Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Barcelona dominated rivals Real Madrid, securing a 4-0 victory on Saturday and handing the reigning Spanish champions their first La Liga defeat in over a year.
Teenage winger Lamine Yamal and Raphinha also found the net, while Real’s star Kylian Mbappe had two goals disallowed for offside in a disappointing first Clasico outing for him. Madrid now trails league leaders Barcelona by six points.
Mbappe struggled to break through Barcelona’s high defensive line, frustrating the Santiago Bernabeu crowd as Barcelona netted four goals in the second half.
The win ended Madrid’s impressive 42-match unbeaten streak in La Liga, just shy of Barcelona’s all-time record.
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Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona has transformed quickly, marking a significant turnaround after suffering four consecutive Clasico defeats. This victory showcased their progress.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti opted for a more physical midfield, starting Eduardo Camavinga in place of Luka Modric.
His strategy aimed to defend robustly and capitalize on long balls to Mbappe and Vinicius, leading to an intense but repetitive first half where Madrid was caught offside eight times.
Mbappe had a couple of near misses, hitting the side-netting and lobbing over, but both were ruled offside.
Jude Bellingham tested Barcelona goalkeeper Iñaki Peña with a fantastic shot, which would also have been disallowed.
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Barcelona struggled for fluidity in the first half, with Yamal sending a soft shot at Andriy Lunin and Raphinha failing to find the target.
Despite the pressure, Madrid managed only one legitimate shot in the first half, with Vinicius dragging a close attempt into the side-netting.
After the break, Flick brought on Frenkie de Jong for more control, and Barcelona soon took the lead.
Lewandowski was played through by Casado, finishing low past Lunin to silence the Bernabeu.
Just two minutes later, he doubled the lead with a header from Alejandro Balde’s cross, marking his 14th league goal in 11 matches—a testament to his revival under Flick.
Mbappe had another goal ruled out as Madrid struggled to respond, with Peña saving a low shot from the Frenchman.
Lewandowski missed a couple of chances for a hat-trick, hitting the post and then shooting over after Yamal’s assist.
Yamal then scored Barcelona’s third, firing home after a setup from Raphinha, prompting jubilant celebrations from Flick.
Raphinha capped off the rout with a lob over Lunin, leaving the Bernabeu stunned
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