Madrid: Jude Bellingham snatched Real Madrid a dramatic 3-2 Clasico win over champions Barcelona on Sunday to take them 11 factors clear on the high of La Liga with six matches remaining.
Los Blancos twice got here from behind with Vinicius Junior and Lucas Vazquez netting to stage Andreas Christensen and Fermin Lopez strikes, earlier than Bellingham rammed residence the winner in stoppage time to nearly assure his group the title.
Barcelona bounced again with a robust efficiency after their Champions League exit by the hands of Paris Saint-Germain however their final stand was demolished by Bellingham.
Madrid confirmed the identical grit to remain within the match as they did midweek in opposition to Manchester City on the best way to the ultimate 4 in Europe, earlier than Bellingham’s knock-out blow left the Santiago Bernabeu crowd delighted.
The England worldwide, Madrid’s high scorer with 21 targets throughout all competitions, netted twice in Madrid’s Clasico win over Barcelona in October and is shining in his first season in Spain.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti made three modifications from the aspect that beat City, with Eduardo Camavinga shifting to left-back to exchange Ferland Mendy, whereas Luka Modric began in midfield.
Madrid’s penalty-saving hero in opposition to City, goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, made an early mistake at hand Barcelona the lead.
The Ukrainian strayed from his line to try to take care of a nook however acquired nowhere close to the ball and Christensen nodded into the empty internet.
However Madrid had been shortly stage by way of Vinicius, who fired over a superb likelihood earlier than levelling from the spot.
The sensational Vazquez escaped Joao Cancelo far too simply and was tripped within the space by 17-year-old Barca centre-back Pau Cubarsi.
Vinicius rolled residence from the spot for his nineteenth purpose of the season throughout all competitions.
Barcelona weren’t deterred and made inroads down their proper flank with Lamine Yamal giving Camavinga a torrid time.
Crossed the road?
The 16-year-old starlet thought he had equalised with a intelligent flick from a nook however Lunin pushed the ball to security, with Barcelona arguing it had already crossed the road.
La Liga doesn’t contract goal-line expertise and utilizing VAR the officers couldn’t verify the ball had utterly entered the purpose, so the Catalans had been left annoyed.
Yamal appealed for a penalty minutes later when Camavinga clipped him within the space however the referee waved their cries away.
Raphinha and Ilkay Gundogan each despatched free-kicks narrowly off-target, with Barcelona solely having transformed one since Lionel Messi departed in 2021.
Barcelona had been dealt a blow on the stroke of half-time when midfielder Frenkie de Jong was taken off on a stretcher after hurting his ankle in a problem by Fede Valverde.
Xavi additionally introduced Lopez on for Christensen at half-time and it paid dividends for the coach after a slower begin to the second half.
The midfielder was in the fitting place on the proper time to complete after 69 minutes when Lunin may solely parry Yamal’s low effort again into hazard.
However Madrid swiftly struck again when Vinicius crossed to the again publish and Vazquez arrived to complete having misplaced his marker Cancelo.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen made a superb save to thwart Vinicius at his close to publish because the ahead sprinted by way of on purpose with Madrid seeking to strike and nearly wrap up their La Liga title.
Bellingham discovered the killer blow, regardless of largely being saved quiet by the Catalans till he appeared to emphatically resolve the match in stoppage time from Vazquez’s cross.
