Fresh off a 4-1 demolition of Bayern Munich in midweek, Barcelona continued their impressive form by netting four goals against rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, turning their strong season start into something truly spectacular. This marked the Catalan side’s most emphatic win over Real Madrid in their last 10 meetings, matching their 4-0 triumph in Madrid from March 2022 and extending their lead at the top of the table to seven points. Although it’s still early in the season, the Hansi Flick’s side are setting the pace in the title race.
Robert Lewandowski’s quickfire double shortly after halftime put the game out of reach for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. He first found the net with a composed finish and followed up with a header, bringing his season tally to 17 goals across all competitions. Late goals from Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, both key players in Flick’s early tenure, capped off the dominant win and left Real Madrid with much to ponder. Yamal’s goal helped him to surpass Ansu Fati’s record of becoming the youngest goal scorer in Clásico history.
Kylian Mbappe was caught offside six times during the game which included a disallowed goal, highlighting Barcelona’s perfectly drilled backline under the leadership of Flick. The defeat also snapped Real Madrid’s streak of 42 La Liga games unbeaten, just one win away from Barcelona’s streak of 43.
FT: #ELCLÁSICO 0-4
A statement win from Hansi Flick's side away at the Bernabéu. 💙❤️#LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/Alqvpwh61d
— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) October 26, 2024
After the win, Flick expressed his delight with the victory, capping off a remarkable week for Barcelona as they convincingly defeated two European giants, including a 4-1 thrashing of Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Although Real Madrid entered the match trailing Barcelona in the standings, this marked their first league defeat of the season. Even in earlier victories, Real’s performances had often lacked conviction, and this game highlighted that inconsistency. It was, notably, the 15th instance this season where Real reached halftime either scoreless or trailing. While they’ve often managed a second-half turnaround, this time they endured a heavy defeat, with Barcelona now having scored three or more goals in nine of their 14 matches to date.
Carlo Ancelotti will be looking for a swift response from his team when they travel to Mastella to play Valencia on Nov 2 while Barcelona’s next assignment is a derby against Espanyol at home on Nov 3.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
