Barca Pull Off Wild 4–3 Comeback in Title-Deciding El Clásico – Even Mbappé’s Hat-Trick Wasn’t Enough
Another breathtaking chapter in Spanish football’s greatest rivalry! Barcelona came back from 0–2 down to defeat Real Madrid 4–3 in an unforgettable El Clásico and now sit seven points clear at the top of La Liga. With just a few matches remaining, Hansi Flick’s side are closing in on the title – and this could well have been Carlo Ancelotti’s final match in Madrid.
Flick kept faith in the same starting XI that drew with Inter in the Champions League five days earlier, a quiet statement that he trusted each one of them. Ancelotti mirrored that approach. From the team that faced Barca in the Copa del Rey final two weeks ago, only Rodrygo was missing (aside from the injured Rüdiger and Mendy), as the coach opted to start Arda Güler.
Real’s Fast Start: Mbappé on Fire, Barca Off the Pace
For the first 25 minutes, Barcelona looked like their bodies were at Montjuïc, but their minds were still in Milan. Madrid struck early. A long ball over the top, a poor bounce off Cubarsí, and Mbappé was clean through. Szczęsny brought him down – a horror moment for both players. It was Pau Cubarsí’s second penalty concession in a week, and the Polish goalkeeper could’ve been more careful too.
Mbappé slotted home the penalty, although Szczęsny got a hand to it. Real set up in a 4-2-3-1 with Kylian as the lone striker, effectively blocking the midfield and frustrating Barca, who were sloppy and error-prone.
Madrid’s second came after Lamine Yamal lost the ball on the dribble. Referee Hernández let play continue – likely correctly – and once again Mbappé broke the offside trap, with Cubarsí playing him on. The Frenchman buried it for his 26th goal of the La Liga campaign, overtaking Lewandowski in the Golden Boot race.
Barca’s First-Half Remontada: From Chaos to Carnival
Who could’ve imagined a remontada before halftime? The game erupted into chaos: goals, near misses, controversial decisions, and penalty claims on both sides – two that especially frustrated the hosts.
Barca pulled one back from a corner, with Eric García rising to head home a flick-on in the six-yard box. That goal sparked a surge of confidence, and they weren’t done yet.
Soon after, 16-year-old Yamal produced a moment of magic – a beautiful curling strike into the far corner. Madrid’s in-house TV will no doubt protest that Frenkie de Jong touched the ball with his hand earlier in the build-up. Should it have been ruled out?
Moments later, the turnaround was complete. Mbappé clashed with Ceballos, gifting Barca possession. Pedri slipped a delicious through ball to Raphinha, and the winger did the rest with two precise touches.
But the half wasn’t over. Right before the whistle, Mbappé went down in the Barca box. Hernández pointed to the spot, but replays showed Kylian simulated contact – de Jong had pulled out of the challenge. In the end, the penalty was annulled for an offside by Bellingham earlier in the move.
Then, another Real howler. Captain Lucas Vázquez miscontrolled the ball, and Raphinha pounced, setting up Ferran Torres for another goal. A double for Raphinha in response to Mbappé’s brace!
Second Half: Real Fight Back, But Barca Hang On
Ancelotti made changes at the break, bringing on Modrić and Brahim to stabilize the chaos. Madrid started to dominate possession but left gaps at the back. Early in the second half, Raphinha broke away and squared for Yamal to tap in – but Tchouaméni stepped up at the last second, catching the Brazilian offside.
Real countered with a brilliant move led by Vinícius, threading a ball through to Mbappé, who once again exposed Cubarsí but missed the target. Flick reacted by substituting the shaken youngster for Andreas Christensen.
As the half wore on, Madrid seemed to be running out of steam. But Barca’s defense always gives you hope. With 20 minutes to go, Iñigo Martínez made a costly error, passing the ball straight to a Madrid player. His position also kept the attack onside. Vinícius could’ve gone for goal but selflessly passed to Mbappé for a tap-in – completing his hat-trick.
Late Drama: Missed Sitters and Penalty Controversies
The drama didn’t stop. Raphinha had a golden chance to score his third but missed the open net from a few yards out after a cross from Yamal. Then came the most debated moment of the night: a shot heading for goal was stopped by Tchouaméni’s outstretched arm. VAR asked Hernández to review it – he did, and stuck with his decision: no penalty.
Barca fans were livid. The arm was away from the body. But perhaps the pressure of Madrid’s season-long campaign against referees weighed heavily on the official’s mind. A fourth Barça goal would have all but ended the title race.
In the 88th minute, Ancelotti threw on 21-year-old debutant Munoz – and he nearly became an instant Madrid hero. Through on goal, one-on-one with Szczęsny… and missed! Mbappé also failed to score a fourth when faced with Szczęsny again.
In added time, substitute Fermín appeared to finish off Madrid for good – but Hernández disallowed the goal for a handball after reviewing the replay.
The Stats Say It All
El Clásico lived up to its name: 32 total shots (23 for Barca, 9 for Real), a combined 6.88 xG, three goals from Mbappé, two from Raphinha, and a relentless back-and-forth battle. But in the end, Barcelona won – and are now within touching distance of the La Liga 2024/25 title.
Published by Patrick Jane
11.05.2025