Real Madrid suffered their first La Liga defeat in more than a year with a humiliating defeat in El Clásico, with Barcelona running out 4-0 winners at the Santiago Bernabéu.
England midfielder Jude Bellingham was guilty of passing up one of Real’s better opportunities as the European champions were blown away in the second half with two goals from Robert Lewandowski and further strikes from Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
It was a contrast of emotions for Bellingham from last season, when he scored the last-gasp winner in the fixture and also scored twice in a 2-1 win at Camp Nou.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team would also rue Kylian Mbappe’s strike being ruled out for offside when the match was goalless. “Had Mbape scored the first chances, maybe the game would have changed,” said Aitor Karanka, former Real Madrid centre-back and Middlesbrough manager on La Liga TV.
As a result of the win, Barca moved six points clear at the top of La Liga while Real fell one short of matching their rival’s record 43-game unbeaten run. “Let’s go and win La Liga, we go for it now,” said Yamal, 17, after the final whistle.
It caps a remarkable week for Barcelona, who also put four goals past Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday. “Viva la vida!” read the headline on Barca’s official website, in reference to Coldplay’s logo on their shirts as part of their partnership with Spotify.
“A Sky Full of Stars. Paradise. Magic … Barça had Coldplay on their shirts this evening, and so many of their song titles can describe the way Barça fans are feeling right now. A Head Full of Dreams. Viva la Vida!” read their match report.
Real’s previous defeat in La Liga was September 2023 when they were beaten by city rivals Atletico Madrid, but they have since won the title and Champions League.