Real Madrid and Barcelona took center stage in the most anticipated match of the weekend in world soccer. As part of Matchday 11 of La Liga, the Spanish giants met at the Santiago Bernabeu for another thrilling edition of El Clasico.
In the first half, Real Madrid asserted their dominance, controlling possession and finding space in the attacking third to create numerous threats near Iñaki Peña’s goal. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. both had promising opportunities, but a lack of precision in the final moments, combined with strong saves from the Barcelona goalkeeper, kept the score level.
The most significant moment came 35 minutes into the first half when Mbappe received a pass inside the box, skillfully dribbled past Barcelona‘s goalkeeper Peña, and sent a delicate shot into the back of the net. However, after a VAR review, the goal was disallowed for offside, denying Real Madrid the opening score.
Negative statistics in El Clasico
Referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez blew the whistle to end the first half with a 0-0 scoreline between Real Madrid and Barcelona. This result broke a streak of 13 consecutive El Clasico matches that featured at least one goal in the first 45 minutes. The last time a goalless first half occurred was in 2020, with Los Merengues eventually winning 2-0.
Momentum shifts in Barcelona’s favor
The second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum between the two sides. Real Madrid, who had dominated the first 45 minutes, appeared to lose their intensity, while Barcelona began to control possession and press deeper into the opposition’s half.
In this new dynamic, Marc Casado delivered a brilliant assist to Robert Lewandowski, who opened the scoring in the 54th minute with a precise right-footed shot. The Polish striker wasn’t done yet; just two minutes later, he doubled Barcelona’s lead with a powerful header, finishing off a perfectly placed cross from Raphinha.
Lamine Yamal then extended Barcelona’s lead even further. After receiving a well-timed pass from Raphinha, the young Spaniard stepped into the box and stunned everyone with a right-footed strike, lofting the ball over goalkeeper Lunin, leaving him with no chance to react. And moments later Raphinha scored the fourth goal with another brilliant shot over Lunin.
Undisputed leaders of La Liga
With their emphatic 4-0 victory over Real Madrid, Barcelona solidified their position at the top of the La Liga standings. The Catalan side now has 30 points, the result of 10 wins and just one defeat, doubling their lead over Los Merengues. A six-point gap now separates them from their closest challengers.