Barcelona pulled off a dramatic 4-3 victory over Real Madrid on Sunday, overcoming a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé to move within touching distance of securing the La Liga title. The win gave the Catalan side a seven-point lead over the reigning champions, with only three matches left in the season.
Despite Mbappé’s stunning performance, including an early brace, Barcelona responded with goals from Raphinha (2), Lamine Yamal, and Eric Garcia. The result brought Hansi Flick’s team closer to clinching their first league title since 2023.
Coming off a disappointing Champions League semi-final exit against Inter Milan earlier in the week, Barcelona faced immense pressure heading into this high-stakes El Clasico. Mbappé initially looked set to bring Madrid back into the title race by earning and converting a penalty after being fouled by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, followed by a sharp finish from a Vinicius Junior pass just 14 minutes in.
However, Barcelona struck back swiftly. Eric Garcia halved the deficit with a powerful header from Ferran Torres’ corner, before Yamal curled in the equalizer. Moments later, Raphinha gave Barcelona the lead, capitalizing on a clever assist from Pedri.
Madrid’s hopes briefly reignited after Vinicius Junior assisted Mbappé for his third goal, but it wasn’t enough. Earlier, Raphinha had completed his brace after dispossessing Lucas Vazquez and combining again with Torres.
Mbappé had multiple chances to increase his tally, including a disallowed goal for offside and a close-range effort denied by Szczesny. On the other end, Barcelona also had a goal ruled out for offside and a penalty appeal waved off after VAR ruled against them.
Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted his side’s defensive frailty proved costly. “We attacked well but defended poorly. That made all the difference,” he acknowledged after the match.
Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, admitted the team had made defensive errors but was relieved by the result. “It’s not always fun from the sidelines—I suffered a lot,” he said.
Barcelona now need just one more win or a Madrid slip-up to secure the title. If Madrid fail to win against Mallorca on Wednesday, Barcelona can seal the championship the next day with a victory over Espanyol.
“We’ll finish it on Thursday,” said Ferran Torres, confident that the title is now within reach.
