For the first time in Clasico history, Barcelona outscored Real Madrid by four goals in back-to-back games, defeating their arch-rivals 5-2 and winning the Supercopa de España.
Madrid took the lead in the fifth minute with a superb goal from Kylian Mbappé, with the Frenchman erasing the memory of his offside in the eighth in the 4-0 defeat to Barça in October, but Lamine Yamal added in the 22nd minute. tied the score with a great solo goal. .
Eduardo Camavinga then awarded a penalty, which Robert Lewandowski coolly converted in the 36th minute, as Carlo Ancelotti’s side collapsed. Three minutes later, Rafinha broke behind the Madrid defense and headed Jules Kounde’s perfect cross just inches into the goal. Then, in the 10th minute (yes, the 10th minute) of stoppage time in a chaotic first half, Alejandro Balde scored the fourth goal.
Things did not improve for Madrid even after the suspension. Raphinha wriggled his way and added his second goal in the 48th minute. There was further drama in the 56th minute when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off for bringing down Mbappe outside the area, and Rodrygo took a free-kick after a long wait, but the night belonged to Barça.
Here, Dermot Corrigan and Anantaajith Raguraman break down the key issues.
Mbappé clears up his frustration at Clasico
Just when Mbappé’s career at Madrid finally seemed to be taking off, it soon started to fall apart again.
Just five minutes later, Mbappe scored his first Clasico goal. Madrid quickly broke down from Barça’s corner kick, with Vinicius Junior winning a challenge from Marc Casado and setting up the Frenchman as he ran from halfway. Mbappé showed great super technique and confidence as he effortlessly backpedaled past left-back Balde and clipped the ball past Barça keeper Wojciech Szczesny to make it 1-0.
(Yaser Baksh/Getty Images)
Mbappé looked energized by the goal, and moments later he overcame challenges from Casado, Pau Kvarsi and Pedri near the halfway line. However, as he twisted his body away from Jules Kounde, he appeared to slip on the grass and the right-back inadvertently caught his left ankle. Minutes later, Mbappe attracted further attention on the pitch as his ankle was bandaged by the club’s medics. All momentum was taken away from his performance and Barça immediately began a mad dash to win the match.
It was reminiscent of when Mbappé scored another spectacular goal against Atalanta in the Champions League in December, but left the pitch soon after with a hamstring injury. Mbappé stayed on this time, ultimately resulting in a jump that resulted in Szczesny’s red card, but Madrid’s defensive breakdown has added to the frustration of Los Blancos’ recent Galactico side. His career at Madrid hasn’t quite taken off yet.
Dermot Corrigan
Yamal talks about Messi
Smart positioning to catch the first pass, slaloming inside two defenders and finishing reverse with his left foot right close to the goalkeeper. Yamal did not score very many goals this way, often preferring to score in the corner of the goal. But if viewers feel a sense of déjà vu, that’s entirely justified.
Barcelona fans have seen this before. During the famous 3-2 Clasico win against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu in 2017, Lionel Messi received a pass from Ivan Rakitic, evaded two challenges and fired the ball past Keylor Navas. He slid home, forcing his team to tie the score.
Yamal recreated that finish in exactly the same scenario, scoring the goal that gave Barça a 4-1 lead by half-time. Comparisons with Messi quickly became inevitable for Yamal, but moments like this reaffirm that they are here to stay, and this one was Messi-like in the best sense of the word.
Ananta Ajit Raghuraman
Madrid’s chaotic defense
There was room for improvement in the defense on both sides in the early stages. Neither set of forwards were pressing with the same intensity as they did in La Liga’s Clasico or Champions League top-flight night. This meant that there were often large holes between the lines in the middle of the pitch, creating general confusion and, at times, an exhibition game-like atmosphere.
Barça took advantage of the situation much better than Madrid. While the game was still in the balance, Camavinga’s extremely loose challenge on Gabi gave Lewandowski a penalty for 2-1.
From Madrid’s point of view, things were only going to get worse. There was a huge gap between makeshift centre-back Aurélien Choameny and right-back Lucas Vázquez, but Kounde’s brilliant 50-yard pass and Rafinha’s superb header exploited it.
Just before half-time, most of Madrid’s team were caught behind the ball as a short corner routine went awry and Baldé calmly finished.
Ancelotti’s team desperately tried to get back into the game after half-time, but were once again caught up. Raphinha was free again behind Choameni and had little trouble making it 5-1.
It’s embarrassing now, and Madrid had no one to blame but themselves. The team’s overall lack of intensity and concentration was punished mercilessly and gleefully as Barça built up a historic scoreline. The transfer policy, which saw Choameni and Vázquez (midfielder and winger) often play key roles in the back four, also clearly contributed to the failure.
Dermot Corrigan
What does this scoreline mean for both clubs?
This 5-2 scoreline is just the latest in a series of Clasicos that seem increasingly unrealistic and disconnected from the other matches and events around them.
Each Clásico is always a world of its own, it’s rarely boring, and there’s almost always drama and controversy whenever these two teams play.
Heading into tonight’s match, they have won five times in each of their previous 10 meetings, with Barcelona winning twice 4-0 and Madrid winning by scorelines of 4-0 and 4-1. did.
This seesaw reflects an increasingly bizarre relationship off the pitch. Madrid and Barça are historical rivals, and matches are often fiercely contested. But both clubs are becoming increasingly intertwined, given their common support for the Zombie Super League project, similar battles with La Liga and UEFA, and dependence on the same US capitalists.
Ancelotti’s side became the first in history to concede at least four goals in consecutive Clasicos (Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images)
It is significant that the Bernabéu camp did not openly criticize the intervention of the Spanish government to allow Dani Olmo to register, after La Liga and the Spanish Federation said they could not allow him to register. It seems so.
The result remains extremely embarrassing for Madrid president Florentino Pérez, especially after October’s 4-0 loss in La Liga, their worst losing streak in Clasicos in over 100 years. I’m going to do it.
Perez is less likely to be reflexively sacked these days, but Ancelotti should still be worried. A big defeat in Clasico often has consequences, but the Italian has accumulated too many of them.
Dermot Corrigan
What did Carlo Ancelotti say?
This comes after his remarks in the post-game press conference.
What did Hansi Flick say?
This comes after his remarks in the post-game press conference.
What’s next for Madrid?
Thursday, January 16th: Celta Vigo (H), Copa del Rey, 8:30pm GMT, 3:30pm ET
What’s next for Barcelona?
Thursday, January 15th: Real Betis (H), Copa del Rey, 8pm GMT, 3pm ET
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(Top photo: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
