A rampant Barcelona tore through Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, delivering a humiliating 4-0 defeat in the latest edition of El Clásico, CNN reports.
The victory extended Barcelona’s lead at the top of La Liga to six points and ended Real Madrid’s 42-game unbeaten run in the league.
The first half saw a relatively even contest with neither side able to break the deadlock. However, the second half was a complete reversal as Barcelona exploded into life, scoring four goals in an impressive display of attacking prowess.
Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 50th minute, followed by a second goal just two minutes later to put Barcelona firmly in control. Lamine Yamal, at just 17 years and 106 days old, then etched his name into El Clásico history by becoming the youngest goalscorer in the fixture. He added the third goal in the 69th minute, while Raphinha sealed the emphatic win with a fourth goal late in the match.
Barcelona’s victory was particularly impressive given the presence of several young stars from the club’s famed La Masia academy. Five of the starting eleven had come through the ranks, including two 17-year-olds, Yamal and Pau Cubarsí.
The result comes on the heels of a dominant 4-1 Champions League victory over Bayern Munich, highlighting Barcelona’s resurgence under new manager Hansi Flick.
Real Madrid’s newest superstar Kylian Mbappé struggled to make an impact in his first El Clásico. The French forward missed two good chances and was caught offside eight times during the match.
Despite the crushing defeat, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti remained optimistic. “We don’t have to throw everything in the bin,” he said. “We have to forget the last 30 minutes. The season is very long, we must not give up. We have to learn.”
Following the game, Real Madrid announced they would be opening an investigation into alleged racist abuse directed at Yamal from the stands, after videos surfaced on social media.
