Kylian Mbappé Gives Real Madrid the Lead in the 22nd Minute with a Low Shot

In a crazy football night at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Real Madrid snatched a thrilling 2-1 victory over rivals Barcelona in El Clásico, held on Sunday evening as part of the 10th round of La Liga.

This hard-fought win not only gave “Los Blancos” the three points but also strengthened their lead at the top of the standings by five points over their direct rival.

The match, witnessed by 78,107 spectators, was a new chapter of excitement but was not without controversy, including an incident involving Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior.

First Half: Exchange of Attacks and Real Madrid’s Experience Shows

The referee César Soto Grado blew the whistle for the 262nd meeting between the two sides amid charged atmospheres. Real Madrid fans greeted Barcelona players with boos, while the home team received cheering support.

Shocking and Controversial Start: The opening minutes were highly dramatic. After a bold Barcelona attempt through Rashford, the referee initially awarded a penalty to Real Madrid in the 2nd minute following a challenge by De Jong on Vinícius. However, after a VAR review, the penalty was overturned and a free kick was given to Barcelona, intensifying early tension.

Barcelona Dominates Possession, Mbappé Scores: By the 20th minute, statistics showed Barcelona with 79% possession versus 21% for Madrid, yet Real Madrid was more effective.

Kylian Mbappé gave Real Madrid the lead in the 22nd minute with a low shot that beat goalkeeper Szczęsny. Barcelona responded in the 38th minute, capitalizing on a catastrophic error by Guler, with the ball reaching López, who calmly scored to equalize 1-1.

Barcelona’s joy was short-lived, as Jude Bellingham scored in the 43rd minute, giving Real Madrid a 2-1 lead before halftime.

Mbappé had also scored in the 45th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside, confirming Real Madrid’s dominance in the attacking rhythm (12 shots for Madrid vs. 7 for Barcelona in the first half).

Second Half: Penalty Drama and Vinícius Controversy

Barcelona hoped to equalize, especially after tactical adjustments were expected, with assistant coach Sorg considering substitutions to strengthen midfield and defense.

Missed Penalty Drama: In the 51st minute, the referee awarded Real Madrid a penalty for a handball by Eric García. Mbappé stepped up but Szczęsny brilliantly saved the shot, preserving Barcelona’s one-goal deficit.

Immediately after, López missed a chance to equalize in the 53rd minute, with a shot from the edge of the box saved by Courtois, showing the back-and-forth nature of the match.

Vinícius Controversy: In the 72nd minute, a dramatic moment occurred when coach Alonso substituted Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior, who had earlier missed a shot. Vinícius protested the decision, walking straight to the locker room instead of the bench, highlighting clear tension between player and coach—a situation that may have future consequences.

Ibrahim Díaz replaced him and nearly made an impact, with a cross that Bellingham scored from, but the goal was disallowed for offside in the 70th minute.

Closing Minutes and Victory

In the final ten minutes, Barcelona dominated possession (65%), while Real Madrid retreated to defend their lead.

In the 80th minute, Mbappé launched a quick counterattack, ending with a strong shot blocked by Araújo, followed by a corner kick by Chouameni. Despite Barcelona’s pressure, the match ended in Real Madrid’s favor, 2-1.

During stoppage time, Barcelona’s Pedri was sent off.

With this victory, Real Madrid extended their lead to five points over Barcelona, proving that the Clásico comeback was enough to give them an edge in the La Liga title race.