Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona: Mbappe and Bellingham secure Clasico win against champions

There were three goals, three more disallowed, a missed penalty, an overturned penalty, a red card and a touchline scuffle as Real Madrid edged out Barcelona in a chaotic El Clasico to move five points clear at the top of La Liga.

The hosts were deserving winners after a sparkling display to register their first victory over their arch rivals since April 2024.

Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham were the goalscorers for Madrid either side of a Fermin Lopez leveller. Mbappe had two goals chalked off and missed from the spot while Bellingham was also denied a strike by VAR on an afternoon that could have been much worse for defending champions Barcelona.

The visitors’ misery was compounded by the late dismissal of midfielder Pedri after he received a second yellow card for a challenge that prompted unsavoury scenes on the touchline.

The only blot on an otherwise fine display from the hosts was Vinicius Jr’s petulant reaction to being taken off in the second half with the winger making clear his displeasure and storming down the tunnel before later returning to sit on the bench.

Let-off for Yamal

The game exploded into life inside two minutes with Barcelona a touch fortunate not to find themselves in deep trouble early on.

Referee Cesar Soto Grado initially ruled Barca winger Lamine Yamal had tripped Vinicius Jr inside the area and pointed to the spot. The VAR Iglesias Villanueva intervened and requested the official look again at the incident on the pitchside monitor. When he did he overturned his decision with Vinicius deemed to have kicked the back of Yamal’s foot.

The visitors rode their luck once again after 12 minutes. Lopez gave up possession after a poor ball from Frenkie de Jong and Mbappe latched on to it and fired a shot past Wojciech Szczesny. Again the Santiago Bernabéu erupted but, again, VAR intervened, and the goal was ruled out for an offside against the France captain.

It seemed the dam had to break and it eventually did nine minutes later.

Bellingham was the architect with a nice turn and pass into Mbappe and the striker made no mistake with a crisp finish under Szczesny.

The goal will raise more questions about Barca’s high line with coach Hansi Flick unable to make adjustments from the touchline due to his one-game ban after being sent off against Girona last weekend.

His team were struggling to string passes together and both Federico Valverde and Bellingham fired long range efforts off target. Szczesny also had to get down well to turn an Mbappe shot behind for a corner.

Barca finally broke the shackles but Ferran Torres, starting up front in the absence of the injured Robert Lewandowski, could only prod a weak shot straight at Thibaut Courtois.

Lopez drags Barca level

Lopez was more clinical after 38 minutes as Barca finally made some inroads in attack.

Marcus Rashford was involved with a whipped cross from out wide and Lopez, who scored a hat-trick in the midweek win over Olympiacos in the Champions League, was on hand to turn the ball past Courtois.

The momentum was suddenly with the visitors and Madrid had to scramble the ball away from their goalline after Lopez had turned the ball on target from a Rashford corner.

But Madrid regained control and restored their lead two minutes before half-time.

Vinicius Jr’s cross was nodded back by Eder Militao and Bellingham was on hand to tap home.

Mbappe had another goal disallowed when clearly standing in an offside position while he wasted a gilt-edged opportunity to make it 3-1 seven minutes into the second half.

Eric García was harshly penalised in the area, the ball ricocheting on to his hand but Soto Grado deemed it was a spot-kick after consultation with the VAR. 

Mbappe stepped up but his powerful effort was brilliantly saved by Szczesny diving away to his right.

Barca unable to find second equaliser

Lopez took the wrong option by shooting instead of trying to pick out either Rashford or Torres while Militao also dallied on the ball when he found himself in the clear at the other end.

Bellingham had another goal rightly ruled out for offside before Mbappe fired straight at Szczesny after being played in by Aurelian Tchouameni.

Mbappe shot wide when well placed as Madrid sought a match-clinching third while Barca fluffed their best chance of an equaliser with a minute to go.

Yamal had a quiet afternoon but showed a flash of genius with a lofted pass in for Jules Kounde but the right-back made a mess of his control and the chance was lost.

Their frustration boiled over with Pedri lunging into Tchouameni in the final minute of injury time and he was dismissed.