Barcelona claimed a dramatic 4-3 victory over Real Madrid in El Clasico, part of matchday 35 of the league season.
Real Madrid got off to a strong start as the visiting side, scoring in just the 5th minute. Referee Hernandez Hernandez awarded a penalty following a foul by Wojciech Szczesny on Kylian Mbappe, after an earlier mistake by Pau Cubarsi.
Mbappe was clinical from the spot, giving Madrid a 1-0 lead.
In the 14th minute, Mbappe struck again, capitalizing on a great pass to score his second goal and make it 2-0, leading many to think the Royals had the game in hand.
But Barcelona quickly responded. In the 19th minute, Eric Garcia scored to bring it back to 2-1.
Then, in the 32nd minute, Lamine Yamal leveled the score with a beautiful goal to make it 2-2.
Barcelona continued to press, overwhelming Real Madrid’s defense. Just two minutes later, in the 34th minute, Raphinha scored from a Pedri assist to give Barcelona a 3-2 lead.
The Catalans kept the momentum, and before halftime, Raphinha scored again, this time assisted by Ferran Torres, extending the lead to 4-2.
The second half featured fewer chances and goals.
In the 70th minute, Real Madrid pulled one back as Vinicius Junior assisted Mbappe, who completed his hat-trick with a goal to make it 4-3.
Although both teams had chances and had one goal each disallowed in the final minutes, the scoreline remained unchanged.
Barcelona’s victory puts them in a strong position for the league title. They now lead the table with 85 points, while Real Madrid sits second with 75.
