Real Madrid twice came back before Jude Bellingham won it all in stoppage time of a 3-2 win over Barcelona at the Bernabeu, a tremendous El Clasico helping Real put a vice-like grip on La Liga.
Real deliver a rare three-match season sweep of Barca, having beaten the Blaugranas home and away as well as in the Spanish Super Cup.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men move to 81 points to open up a 10-point lead atop the table, and third-place Girona (68 points) is even further behind than second-place Catalan pals Barca.
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It was an entertaining Clasico, one more open than usual thanks to the weary legs given both sides by midweek Champions League second legs. An injury to Frenkie de Jong before halftime helped change the tone of the game.
Real found itself trailing on goals from Andreas Christensen and Fermin Lopez, getting equalizers from Vinicius Junior and Lucas Vazquez.
Real, still alive for a treble, was celebrating a triumph over Manchester City while Barcelona exited a day earlier in ugly fashion to Paris Saint-Germain, and moods will not have shifted much after this one.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona, El Clasico player ratings (from fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Real Madrid go to Real Sociedad on Saturday before beginning the Champions League semifinal with a trip to Bayern Munich on April 30.
Barcelona have more than a week to prepare for a Valencia visit on Monday, April 29.
How to watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona live, El Clasico stream link and start time
Kick off: 3pm ET Sunday, April 21
TV Channel: ESPN Deportes
Online: ESPN+
Real Madrid vs Barcelona live updates — By Nick Mendola
Real Madrid vs Barcelona final score: 3-2
Goalscorers: Christensen (6'), Vinicius Jr (pen 18'), Fermin (69'), Vazquez (73'), Bellingham (90+1')
Jude Bellingham in stoppage time! Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona (90+1' minute)
He’s done it again!
The Birmingham City export arrives at the back post to meet a Lucas Vazquez cross that meanders through a sea of bodies.
He smashes at home, a second Clasico winner of the season for the 20-year-old.
JUDE BELLINGHAM PUTS REAL MADRID 3-2 IN FRONT IN STOPPAGE TIME!!!
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 21, 2024
WHAT A FINISH TO THIS ELCLASICO 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6HfJYx884F
Barca free kick, corners lead to Vini break
Lamine Yamal is surrounded by three Real defenders and wins a free kick off of Antonio Rudiger.
The kick comes from the right edge of the 18.
Ilkay Gundogan plays it short and a shot is blocked. It leads to another corner.
Gundogan again. The ball falls for Joao Felix, who makes a mess of it.
It’s a quick restart from Lunin and Vini Jr is 1v1 with Ter Stegen but denied by the keeper.
GOAL! Lucas Vazquez — Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona (73rd minute)
Joao Cancelo is out to lunch, as Vini Jr’s cross to the back post is met by a wide-open right back Lucas Vazquez.
LUCAS VAZQUEZ RESPONDS IMMEDIATELY!
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 21, 2024
GAME ON 🍿 pic.twitter.com/MFMIVIa64h
GOAL! Fermin Lopez — Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona (69th minute)
Lamine Yamal takes a left-footed effort from the left edge of the box, and Ferran Torres tries to redirect it past Lunin.
The keeper pushes it centrally, where Fermin reacts quickly to make it 2-1.
Real made a sub, left back Fran Garcia entering for Camavinga.
FERMIN LOPEZ PUTS BARCA 2-1 AHEAD IN ELCLASICO AND CELEBRATES RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REAL MADRID FANS 🥶 pic.twitter.com/lyHmUWtkZA
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 21, 2024
Barca sub
Ferran Torres and Joao Felix enter with under a half-hour to play, as they take the places of Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Ancelotti has yet to make a change for Real.
Options?
Fermin Lopez came in for Christensen at the break, and Barca’s lack of depth is on display. Ferran Torres and Joao Felix are attack options, while Oriol Romeu and Marcos Alonso would welcome the chance to shore up the side.
Real would be content with the point that comes from this match but can turn to Joselu, Brahim Diaz, Dani Ceballo, and Arda Guler if they want to get after a win. Defensive options are deep, as mentioned earlier in the updates.
Halftime — Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona
Real should be leading, as Barca is hunting a win and taking big chances in a bid to get back in front.
The xG favors Real by quite a bit but Barca’s shown danger attacking wide and the hosts have looked poor defending set pieces.
Frenkie de Jong was injured before halftime and Pedri will take his place. That’s a huge loss but also a big change in styles, as — to make a Man City comparison — De Jong might be the closest thing to Rodri in the world while Pedri’s more of a Bernardo Silva.
Real’s clever play leads to Modric chance
Luka Modric can’t get enough power off a pretty combination play at the edge of the 18, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen stoops to collect an easy effort.
Yellow card to Camavinga
Yamal gets behind the Real back line again, and Eduardo Camavinga gets to him with a hand on the shoulder.
It’s a yellow card and a free kick on the very edge of the 18. Raphinha blazes over.
Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Nacho Fernandez, and Dani Carvajal are all on the bench if Carlo Ancelotti wants to move away from his midfielders in the back line.
Lewandowski just misses, then Lunin (and VAR) denies Lamal
It’s almost 2-1 off another corner kick, but Lewandowski heads over the bar.
This after Real looked much more likely to find the game’s third goal.
Then Lamine Yamal flicks a corner toward goal and Lunin is judged to have got the ball just before it crossed the line.
VAR is having a look at it now, and the angles are brutal. Hard to say this can be conclusive either way, and so we play on at 1-1.
Real Madrid penalty, GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona (18th minute)
Cancelo is cooked by Vazquez, and young Barca star Pau Cubarsi leaves his leg low to try to block a pass.
Instead, Vazquez makes sure to make contact with a dangled leg and a penalty is awarded.
Vini finished. We’re 1-1.
Vini Jr nearly answers
Tchouameni chops a pass toward the box and Luka Modric flicks a header onto the path of Vinicius Junior.
The superstar will usually put chances like this on goal but Vini misses his mark and it stays 1-0.
GOAL! Real Madrid 0-1 Barcelona (6th minute)
The midweek hero is an early game goat.
Barca win a corner and the service is swept over the six-yard box.
Andriy Lunin, so good at Man City in midweek, cannot reach the ball and Andreas Christensen rises well above Toni Kroos to head the ball home.
1-0 to the Blaugranas.
ANDREAS CHRISTENSEN OPENS THE SCORING IN ELCLASICO JUST SIX MINUTES INTO THE MATCH!!! 😳 pic.twitter.com/Kc3DmwD3T9
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 21, 2024
Anything possible in a Clasico
Real Madrid have a healthy table lead and can basically put the clamps on another La Liga triumph, while Barcelona is stumbling after a letdown of a second leg versus PSG in the Champions League.
Real would be fine with a draw, and Barca need three points. But once the ball is kicked, there’s a certain surrender to the occasion. Here we go!
Real Madrid lineup
Lunin, Vazquez, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Camavinga, Modric, Valverde, Kroos, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Bellingham.
Barcelona lineup
Ter Stegen, Cancelo, Kounde, Christensen, Cubarsi, Araujo, De Jong, Gundogan, Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski
Real Madrid focus, team news
Karim who? Jude Bellingham (16 goals), Vinicius Junior (12), and Rodrygo (10) have all been solid in La Liga play to pick up the burden left by Karim Benzema’s departure for Saudi Arabia. Toni Kroos and Fede Valverde lead pace the team in assists, while Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez supply a super center back pair.
Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba are dealing with long-term injuries and will not play Sunday.
Barcelona focus, team news
Robert Lewandowski is leading the Blaugranas wiith 13 goals and eight assists, while Premier League imports are next in league goal contributions with 12 (Raphinha) and 11 (Ilkay Gundogan). Frenkie de Jong and Gundogan have been the club’s best performers this season, while Pedri, Lamine Yamal, and Joao Felix have also impressed in attack and young phenom Pau Cubarsi is impressing at the back.
Barca has been without young phenoms Alejandro Balde and Gavi for 22 and 36 matches, respectively.
