Barcelona has taken a significant step towards securing the La Liga title after defeating their fierce rivals Real Madrid in an exhilarating match that featured a total of seven goals.

Real Madrid initially took a two-goal lead with Kylian Mbappe converting from the penalty spot before scoring a second goal for Los Blancos.

However, the hosts managed to pull one back when Ryan Garcia scored a well-timed header.

Lamine Yamal then equalized for Barcelona, and Raphinha scored two goals to put Barcelona ahead with a 4-2 lead.

Mbappe did complete his hat-trick later in the game, but similar to the World Cup final, his impressive individual performance came in a losing effort for his team.

Contents

Match Aftermath
Mbappe`s Performance and Record
Barcelona`s Dominance Against Madrid Clubs
Coaches` Reactions
Remaining Fixtures
Full-time Scenes

Match Aftermath

The thrilling El Clasico encounter effectively sealed the La Liga title race. Barcelona secured a crucial win, putting them seven points clear at the top with just three matches remaining.

While the defeat brought a sense of shame in Madrid, the mood in Catalonia is one of immense satisfaction. Barca completed a clean sweep of victories over their rivals this season. The celebrations can now begin!

The defeat was not taken well in Madrid, with reports circulating about fan reactions.

Mbappe`s Performance and Record

Despite the loss, Kylian Mbappe can take some comfort from his individual performance. The French superstar scored a hat-trick, which put him back ahead of Robert Lewandowski in the Golden Boot race and also set a new club record.

Mbappe`s 39 goals surpassed Iván Zamorano`s record of 37 goals in 45 matches from the 1992-93 season, making him Real Madrid`s highest-scoring debutant. Only Di Stéfano and Hugo Sánchez finished as top scorers in their first season at Real Madrid.

Barcelona`s Dominance Against Madrid Clubs

Although not yet mathematically confirmed, Barcelona is poised to finish atop La Liga, having outperformed both Madrid clubs this season. Statistics from direct encounters suggest the Catalan side possessed superior attacking power.

Barcelona scored a total of 32 goals against Madrid clubs this season, with the majority (17 goals in 4 Clasicos across all competitions) coming against Real Madrid.

Coaches` Reactions

In his post-match press conference, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick commented on the win: “It`s not always fun for me, but I`m happy with how we`re playing. Football involves mistakes; we need to minimize them.”

“The key to everything is intensity in training sessions.”

“Winning 4 Clasicos means a lot to the fans. Now we focus on winning the next match.”

Speaking to the media after the match, Carlo Ancelotti admitted his Real Madrid team defended poorly but cited injuries: “We defended badly, but we can`t forget we are missing five defenders.”

“It`s not because we adopted a deep block; we simply defended badly.”

“In a game like this, you have to attack and defend well. We attacked well.”

Reports suggest Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti might leave Real Madrid at the end of the season, with Xabi Alonso potentially succeeding him. With the league title almost certainly decided, this match could potentially be Ancelotti`s last in charge of Real Madrid. Notably, Ancelotti has never successfully defended a league title in his coaching career. Regardless of the timing, his future is speculated to be away from Real Madrid, with links to the Brazilian national team and Saudi club Al Hilal.

The decision not to play Rodrygo is expected to generate further discussion about his future. Carlo Ancelotti addressed Rodrygo`s absence from the match: “There is no problem with Rodrygo; he was sick and not fully recovered, which is why he didn`t play.”