Madrid's Clasico Triumph: 2-1 Thriller Sealed at the Bernabéu

Match events

Real Madrid earned a precious 2-1 win over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu, a Clasico that saw Dani Carvajal celebrate his 200th La Liga win, coming on as a late substitute for Federico Valverde.

Carvajal spoke about the victory: "We earned a deserved win, and the result perhaps underrates what we produced on the pitch. It was a key match against a direct rival, and today we leave with a great feeling and three important points in our run."

The Whites’ captain also praised the collective defensive performance: "We played a great game without the ball, reading moments of pressure and the timing of our retreat. The team suffered a bit, but we didn’t give them real chances. Winning the Clasico as Real Madrid captain at our home is an indescribable feeling, but we are realistic: three points and we hope they prove decisive at the end of the season."

Match events

The match opened at a rapid tempo, with the first dangerous chance in the opening minute through a powerful shot by Marcus Rashford, but Brazilian defender Eder Militao intervened at the last moment to turn the ball for a corner, denying an early Barcelona goal.

In the third minute, the referee awarded a penalty to Real Madrid after contact between Lamine Yamal and Vinícius Júnior inside the area, before VAR overturned the decision in the fifth minute, ruling that the Barcelona player played the ball first.

Barcelona continued to press in the following minutes, while Real Madrid asserted themselves with an initial goal by Kylian Mbappé in the 11th minute, but VAR intervened again to rule it offside.

Real Madrid did not retreat, and in the 22nd minute they took the lead through Mbappé, who benefited from a precise pass from Jude Bellingham, beating the goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny to put Madrid ahead.

Opportunities continued after the goal; Madrid came close to adding a second through Valverde and Bellingham, then a dangerous header saved by Szczęsny in the 29th.

In the 38th minute Barcelona equalised through Fermin López, who benefited from a superb pass from Marcus Rashford inside the box to score for the Catalan side.

Madrid quickly responded, with Bellingham scoring the second in the 43rd minute after a run down the left by Vinícius Júnior and a cross that Militao headed to the Englishman.

The first half ended with Madrid leading 2-1.

At the start of the second half, Barcelona pressed again as Fermin López threatened Madrid’s goal in the 46th minute with a venomous shot, but Thibaut Courtois was equal to it.

In the 48th minute controversy resurfaced as Real Madrid players argued for a handball by Eric García; the referee consulted VAR and awarded a penalty to Madrid in the 50th minute.

Mbappé took the kick in the 51st, but Wojciech Szczęsny produced a brilliant save to deny Madrid a bigger cushion, keeping Barça in the game.

Barça’s reply came quickly through Fermin López again in the 52nd on a dangerous counter, but Courtois saved, with further attempts in the 57th from a cross that failed to convert.

Despite Barcelona’s pressure, Madrid looked to counterattack; Frenkie de Jong made a crucial intervention in the 58th to stop a dangerous moment after a defensive lapse by Alejandro Balde.

In the 62nd minute Aurélien Tchouaméni intervened to stop a charge by Eric García, before a moment in the 68th when Madrid’s third goal by Jude Bellingham was ruled out for offside on Ibrahim Díaz at the start of the move.

On the other hand, Baou Koparci headed wide in the 70th as Barcelona pushed to draw level.

Then in the 72nd minute Xabi Alonso withdrew Vinícius Júnior and brought Rodrygo on; the Brazilian trudged off in frustration toward the locker room as the shake-up drew attention to Madrid’s internal tensions.

Mbappé nearly grabbed a third with a rocket in the 88th, but it skimmed the outside of the post.

And Barcelona’s clearest chance of the second half came in the 89th when Kondei headed a cross from Yamal straight at Courtois; Pedri later clipped Chouaméni on the ankle in stoppage time, earning a yellow, and the game ended with Real Madrid securing the three points.

Punchline 1: If this Clasico were a meal, it came with spicy drama, a side of VAR and a dessert named “three points” for Madrid.

Punchline 2: I told my wallet to calm down—after a match like this, even it needs a nap and a hug from the referee.