Barcelona were beaten successful nan first El Clásico of 2025–26 arsenic Real Madrid ran retired 2–1 winners connected Sunday afternoon.
The visitors remained depleted and were lethargic for overmuch of nan game, surrendering high-quality openings to their wished hosts, who were inefficient but still walked distant pinch each 3 points.
Another incident-laden Clásico was won by a Jude Bellingham tap-in astatine nan extremity of nan first half, aft Fermín López had cancelled retired Kylian Mbappé’s opener. Wojciech Szczęsny’s punishment prevention astatine nan commencement of nan 2nd play sparked immoderate Catalan momentum, but Hansi Flick’s broadside ran retired of steam towards nan extremity of nan title pinch ended pinch a reddish paper for Pedri.
The conclusion leaves nan La Liga champions 5 points adrift of Madrid done 10 outings.
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Fermín López restored parity for Barcelona successful nan first half. / David Ramos/Getty Images
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny—9.1: The seasoned shot-stopper surely played his portion connected Sunday afternoon, superbly denying Mbappé from nan punishment spot. Szczęsny picked nan shot retired of his nett 4 times, but only 2 counted.
RB: Jules Koundé—6.4: Xabi Alonso has started to deploy Vinícius Junior wide near again, and nan Brazilian has benefited. He was fantabulous here, ensuring Koundé had a difficult afternoon.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—6.1: There’s nary denying his brilliant successful nan build-up, but Cubarsí is suffering a small spot successful Iñigo Martínez’s absence. He went down softly during nan game-winning sequence.
CB: Eric García—6.1: Mbappé had plentifulness of joyousness moving disconnected García’s shoulder, pinch nan Barcelona halfway backmost simply not having a chance of surviving pinch nan Frenchman successful this benignant of mood.
LB: Alejandro Balde—6.4: Wasn’t capable to alert guardant astatine will and trial retired Federico Valverde. Often caught successful nary man’s onshore defensively, fixed that Madrid didn’t really play pinch a designated correct winger.
DM: Frenkie de Jong—7.0: The Dutchman surely helped Barcelona summation a foothold successful proceedings, but their power was sterile for overmuch of nan contest. However, De Jong supplied nan overseas series of off-the-cuff magic to break unfastened Madrid’s press.
DM: Pedri—6.4: Wasn’t astatine his astir influential successful nan Clásico, pinch Madrid’s Bellingham stealing nan show successful nan mediate of nan park. Pedri did play a cardinal domiciled successful nan equalising goal, though. Sent disconnected astatine nan last.
RW: Lamine Yamal—7.0: Subject to a “whistling campaign” astatine nan Bernabéu, Yamal, who taunted his opponents connected societal media successful nan build-up to nan game, was seemingly inhibited by nan hostilities. The winger was connected nan periphery for overmuch of nan contest, only offering glimpses of what we cognize he’s tin of.
AM: Fermín López—7.3: Following his midweek heroics, Fermín drew nan visitors level successful nan superior and was a unrecorded ligament throughout. However, he was a small excessively trigger-happy.
LW: Marcus Rashford—7.4: Injecting immoderate gait into a level first-half Barcelona performance, he offered composure successful nan last 3rd to tee up Fermín’s equaliser. Influence oddly waned arsenic Barça improved successful nan 2nd period.
ST: Ferran Torres—6.3: It was evident that nan Barcelona striker wasn’t afloat fresh for nan Clásico, and he possibly should’ve been withdrawn earlier than he yet was.
Ronald Araújo (74’ for García) | 6.3 |
Marc Casadó (74’ for Ferran) | 6.1 |
Roony Bardghji (83’ for Cubarsí) | N/A |
Gerard Martín (97’ for Balde) | N/A |
Subs not used: Diego Kochen (GK), Eder Aller (GK), Jofre Torrents, Toni Fernández, Xavi Espart, Marc Bernal, Dro Fernández.
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)
Starting XI: Thibaut Courtois; Federico Valverde, Éder Militão, Dean Huijsen, Álvaro Carreras; Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni; Arda Güler; Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior; Kylian Mbappé.
Subs used: Brahim Díaz, Rodryo, Dani Carvajal, Gonzalo García, Dani Ceballos.
Player of nan Match: Wojciech Szczęsny
Real Madrid 2–1 Barcelona—How It Unfolded astatine nan Santiago Bernabéu
Szczęsny denied Mbappé from nan spot. / Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Despite enjoying truthful overmuch occurrence successful this fixture past season, Barcelona knew they were successful for a slog successful nan superior connected Sunday afternoon. The convention leaders, emboldened by a caller look successful nan location dugout, were retired to avenge caller humiliations, and nan Santiago Bernabéu religious was hopeless to inhibit nan visiting team.
A cagey opening burst into life erstwhile Lamine Yamal was penalised for fouling Vinícius Júnior successful nan Barcelona box, and nan grade to which immoderate of nan Madrid players celebrated nan determination depicted nan vengeful temper they were in.
However, involution from nan video adjunct referee (VAR) offered Barça a lifeline, with nan on-field determination being overturned. VAR was besides connected manus to norm retired a stunning Kylian Mbappé opener from distance, arsenic replays ruled nan Madrid striker offside by nan barest of margins.
Barça’s bully luck soon ran out, though, arsenic Jude Bellingham and Mbappé mixed ruthlessly for nan opener. Bellingham pirouetted masterfully to debar Pedri successful nan mediate of nan parkland earlier sliding a delightful done shot for Mbappé, who vanished beyond Wojciech Szczęsny.
It must’ve felt for illustration a cauldron for nan Blaugrana, who were suffering from each turnover. Madrid burst into life successful transition, pinch Mbappé’s activity and searing velocity proving acold excessively overmuch for a Barça defense lacking powerfulness to handle.
Keep fighting, guys 👊 pic.twitter.com/GCsRhlHuGv
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 26, 2025Nevertheless, Hansi Flick’s broadside managed to activity their measurement backmost into nan title acknowledgment to immoderate bully activity without nan shot from Pedri. The outstanding midfielder caught Arda Güler dallying pinch nan shot connected nan separator of nan Madrid box, and ignited nan series which led to Fermín’s equaliser. After netting his first Champions League hat-trick successful nan week, he was ne'er going to make a correction pinch his first-time decorativeness from adjacent range.
Despite restoring parity, location was ne'er a consciousness that nan visitors were building immoderate momentum, pinch Madrid remaining nan much threatening broadside against a Barcelona backmost statement that looked truthful susceptible done its centre. Soon aft Fermín struck, Madrid regained their advantage done Bellingham, who tapped location astatine nan backmost station aft Éder Militão headed Viní Jr’s hopeful transverse crossed nan box.
Barça sewage nan swipe of nan greenish successful position of nan referee’s decisions connected Tuesday nighttime against Olympiacos, but they were difficult done by astatine nan commencement of nan 2nd half. Eric García was harshly penalised for handball, gifting Madrid a spot-kick, but ace Szczęsny was connected manus to contradict Mbappé from 12 yards.
The Pole’s heroics lit a fuse wrong his team, who emerged arsenic nan ascendant unit successful nan aftermath. Fermín surely should’ve passed to Marcus Rashford contempt a promising shooting opportunity opening up, pinch his effort failing to decently trial Thibaut Courtois.
Barça, however, were moving nan shot pinch overmuch much characteristic and precision compared to nan opening period, forcing Madrid to contain. Xabi Alonso was much than consenting to oblige, curiously sacrificing Viní Jr, and Flick went each out, ending nan crippled pinch Marc Casadó and Frenkie de Jong arsenic his halfway backs.
Ronald Araujo moved up apical successful bid to wreak a spot of havoc, and nan visitors had 9 stoppage-time minutes to activity with. However, nan only arena of statement was Pedri’s 2nd yellowish paper astatine nan last, arsenic Madrid held onto their slender advantage.
Possession | 36% | 64% |
Expected Goals (xG) | 2.24 | 0.62 |
Total Shots | 12 | 7 |
Shots connected Target | 7 | 4 |
Big Chances | 3 | 1 |
Pass Accuracy | 84% | 89% |
Fouls | 5 | 5 |
Corners | 8 | 2 |
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona Full Time Stats
Possession | 32% | 68% |
Expected Goals (xG) | 3.60 | 1.03 |
Total Shots | 23 | 15 |
Shots connected Target | 10 | 6 |
Big Chances | 4 | 2 |
Pass Accuracy | 81% | 90% |
Fouls | 12 | 9 |
Corners | 12 | 4 |
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