The Barça suffers from absences, falls at the Bernabéu, and moves away from the lead

With a Lamine Yamal physically limited by pubalgia and up to seven injured players, the azulgranas resisted as best they could, although they ended up conceding their second defeat in La Liga, in a match that included refereeing controversy.

A Barça affected by absences

Lamine dreamed of signing his great Clásico, but this time it could not be. Despite the difficulties, he did not hide, although his performance was hampered by physical discomfort. The team also felt it, both due to the lack of their main offensive reference and the number of important absences. Under those conditions, Barça managed to stay alive until the end, and even Koundé came close to equalizing, but Flick´s team could not rescue a point.

A complicated start and a more effective Madrid

The first half had a clear white color, although Barcelona could have gone into halftime with the score tied. At the start, Madrid seemed more cautious, with four midfielders set up by Xabi Alonso —including Camavinga— sacrificing Mastantuono to reinforce the midfield. However, the whites understood their coach´s plan better. Before the match, Marcus Sorg, who was in charge of Barça due to Flick´s suspension, had pointed out that it was vital “not to lose balls.” But in just twelve minutes, the team made two mistakes that could have been decisive. First, Frenkie de Jong lost the ball and Soto Grado awarded a penalty for Lamine on Vinicius. Iglesias Villanueva intervened from VAR and corrected the decision, understanding that the foul was the other way around. Shortly after, a loss by Fermín left Mbappé one-on-one with Szczesny, but the goal was disallowed for a millimetric offside detected by VAR.

The goal by Mbappé and the azulgrana reaction

Barça was struggling to settle in. They lacked order in pressing and rhythm in circulation. Lamine could barely get into the game and was the subject of a constant booing from the Bernabéu after his words in the Kings League, which ignited both the crowd and the Madrid players. In the 21st minute, VAR did not forgive. A pass from Bellingham left Mbappé in an advantageous position, and the Frenchman beat Szczesny. The azulgranas reacted in the last ten minutes of the first half. Until then, only Lamine had tried his luck with a deflected shot. Ferran had the equalizer, but his shot was more of a pass to the goalkeeper than a clear attempt. Finally, the error in the ball exit by Arda Güler allowed Fermín to equalize after an assist from Rashford.

A new blow before halftime

Barça could not maintain the tie. With three minutes left until halftime, Bellingham scored again, this time with a header, in a play preceded by a clear foul by Huijsen on Cubarsí that was not reviewed by VAR. An action that generated much protest on the azulgrana bench.

The penalty controversy and the awakening of Barça

The second half began just as the first ended: with refereeing prominence. Between Soto Grado and Iglesias Villanueva, a penalty was awarded for supposed handballs by Eric García when the center-back was on the ground. Szczesny saved the penalty taken by Mbappé, keeping Barça alive. That action seemed to reactivate the team, which came close to equalizing in a play where Fermín opted for an individual shot despite having Ferran and Rashford completely free.

Changes and lack of freshness

The match remained open, although with few offensive ideas. The substitution of Vinicius for Rodrygo caught attention; the Brazilian left angrily, with gestures of protest, and did not even stay on the bench, although he later returned. Sorg moved the bench with what he had: he brought in Araujo for Eric and Casadó for Ferran with fifteen minutes left. With so many absences, the options were limited. Lamine, despite occasionally feeling the effects of pubalgia, began to participate more in attack, and Sorg tried to surprise with a final move: Bardghji for Cubarsí, moving Lamine to the attacking midfield. But Madrid, already regrouped, defended their lead and sought to cool the game. Even Araujo, converted to a forward in the final moments, could not change the outcome of the match.

Hot finish and a Barça forced to react

The match concluded with the expulsion of Pedri and a double brawl. First, a confrontation on the benches after a provocation from the “always unacceptable,” and then on the field, when several Real Madrid players confronted Lamine. With this defeat, Barça is now five points behind the lead. There is still a long way to go in La Liga, but Madrid celebrated the victory as if it were a title.