Robert Lewandowski delivered a standout performance with two goals in three minutes, helping La Liga frontrunners Barcelona to a commanding victory over Real Madrid in El Clasico, widening their lead over their rivals by six points.
Real Madrid aimed to extend their unbeaten league streak to 43 games, a milestone that would have matched Barcelona’s record set between April 2017 and May 2018. However, Barcelona’s powerful second-half performance at the Bernabeu ended those hopes.
Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti reflected on the loss, saying, “It’s a hard moment, a tough moment when you lose a game, [especially after] so many unbeaten.”
After a scoreless first half, Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 54th minute, expertly finishing a through ball from Marc Casado. Just moments later, he struck again, nodding Alejandro Balde’s cross into the bottom corner, putting Barcelona in firm control.
Lewandowski nearly completed a hat-trick, with one attempt hitting the woodwork and another sailing over the crossbar from a promising position.
Adding to the drama, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal scored Barcelona’s third goal with a brilliant strike into the top corner, setting a new record as the youngest scorer in El Clasico history. Raphinha then chipped in a fourth goal late in the match, marking his first-ever goal against Real Madrid.
Real’s Kylian Mbappe had a challenging introduction to El Clasico, with two of his goals ruled offside and another stopped by Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Inaki Pena.
By MyABCLive.com, sourced from bbc.com
