Mbappé, Bellingham seal El clasico win against Barcelona

Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham struck in the first half at the Santiago Bernabeu, lifting Madrid five points clear of Barcelona after 10 rounds. The match ended with heated scenes, as players and substitutes clashed following a red card to Pedri in stoppage time.

Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal and Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior were among those involved in the confrontation, both during and after the match. Yamal’s pre-game remarks had already drawn attention from Madrid supporters, and Vinícius repeatedly gestured that the teenager was talking too much.

“It’s just the tension of a tight game,” Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said. “This is a clasico. Things happen. We don’t need to exaggerate.”

Bellingham posted “Talk is cheap” on Instagram, pointing to the significance of the win and praising the team’s performance. The England midfielder also dedicated the result to supporters, noting Madrid’s previous struggles in big fixtures.

Mbappé on target

VAR played a major role early on. A second-minute penalty for Madrid and a long-range Mbappé strike minutes later were both overturned after video review.

But Mbappé broke through in the 22nd, slotting home from Bellingham’s assist. Barcelona hit back through Fermín López in the 38th after Marcus Rashford capitalized on a Madrid turnover. Bellingham restored the advantage in the 43rd, tapping in from close range after Éder Militão kept a Vinícius cross alive.

Wojciech Szczesny denied Mbappé from the spot early in the second half, but Madrid held firm to secure their 12th win in 13 matches across all competitions. The only blemish remains September’s 5-2 loss at Atletico Madrid.

Meanwhile, Barcelona — hampered by injuries to key attackers including Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Dani Olmo — suffered their third defeat of the campaign. It was in stark contrast to last season, when they dominated all four clasico meetings.

Yamal, in just his third match back from injury, found limited space against Madrid fullback Álvaro Carreras throughout the evening.

Reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was sent off after the final whistle, while Vinícius, furious when substituted in the 72nd minute, was booked amid the escalation.

“We will address those emotions internally,” Alonso added. “Right now we celebrate a big win.”

VAR drama from the start

The referee reversed his early penalty call after deciding Vinícius had kicked Yamal’s leg himself. A later offside review also denied Mbappé. Pedri’s dismissal for a late challenge on Aurélien Tchouaméni in stoppage time capped the game’s fiery finish.

Around La Liga

Elsewhere on Sunday, Mallorca drew 1-1 with Levante, Celta Vigo earned a 3-2 win at Osasuna thanks to Pablo Duran’s late strike, and Alemão sealed Rayo Vallecano’s 1-0 victory over Alaves in stoppage time, reports UNB.