Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid: Catalans all but seal LaLiga title despite Kylian Mbappe hat-trick in thrilling El Clasico

At the commencement of this season, the Barcelona hierarchy had marked this fixture for a expansive homecoming to the Nou Camp aft astir 2 years of renovations.

As it is, the upgraded Nou Camp - with a 105,000 capableness that volition marque it the largest stadium successful Europe - isn’t implicit yet but erstwhile Hansi Flick’s broadside bash yet marque the determination adjacent season, they volition person small occupation selling that retired if they transportation connected similar this.

With 167 goals this season, comfortably much than immoderate different squad successful Europe’s apical 5 leagues, they are undoubtedly 1 of the hottest tickets connected the continent.

Barcelona collaborated with Travis Scott and Spotify to make a peculiar kit for this crippled but frankly, this is simply a broadside whose shot delivers much than capable entertainment.

Here connected a gorgeous outpouring time precocious connected the elevation of Montjuic, overlooking this city, astatine the stadium which hosted the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona pulled disconnected a comeback for the ages against Real Madrid and each but secured the La Liga title.

This, the 261st Clasico, volition spell down arsenic 1 of the greats arsenic Flick’s large entertainers responded to Kylian Mbappe’s aboriginal brace with 4 goals successful the abstraction of 26 devastating archetypal fractional minutes done Eric Garcia, Lamine Yamal and a brace from Raphinha.

And though Mbappe completed his hat-trick successful the 70th minute, Barca held connected for a seismic triumph connected their mode to what volition beryllium a 28th La Liga title.

For Carlo Ancelotti, who volition beryllium replaced by Xabi Alonso this summer, this was a 4th Clasico decision of a play wherever they volition spell without large silverware for the archetypal clip since 2020-21.

For each that the 65-year-old has achieved astatine Los Blancos, each of those crushing defeats volition undoubtedly permission a small sour sensation connected an different singular spell astatine Madrid.

As for Barcelona, who had their Treble hopes dashed midweek successful Italy, the treble volition successful each likelihood beryllium completed successful the coming week if Madrid driblet points to Mallorca oregon erstwhile Barca question crossed municipality to look Espanyol. The vantage is seven, with 3 to play.

The Spanish newspapers had billed this Clasico arsenic the ‘Mega Clasico’ with pictures of Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe dominating the beforehand pages and the backmost pages connected Sunday.

Given Barcelona’s tougher tally successful with games against 2 of the apical 5 to come, a Madrid triumph would person chopped the pb to 1 point. For Barca, it was a must-not suffer clash but Flick’s broadside were ne'er going to play for a gully and the German named an unchanged eleven from the squad that fell agonisingly abbreviated successful Milan..

It spoke volumes of Madrid’s troubles this play excessively that successful the 4th Clasico of the season, Ancelotti named a 4th antithetic line-up but this was much retired of work alternatively than prime for the Italian, with his main 5 defenders each inactive injured.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and youngster Raul Asensio made up the centre of the backmost 4 portion Arda Guler was fixed the motion up front.

Against a free-scoring Barca broadside who enactment 4 past them successful Madrid successful October and mean conscionable shy of 3 goals per crippled this season, Ancelotti could easy person gone for a much pragmatic attack but this was a must-win for Madrid and it took conscionable 5 minutes for Mbappe to deliver.

The 26-year-old latched onto a mediocre back-pass from Pau Cubarsi and was fouled by Wojciech Szczesny successful the box. From the punishment spot, Mbappe made nary mistake arsenic helium went level with Robert Lewandowski successful the aureate footwear race.

Nine minutes later, Mbappe went wide arsenic Madrid ripped isolated Barca’s renowned precocious enactment with a devastating antagonistic aft Yamal was dispossessed.

Jude Bellingham passed the shot to Vinicius Jr, who played a beauteous done shot to Mbappe and the Frenchman finished successful benignant to soundlessness the location crowd.

Flick and his players were furious that a foul wasn’t fixed connected Yamal but 5 minutes later, Barca pulled 1 back.

Thibaut Courtois made a bully prevention aft Gerard Martin fto alert from region and from the resulting corner, Eric Garcia headed successful from Ferran Torres’ delivery.

From there, Barca ne'er looked backmost and conscionable aft the hr mark, Yamal delivered a infinitesimal of brilliance picking up the shot from Torres and curling successful a stunning finesse decorativeness into the acold corner.

The lad wonderment celebrated similar Mbappe by telling the fans to calm down and crossing his arms.

But Barca were present connected the rampage and determination was nary calming down. Two minutes later, determination was pandemonium arsenic they took the pb done Raphinha.

Lucas Vazquez and Kylian Mbappe bumped into each different and mislaid the shot with Raphinha reacting quickest and finishing past Courtois.

Like Tuesday successful Milan, Flick’s men had turned astir a two-goal deficit. Now the task was to clasp connected but adjacent with a gully maintaining a four-point pb astatine the summit, this is simply a Barca broadside that was ne'er going to beryllium back.

Yamal played 1 of his trademark trivela passes to Raphinha who headed implicit the bar.

Less than a infinitesimal later, Madrid were fixed different punishment but replays showed that Frenkie de Jong hadn’t touched Mbappe and the referee was told to reverse his decision.

Keeping successful interaction with the chaos of the game, Barca went up the different extremity and doubled their pb with Torres getting his 3rd assistance of the half.

Vasquez, the Madrid skipper, was caught connected the shot by the erstwhile Manchester City man, who played it into the way of Raphinha and the Brazilian made nary mistake to people his 34th extremity of the season.

There was inactive clip for Mbappe to people again earlier the interruption but his extremity was ruled retired for offside.

When Alejandro José Hernández Hernández blew the half-time whistle, determination was astir a consciousness of buzzkill astir the ground.

Ancelotti sent connected Luka Modric and Brahim Diaz successful spot of Dani Ceballos and Guler astatine the interruption but it was Barca who looked much apt to score.

Raphinha squared to Yamal, who finished from adjacent scope but the offside emblem was raised but successful the 70th minute, Madrid deed again connected the counter.

Vinicius Jr picked retired Mbappe again, who slotted location for his 39th extremity of the season.

Barca responded with Yamal uncovering Raphinha astatine the adjacent station but somehow, helium mislaid his footing and blazed implicit from adjacent range.

In the 80th minute, Barca thought they had a punishment erstwhile the shot deed the limb of Tchouameni successful the container and though the referee was advised to cheque the screens, helium stuck with his archetypal determination of nary penalty, overmuch to the fury of the location support.

Ancelotti threw connected Endrick and Victor Muniz successful the anticipation of a precocious equaliser and it was the second who blew the accidental to beryllium a leader arsenic helium fired wide erstwhile helium was wide connected extremity a infinitesimal aft coming on.

There was clip for much play excessively arsenic Szczesny made a superb halt to contradict Mbappe and from the country that followed, Mbappe turned the shot successful but helium was offside.

Fermin Lopez past scored a belter connected his day arsenic the Barca players and fans went wild, lone for the extremity to beryllium disallowed arsenic the shot deed his manus successful the build-up. Not that it mattered though arsenic Barca held on.