Barcelona edged closer to the LaLiga title with a dramatic 4-3 comeback win over rivals Real Madrid in an electrifying El Clasico showdown on Sunday, despite a stunning hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe fires Real Madrid ahead with early double
Real Madrid stormed into a commanding lead at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, with Mbappe striking twice inside the opening 14 minutes.
The French forward opened the scoring from the penalty spot after being brought down by Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, before latching onto a Vinicius Junior through ball to double Madrid’s lead.
His early brace took his tally to 38 goals in all competitions this season, the highest ever by a Real Madrid player in their debut campaign.
Barcelona hit back
But Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, responded with an astonishing four-goal blitz before half-time. Eric Garcia headed home from a corner to halve the deficit in the 19th minute, and 17-year-old Lamine Yamal brought the stadium to its feet with a sublime curling strike past Thibaut Courtois.
Raphinha then turned the tide completely, first rifling in after a defensive mix-up between Mbappe and Lucas Vazquez and then finishing off Ferran Torres’ cut-back for Barca’s fourth after stealing possession in the final third.
Mbappe briefly thought he had won another penalty just before halftime, but a VAR check showed Jude Bellingham was marginally offside in the build-up.
Late drama as Mbappe completes hat-trick
Barcelona began the second half with continued dominance, though a goal from Raphinha to Yamal was ruled offside. Madrid, desperate to claw their way back, were handed a lifeline when Mbappe completed his hat-trick from close range, making him the league’s top scorer and taking his club goal total to 39.
Despite late chances from both sides, Barcelona held firm. Fermin Lopez thought he had scored a fifth, only for VAR to disallow the goal for handball in the build-up.
Barca set Clasico record
The win extends Barcelona’s lead at the top of the table to seven points with three matches remaining. They could clinch the league title with a victory over city rivals Espanyol on Thursday or if Real Madrid fail to beat Mallorca on Wednesday.
The result also means Barcelona have now won four El Clasicos in a single season, equalling their 1982/83 record.
