Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1: Mbappe, Bellingham shine

El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu ended in a 2-1 win for Real Madrid: Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and Jude Bellingham finished in the 43rd minute. Barcelona only had one response thanks to Fermin Lopez in the 38th minute. The match was full of VAR situations, a penalty saved by Szczesny and a red card for Pedri in the 90+11th minute.

High tempo, turning point from Mbappe's pace and Bellingham's coolness

The match opened up with tension. In the 2nd minute, the referee awarded a penalty to Real Madrid after a collision between Vinicius and Lamine Yamal, but VAR intervened and determined that Vini had committed the foul first. In the 12th minute, Mbappe scored against Barcelona after a mistake by Fermin Lopez, but VAR ruled it offside. Mbappe's speed continued to be Real's escape: in the 22nd minute, from a classy turn and assist by Bellingham, the French striker broke the offside trap and finished past Szczesny to open the score 1-0.

Barcelona rose strongly. In the 38th minute, Pedri stole the ball from Arda Guler, Rashford ran in to assist Fermin Lopez from the second line to finish past Courtois, equalizing 1-1. But Real still knew how to punish the space. In the 43rd minute, Vinicius escaped to the left wing to cross, Eder Militao headed back and Bellingham was not marked, decisively tapping the ball to raise the score to 2-1.

Key developments in the second half: VAR, penalty and red card

• 49'-51': The ball touched Eric Garcia's hand in an attempt to block it after it bounced off Bellingham; the referee checked VAR and awarded Real a penalty.
• 52': Kylian Mbappe took a penalty but Szczesny flew to push the ball over the bar, keeping hope for Barca.
• 64': Lamine Yamal's long-range shot flies into the stands, Barca is stuck in front of Real's solid defense.
• 68': Bellingham scored but the goal was disallowed for offside.
• 72': Real changes the tempo with Rodrygo and Carvajal; Vinicius reacts when leaving the field.
• 74'-83': Barca focused on attacking, sending in Araujo, Marc Casado and then Roony Bardghji, pushing Rashford to play as a striker.
• 89': Yamal made a beautiful pass for Kounde to escape but Courtois read the situation and grabbed it.
• 90'+10-90'+11: Pedri received a second yellow card for fouling Tchouameni; Barcelona was down to 10 men for the rest of the match. After the final whistle, players from both teams collided, and there were no further penalties on the field.

Tactical analysis: Real's 4-1-4-1 blocks Barca's 4-2-3-1 pressing

Real Madrid started 4-1-4-1: Valverde at right-back, Militao – Huijsen in the middle, Carreras on the left; Tchouameni anchored the Arda Guler – Camavinga – Bellingham – Vinicius quartet, supporting Mbappe to play high. The direct counter-attack was the guiding principle: Tchouameni collected – passed early, Bellingham received in the middle – turned, Mbappe ran behind Barca’s high defense.

Barca followed a 4-2-3-1 with the Pedri-De Jong pivot, the Lamine Yamal-Fermin Lopez-Rashford attack behind Ferran Torres. They tried to maintain a high press but the distance between the lines was stretched by Real's one-touch passes. It was the lack of connection in the transition that made Barca vulnerable to early passes to Mbappe and the space under the full-backs.

The highlight was Bellingham’s ability to choose the “number 8 and a half” position: both being the link-up player and appearing in the penalty area at the right time (minute 43) to finish. When Real needed to close down the middle, Camavinga and Tchouameni closed the space in front of the 16m50 line, forcing Barca to shoot from distance or send the ball wide – where Valverde and Carreras handled it neatly.

Important statistics

• Scored: Real Madrid – Mbappe 22', Bellingham 43'; Barcelona – Fermin Lopez 38'.
• VAR in the first half: Canceled penalty for Real in the 2nd minute; denied Mbappe's goal in the 12th-14th minute (offside).
• Penalty: Szczesny blocked Mbappe's 11m shot in the 52nd minute. This is the first time Real Madrid missed a penalty in El Clasico in 34 years (June 8, 1991, Zubizarreta blocked Butragueño).
• When Real lead at half-time in El Clasico: Real win 36, draw 7, Barca win 2.
• Jude Bellingham is the first English player to score and assist in an El Clasico.
• Kylian Mbappe has scored in four consecutive El Clasicos; his 12th goal in nine appearances against Barcelona.

Lineup and personnel adjustments

Real Madrid (4-1-4-1): Courtois; Valverde (Carvajal 72'), Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouameni; Arda Guler (Brahim Diaz 66'), Camavinga, Bellingham (Ceballos 90'), Vinicius (Rodrygo 72'); Mbappe (Gonzalo Garcia 90').

Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Kounde, Eric Garcia (Araujo 74'), Cubarsi (Roony Bardghji 83'), Balde (Gerard Martin 90'+7); Pedri, De Jong, Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Rashford; Ferran Torres (Marc Casado 74').

Impact and the broader picture

The win saw Real Madrid take all three points and consolidate their position at the top of La Liga. Barcelona extended their scoring run to 49 consecutive games but ended with 10 men after Pedri was sent off in the 90+11 minute. In terms of head-to-head, Real once again showed their difference in the big moments: exploiting the space behind Barca's high defence, and using Bellingham's multi-tasking role between the lines to create and finish chances.

This El Clasico underscored two tactical messages: Real’s speed in transition is a lethal weapon, and Barca need more cohesion so that pressing is not undone by a turn or a diagonal run that breaks the structure. Above all, composure at the key points – where Mbappe and Bellingham excel – decided the game.