vinicius Junior played him through. Barcelona again voiced concerns over a potential foul on Yamal during the build-up. The goal marked Mbappé’s 26th of the season in La Liga, moving him ahead of Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, and his 38th across all competitions—setting a new club record for goals in a first season with Los Blancos.
But Barcelona’s young side, led by Hansi Flick, mounted an impressive comeback. After Thibaut Courtois tipped a Gerard Martin drive over the bar, Eric Garcia headed home from a corner to pull one back for Barcelona.
Raphinha and Torres were both active in the attacking play, with Raphinha providing the decisive contributions. First, the Brazilian winger leveled the score with a composed bending shot past Courtois, following a neat assist from Torres. Moments later, Raphinha sent Barcelona ahead after a perfect pass from Pedri, drilling the ball into the net.
Mbappé appealed for another penalty after a challenge from Frenkie de Jong, but VAR overturned the decision, revealing an offside in the build-up. Shortly after, Raphinha netted his second, stealing the ball from Lucas Vazquez, exchanging passes with Torres, and finishing past Courtois.
Mbappé did score again before the break, but it was ruled offside, and the first half ended with Barcelona leading 3-2.
In the second half, Barcelona thought they had extended their lead when Yamal’s effort was ruled out for offside. However, Vinicius Junior broke behind Barcelona’s high line and assisted Mbappé for his hat-trick, bringing Madrid level once more.
A handball appeal against Aurelien Tchouaméni was dismissed by the referee after a review, and substitute Victor Munoz had a late chance to equalize but fired high and wide.
Barcelona seemed to have sealed the win with a stunning solo effort from Fermin Lopez, but the goal was disallowed for a handball against the midfielder.
Despite some late pressure, Madrid had no time to mount a meaningful response. Barcelona, who last won the league in 2023, could now secure the title as early as Wednesday if Real Madrid fail to beat Mallorca.
AFP
