Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe fired Real Madrid to a 2–1 victory over Barcelona in a heated El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, extending Los Blancos’ lead at the top of La Liga to five points.
In his first Clasico as Real Madrid coach, Xabi Alonso ended Barcelona’s recent dominance in the fixture, with his side producing a composed and clinical display.
Mbappe opened the scoring midway through the first half after being set up by Bellingham, finishing low past Wojciech Szczęsny for his 11th league goal of the season. Barcelona equalised against the run of play when Fermin Lopez smashed home from a Marcus Rashford cross in the 38th minute.
However, Bellingham restored Madrid’s advantage five minutes later, tapping in from close range after Eder Militao headed Vinicius Junior’s cross back into his path — a goal that ultimately proved decisive.
Mbappe later missed a penalty early in the second half after Eric Garcia was penalised for handball, with Szczęsny diving low to his right to keep Barca in the contest.
Despite enjoying more possession, Barcelona struggled to create clear chances, as Madrid’s defence, marshalled by Thibaut Courtois, stood firm. Teenage winger Lamine Yamal, who had stoked pre-match tension with his remarks about Madrid “stealing and complaining,” endured a frustrating night and was substituted late on.
In the dying moments, Pedri was sent off for a second yellow card following a late challenge on Aurelien Tchouameni, sparking heated confrontations between both sets of players.
The win marked Madrid’s ninth victory in ten league games, reaffirming their title credentials after a rocky derby loss to Atletico Madrid earlier in the season.
With Alonso’s men five points clear at the summit, and Bellingham and Mbappe continuing their prolific partnership, Real Madrid look firmly in control of the La Liga title race.
