Barcelona came back from two goals behind to beat archrivals Real Madrid 4-3 in a dramatic El Clasico, despite Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick.
Mbappe scored twice in 14 minutes at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, first from the penalty spot after being hauled down by Barcelona keeper Wojciech Szczesny and then smoothly finishing a Vinicius Junior pass.
Barcelona replied with an amazing first-half turnaround. Eric Garcia’s 19th-minute header from a corner halved the lead before 17-year-old Lamine Yamal’s spectacular equalizer.
Raphinha scored after Mbappe and Lucas Vazquez collided under pressure, giving the hosts the lead. Also, Raphinha extended his lead before halftime by finishing Ferran Torres’ cut-back after dispossessing Vazquez.
Raphinha had a goal disallowed for offside in the second half, and Mbappe completed his hat-trick with 20 minutes left, leaving him with 39 goals in all competitions, a record for a Real Madrid debutant.
Fermin Lopez of Barcelona thought he had scored a fifth, but VAR ruled it off for a handball. Barca shrugged off late pressure from Madrid, including a close-range shot by youthful substitute Victor Munoz and a low stop by Szczesny to deny Mbappe again.
Hansi Flick’s team, unchanged from their midweek Champions League semi-final loss to Inter Milan, looked tired early on but showed great spirit to win and extend their advantage at the top to seven points with three matches left.
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal stressed the importance of their latest league triumph after their Champions League run.
After the match, he said, “Winning today was crucial. This game following the Champions League is excellent; I suppose it’s forgotten “Yamal.
“Suffering strengthens and teaches you to fix faults. They had no clear-cut chances other than the goals “continuing.
We needed to win today to get closer to the league crown. We’re thrilled ” he said.
Barcelona has beaten Real Madrid in all four matches this season—La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup final, and the Copa del Rey final—matching a record set in 1982-83.
Madrid has conceded 16 goals in four Clasicos, illustrating their defensive difficulties and Barcelona’s revival.
For the unfamiliar, Barca can win La Liga by beating local rivals Espanyol on Thursday or if Real Madrid loses to Mallorca on Wednesday.
