Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday night, moving clear at the top of La Liga. The win ended Madrid’s four-game losing streak against their fierce rivals and gave fans plenty to cheer about in another classic encounter.
Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring for Madrid just before the half-hour mark, firing a powerful low strike past the Barcelona goalkeeper. However, the visitors hit back in the 38th minute when Fermín López punished a defensive mistake to level the score. Madrid quickly responded before the break as Jude Bellingham tapped home from close range to restore their lead.
In the second half, Madrid had a chance to extend their advantage after being awarded a penalty, but Mbappé’s effort was saved brilliantly by Wojciech Szczesny. Moments later, Brahim Díaz thought he had added a third goal, but VAR ruled it out for offside.
Barcelona’s frustrations grew as the match wore on, and things got worse in stoppage time when Pedri received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Tchouameni, leaving his team with 10 men. Despite late pressure from Barcelona, Madrid held firm to protect their narrow lead.
The victory was a statement of intent for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who now sit comfortably atop the league standings. For Barcelona, the defeat marked another missed opportunity to close the gap, as Madrid’s star Mbappé and Bellingham once again proved decisive on the big stage