Barcelona took an enormous step Sunday to securing the Spanish league title with a 4-3 win over Real Madrid — despite Kylian Mbappé’s hat trick in a mesmerizing “clasico” — and opened a seven-point lead over its second-placed rival with three matches remaining.
Raphinha scored twice, and Lamine Yamal and Eric García added a purpose every for Barcelona, which trailed 2-0 after Mbappé scored within the fifth and 14th minutes at Montjuic stadium. The hosts evened the match simply over the half-hour mark, and went on to lead 4-2 at halftime in a sensational restoration.
Mbappé accomplished his hat trick within the seventieth however Madrid wasn’t ready to come again in a possible deadly blow to its hopes of efficiently defending its title.
Mbappé grew to become the league’s main scorer with 27 targets, two greater than Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, who didn’t begin on Sunday.
Another Barcelona thriller
It was one other thrilling match involving Barcelona, which on Tuesday was eradicated by Inter Milan in further time within the semifinals of the Champions League. Barcelona misplaced to the Italians 7-6 on combination.
The Catalan membership has gained each match in opposition to Madrid this season. It had already gained 4-0 on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium within the first league match in October, 5-2 within the Spanish Super Cup last in January, and 3-2 within the Copa del Rey last final month.
The outcome, which just about ends Madrid’s hopes of ending the season with a title, provides strain on coach Carlo Ancelotti, who’s rumoured to be leaving the membership to take over Brazi’s nationwide crew. Former Madrid participant Xabi Alonso, who lately introduced he’s leaving Bayer Leverkusen, is broadly anticipated to be Madrid’s subsequent coach.
Needing to win to get again into the title race, Madrid acquired off to an important begin earlier than Barcelona responded.
García began Barcelona’s comeback with a header off a nook kick within the nineteenth, Yamal equalised with a curling shot into the far nook within the thirty second, and Raphinha scored within the thirty fourth and forty fifth minutes for Barcelona to lead 4-2 at halftime in a surprising turnaround.
It was a mistake by Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí that had led to the early penalty transformed by Mbappé within the first Madrid purpose, and Mbappé added one other purpose in a breakaway to give the guests a 2-0 lead.
Both groups had targets disallowed within the last minutes.
Barcelona is unbeaten in 16 straight league matches, with its final loss coming in opposition to Atletico Madrid late final yr.
Madrid, eradicated by Arsenal within the quarterfinals of the Champions League, had gained 4 in a row within the league.
Published – May 12, 2025 04:07 am IST
