ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI STRUCK twice in three minutes as Barcelona crushed rivals Real Madrid 4-0, inflicting the Spanish champions’ first La Liga defeat in over a year.
Teenage winger Lamine Yamal and Raphinha completed the rout, while Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe had two goals ruled out for offside on a frustrating first Clasico appearance for Los Blancos, who now trail league leaders Barcelona by six points.
France captain Mbappe was consistently outwitted by the visitors’ high defensive line to the chagrin of the exasperated Santiago Bernabeu crowd, whose mood darkened as Barcelona hit four second half goals.
What a finish from Lamine Yamal for his first goal in ElClásico!! 😱😱
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) October 26, 2024
An incredible night for Barcelona and the Bernabeu is stunned 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/zJIcQUd0iQ
Barcelona snapped Madrid’s 42-match unbeaten streak in La Liga, one game short of the Catalan giants’ all-time record, adding further shine to their triumph.
Hansi Flick has whipped Barcelona into shape in just a matter of months and in ending a run of four Clasico defeats, his young side made a statement victory to show how far they have come.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti opted for more muscle in midfield by selecting Eduardo Camavinga over Luka Modric, with his team’s game-plan clear — defend in numbers and try to spring Mbappe or Vinicius with a long ball into the space behind Barcelona’s high defensive line.
It led to an intense but repetitive first half, with Barcelona’s defence catching Madrid offside on eight occasions.
Mbappe hit the side-netting and lobbed over but was offside on both occasions, while Jude Bellingham forced a superb save from Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena, but it would also have been disallowed for offside.
At the other end Barcelona’s teenage star Yamal sent a soft effort at Andriy Lunin when put through on goal by a superb Lewandowski flick.
Raphinha fired over and Lunin also saved from the Brazilian winger, but Barcelona were not playing with the fluidity they have demonstrated in recent weeks, culminating in the impressive 4-1 Champions League win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Mbappe thought he had broken the deadlock when he got in behind and produced a fine dinked finish over Pena, but yet again the forward was marginally offside and his celebration was cut short.
Despite the feeling they were constantly menacing Barcelona, Madrid only produced one legal shot in the first half, with Vinicius dragging into the side-netting when he tried to catch Pena out at the near post.
Eager for more control Flick replaced Fermin Lopez with Frenkie de Jong at half-time and Barcelona soon took the lead.
Casado slipped Lewandowski through and with Madrid defender Ferland Mendy a step behind his team-mates, the Pole was onside.
The 36-year-old slotted low past Lunin to silence the Bernabeu, and two minutes later he pounced again.
Lewandowski headed home Alejandro Balde’s cross to double Barcelona’s advantage and net his 14th league goal in 11 games, continuing his stunning revival under Flick afer struggling last season.
Mbappe had a second goal ruled out for offside as Madrid struggled to find a way back in and Pena kept out a low stinging effort from the former Paris Saint-Germain forward.
Lewandowski spurned two golden chances to complete his hat-trick, shooting against the post from Raphinha’s lay-off and then blazing over after good work by Yamal.
Spain’s Euro 2024 star Yamal plundered Barcelona’s third by rifling home after the surging Raphinha teed him up, with Flick celebrating jubilantly in the dugout.
Raphinha completed the rout with a lob over Lunin to leave the Bernabeu reeling.
Liverpool are done. Milner, Henderson and Firmino are too old. Mane and Wijnaldum, two of their most consistent players, allowed to leave. Their replacements Thiago and Keith spend more time on the bench than on the pitch. Van Dijk is a good centre halve but his poor form is highlighting the lack of a decent partner for him. As for Salah? He looks like he has one eye on a move out of Anfield. Klopp will need a miracle to turn things around there.
@John Fagan: and the whole squad is burned out as a side affect of klopps high intensity style , same thing happened at dortmund.
@John Fagan: yeah the new guy Keith is really struggling in Manes old position. Good take.
@John Fagan: Didn’t Salah just sign a new contract at Liverpool over the summer? “Too old” Firmino who scored a brace and 3 assists just two weeks ago? Van Dijk’s main CB partner, Matip, is just back from injury. Mane wanted to leave but they signed Diaz who has been pretty prolific so far and Nunez so I’m not sure things are as bleak as you’re saying – and I’m not a Liverpool fan even
@John Fagan: we’ll see come the end of the season just how ‘done’ we are.
@Cathal Jenkinson: first of all Firminos brace and assists were against Bournemouth in a 9-0 hammering. Salah will come good, he’s too good of a player not too. In relation to VVD again he has, for some obvious and some less obvious reasons, been poor but should improve. It’s Midfield and using the high line where pool struggle. Thiago and Keita are injury prone and Henderson getting on. I think they’ll still get too 4 and get out of the group in the CL but that’s about it.
@Damien Leen: indeed we will
@John Fagan: as they where done 2 years ago. It’s great insights you find from opposing supporters.
@Gareth Keenan: Very harsh on Keith.
@Getard Lanslanger: I thought so too!
There’s no doubt Liverpool will bounce back. But the bar they set for themselves was incredible. It was almost 110% in 9 games out of 10. They’ll come back again but can’t see them getting close to city this year. Genuinely think there’s a good race on for 2nd across all the rest. Liverpool favourites but other teams now raising the bar themselves at the right time.
Liverpool s problems were evident long before Napoli game , and if you keep persisting doing the same thing and look for better then it’s called delusion . Keita is injured and all of a sudden he is fit for his country , something in the off field department needs sorting first imo .The high line is great if your mid field first does it’s job and I will include firmino in that department because he drops to bolster it , and the space that this leaves when people don’t work is obvious to all .
Always thought a manager’s job(generic, not just football) was to understand the scope, scale and changing nature of the environment within which they operate and adjust appropriately BEFORE the sh!t hits the fan.
Only a verbal agreement for potter at Chelsea , time to klippity klop down the road to london!!