Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in a fiery El Clásico. With the roof closed and the crowd electric, Madrid showed more control and sharpness, while Barcelona struggled with injuries and their Press being very ineffective despite a brief comeback. Lamine Yamal comments before the game lit up the El Clásico but Barcelona failed to play their best game tonight, while Real Madrid played a top top game.. Before coming into the game, there were doubts that if Xabi Alonso lost the Clásico, his project would come into question, as he had not won a big game yet as a Real Madrid Manager, but Xabi Alonso’s team delivered in style
Match Timeline (Key Moments)
- 22’ — Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona: Mbappé scored after a perfect through-ball from Bellingham.
- 38’ — Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona: Fermín López equalized with a close-range finish.
- 42’ — Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona: Bellingham made it 2-1 after following up a rebound.
- 90+10’ — Pedri Red Card: Barcelona went down to 10 men after Pedri received a second yellow.
Barcelona’s Problems
Barcelona’s situation went from bad to worse as the match went on. They ended with three different center-back pairings in the beginning; it was Eric Garcia and Cubarsi. Then later in the match it switched to Araujo and Cubarsi then in the dieing minutes it switched to Casado and Frenkie De Jong. Yes, you heard that right, showing how unstable the team is.
Their pressing was also weak. As Zeeshan aka Talk Football HD said in his live stream, “Barcelona didn’t press well, they were not taking on players, They Failed to keep the ball, They Failed to counterattack, Real Madrid wanted Barcelona to play their game while Madrid sit back because they knew Barca would lose the ball because they couldn’t string 3 passes properly.” Madrid were allowed too much space, especially Mbappé, Vini, and Bellingham.
Overall, Madrid looked organized, while Barcelona looked disjointed and desperate, needing serious tactical fixes and squad stability.
Conclusion
With this win, Real Madrid moves 5 points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga. Xabi Alonso’s Madrid looked disciplined, organized, and fully in control, a clear sign that the “Xabi-ball” era has truly begun.
On the other hand, Barcelona faces big concerns. If they want to compete for any trophies this season, they must urgently fix their pressing intensity and defensive organisation. If things don’t change quickly, serious questions will be asked of Hansi Flick and his system.
