Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid: Hosts clinch 4th El Clasico victory this season

Barcelona have made it a fourth successive El Clasico victory over Real Madrid with a 4-3 victory at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic.

Match Report

Barcelona are closing in on winning LaLiga after a thrilling 4-3 victory over Real Madrid, despite Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick in a topsy-turvy Clasico. 

Licking their wounds following a heartbreaking Champions League defeat to Inter in midweek, Barca found themselves 2-0 down inside 14 minutes at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday.

Mbappe's early double made him the highest-scoring Madrid goalscorer in their debut season with the club, yet Barca surged back to take a 4-2 lead courtesy of Eric Garcia, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

With Mbappe's hat-trick goal putting Madrid back in contention, substitute Victor Munoz fluffed his lines 70 seconds after coming on with a golden chance.

Birthday boy Fermin Lopez thought he had capped off a remarkable win with a stunning solo effort, but it was disallowed for offside.

Barca, though, are now seven points clear at the summit, and within one win of the title.

The chaos started in the third minute – Wojciech Szczesny felled Mbappe after Pau Cubarsi's rushed clearance had put the Madrid forward through, with the penalty standing after a VAR check.

Mbappe made no mistake with a drilled finish into the bottom-left corner, and it was a similar story when the France star raced onto Vinicius Junior's throughball and coolly slotted home.

Barca were furious that the goal was allowed to stand, claiming Yamal had been fouled in the build-up, but the Blaugrana translated that frustration into an incredible fightback.

Thibaut Courtois kept out a stunning long-range drive from Gerard Martin, but Garcia popped up to head in from the resulting corner.

Yamal's exquisite first-time finish restored parity, and Barca had the lead two minutes later when Pedri fed Raphinha, who arrowed in beyond Courtois.

Mbappe seemed to have won another penalty when he took a tumble under Frenkie de Jong's challenge, only for it to be overturned due to offside.

Moments later, it was 4-2 - Raphinha robbing Lucas Vazquez, combining with Ferran Torres and side-footing in from close range.

Mbappe and Yamal saw goals disallowed either side of half-time, before the former completed his hat-trick in the 70th minute, tapping home at the end of a sweeping counter-attack.

Barca were unhappy when referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez did not change his mind on a potential handball by Aurelien Tchouameni, having consulted the pitchside monitor after waving away the initial penalty appeals.

Munoz should have made Madrid's fortune count, yet blazed over with just Szczesny to beat.

Mbappe turned in from an offside position in stoppage time, prior to Lopez seeing a sublime goal ruled out, as an incredible Clasico finished off in fittingly dramatic fashion.

Four-midable Barca on the brink

Hansi Flick was kicking every ball down on the touchline, and he knows the importance of this victory over Barca's arch rivals.

The German has now won each of his first four Clasicos. Of all coaches in the history of the fixture, only Pep Guardiola (five between 2008 and 2010) has previously guided Barca to at least four straight wins over Madrid.

After the 4-3 loss to Inter on Tuesday, Flick vowed that Barca would not change their approach. It was befitting, then, that they won this game by the same scoreline.

They had to do it the hard way, but their rampant attack has been the best in Europe this season, and against a ramshackle Madrid defence, the Blaugrana's superstars had a field day, even though Robert Lewandowski, still hunting for his 100th Barca goal, did not get on the pitch.

Ferran finished with three assists, while Raphinha has been involved in seven goals in four matches against Madrid this season (five goals and two assists). Only Lionel Messi (eight in 2011-12) has contributed to more goals for Barca in Clasicos in a single season this century.

Barca had 23 shots and finished with a whopping 4.16 expected goals (xG). With six goals having been scored by half-time, this was the Clasico with the joint-second-most first-half goals, alongside encounters in February 1935 and January 1943. 

But that is part of Barca's brilliance. Sure, they give teams a chance, but in attack, they are sensational.

They have equalled their best ever season in terms of Clasico wins (four, alongside 1982-83), and are unbeaten in 16 LaLiga matches.

Barca will be worthy champions, now it is just a case of getting over the line.

Mbappe magic not enough

Mbappe has at times been maligned this season, and it is fair to say that his presence has seemingly disrupted the brutally efficient team that Carlo Ancelotti assembled last season.

Yet on an individual level, Mbappe has shone, and he has now netted 39 times in all competitions this term.

That is a record for a Madrid player in their debut season at the club, with Mbappe overtaking Ivan Zamorano, who scored 37 goals in his first campaign with Los Blancos in 1992-93.

He became the third player to score a Clasico hat-trick in the 21st century, after Lionel Messi (twice) and Luis Suarez, and the first to do so for Madrid in the fixture since Zamorano in January 1995.

But it was not enough for Madrid, whose defensive fragility cost them, even if their 2.66 xG from just nine shots shows they created quality opportunities (albeit one of those was a penalty).

If speculation is to be believed, there will be an announcement coming soon about Ancelotti's future at the club. He is expected to depart, making way for Xabi Alonso, who has confirmed he will be leaving Bayer Leverkusen.

Ancelotti will leave Madrid with 15 trophies under his belt, but he never did like facing Barca.

Indeed, across his illustrious career, Ancelotti has faced Barca 26 times, losing 13 of those matches, which is more defeats than he has suffered against any other team.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

0' Pedri presentes with the Player of the Month trophy before the match began

0' Match Event for Barcelona vs Real Madrid

0' Match Event for Barcelona vs Real Madrid

1' Highlight from Barcelona vs Real Madrid

5' Penalty! Mbappe nets from spot after Szczesny's foul! Barcelona 0-1 Real Madrid

7' Garcia goes for goal from a tight angle and Courtois pushes it behind

10' Mbappe is driving at speed towards the Barcelona defence but De Jong intercepts

10' Ferran Torres is sent though on goal but Asencio makes a sliding interception

13' Martin puts a cross in to a dangerous position but Ferran couldn't slide in

13' Highlight from Barcelona vs Real Madrid

14' GOAL! Mbappe doubles the lead from Vinicius' assist! Barcelona 0-2 Real Madrid

16' Yamal shoots from the edge of the box and Courtois pushes it behind

18' What a save from Courtois! Martin lets fly from 30 yards and it's blocked

19' GOAL! Eric Garcia heads home from Torres' corner! Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid

22' Match Event for Barcelona vs Real Madrid

24' Yamal gets a shot away but it is very tame and Thibaut Courtois collects

26' Raphinha floats in towards the back post but it is cleared behind for a corner

29' Yamal is fouled by Valverde who is shown the first yellow card of the game

32' GOAL! Yamal cuts inside and curls in to equalize! Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid

34' WHAT A MATCH! Raphinha scores to turn it around! Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid

36' Tchouameni goes into the book for a foul on Torres and he will miss next game

40' Vinicius is sent through on goal but it bounces into the arms of Szczesny

42' Yamal puts a brilliant cross right on to the head of Raphinha who heads it over

43' Replays show that Mbappe wasn't touched by De Jong and it's offside already

45' GOAL! Torres finds Raphinha, who slots it home! Barcelona 4-2 Real Madrid

45' Valverde is down after his right knee gave way but he is fine to continue

45' Luka Modric and Brahim Diaz come on to replace Guler and Ceballos

47' Match Event for Barcelona vs Real Madrid

49' Raphinha is down after he was caught by Lucas Vazquez

52' Raphinha squares it to Yamal who slots home but the offside flag has raised

53' Mbappe is sent through on goal and slots into the bottom... but he is offside

54' Inigo Martinez and Raul Asencio are booked

55' Mbappe has another chance to complete his hat-trick but he curls it just wide

57' Balde and Andreas Christensen replace Martin and Pau Cubarsi

58' Highlight from Barcelona vs Real Madrid

67' Match Event for Barcelona vs Real Madrid

70' Vinicius passes to Mbappe who completes hat-trick! Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid

72' Lamine Yamal shoots low and hard and Thibaut Courtois saves it

74' What a miss! Raphinha has the perfect opportunity but nets it over the bar

74' Match Event for Barcelona vs Real Madrid

78' Hector Fort and Fermin Lopez come on to replace Garcia and Dani Olmo

79' Lamine Yamal cuts inside and shoots but it is blocked

82' The ball hits the arm of Tchouameni in the box but the referee says no penalty

83' Endrick comes on with Lucas Vazquez making way

85' Vinicius latches on to a ball but his shot is easily saved by Szczesny

87' Highlight from Barcelona vs Real Madrid

88' Highlight from Barcelona vs Real Madrid

90' Match Event for Barcelona vs Real Madrid

92' Modric takes the corner which Mbappe turns in but he is clearly offside

Line-ups

Barcelona XI: Szczesny, I. Martinez, Olmo, De Jong, Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Eric Garcia, Pedri, Yamal, Gerard Martín, Cubarsi

Subs: Lewandowski, Ter Stegen, Christensen, Pena, Araujo, Fati, Balde, Casado, Pau Víctor, Gavi, Fermín López, Héctor Fort

Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Vazquez, Ceballos, Mbappe, Valverde, Fran García, Tchouameni, Vinicius, Bellingham, Güler, Raúl Asencio

Subs: Modric, Vallejo, Brahim, Lunin, Rodrygo, Víctor Muñoz, Endrick, Youssef Enríquez, Jacobo Ramón, Sergio Mestre