With the aid of 2 goals from Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, who scored 1 goal each, Real Madrid earned the point to increase the gap between them and their closest rivals, Barcelona.
The game was tight as the match kicked off, with Madrid showing more power, which led to an early penalty with Lamine Yamal found guilty of fouling Vinicius Junior, but the penalty was overturned after a careful review by VAR.
Real Madrid got the lead not long after Kylian Mbappé scored with a lethal finish past Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, making his tally of goals move to 11 goals.
The lead didn't last long as Barcelona levelled up in the 38th minute with a goal from Fermin Lopez, who got a crossed ball from Marcus Rashford, who featured in his first El Clasico match.
In the 43rd minute of the game, Jude Bellingham restored the lead by 2 goals to 1, giving los Blancos an advantage at halftime.
Barcelona entered the game with several major disadvantages. Coach Hansi Flick was suspended following a red card last weekend, so his assistant, Marcus Sorg, led the team from the touchline. Barcelona also played without several regular starters, including Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha. Lamine Yamal started but did not appear fully fit after a recent groin injury.
The young teenager had already managed to wind up the Madrid fan base in the week before the game. He had claimed that Los Blancos "steal" and "complain", and his name was met with loud jeers when it was read out before kickoff. Madrid defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni later told reporters that Yamal’s pre-match comments had actually helped to fire up the Madrid team.
“It made us a little bit more determined and helped us,” he said. “The game is played on the pitch, and we won.”
The intensity of the rivalry boiled over at the end. Playmaker Pedri was sent off just before the final whistle for his second yellow card. Immediately, a brief scuffle broke out between players from both teams' benches. The altercation continued even after the game ended, with Vinicius Jr and Yamal among the players involved in the pushing and yelling.
The vital win means Real Madrid now holds 27 points at the top of the La Liga table, pushing them five points ahead of Barcelona in second place. This is Madrid's ninth victory in their first 10 league games. Manager Xabi Alonso’s side proved they can triumph on the biggest stage, especially after their tough loss to Atletico Madrid in September.
Tchouameni summarised the feeling in the Madrid camp:
“We have to go on like this; it’s only three points, we have other points to win, and we have to step up.”
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