Bellingham decides the Classic and brings the title closer to Real Madrid
The leader beat (3-2) a FC Barcelona team that took the lead on two occasions, but could not stop the final momentum of the leader
MADRID, 21 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid beat FC Barcelona (3-2) this Sunday in the Clásico on matchday 32 of LaLiga EA Sports 2023-2024, in a match that was decided in stoppage time with a goal from Jude Bellingham, after the blaugranas They took the lead twice in a tense match at times and without much brilliance, which nevertheless brought the Madrid League title closer.
In a subdued atmosphere, something inappropriate for this type of match, the Clásico was decided in injury time. It was star Bellingham, who had not scored since February, who scored the final goal, capping a fantastic week – after advancing to the semi-finals of the Champions League -. Before, Vinícius, from a penalty, and Lucas Vázquez, equalized the goals of Christensen and Fermín. A victory that tastes like a title for the whites, who win the three Clásicos of the season against Barça and are 11 points behind their rival, already savoring the League title.
Two inaccuracies by Lunin and Vinícius in their own field led to the first two scares. Precisely, a back pass to no one from the Brazilian forced a defensive action by Kroos that was a corner, in which Christensen finished almost without jumping due to the poor start of the Ukrainian to put his team ahead. The white goalkeeper, who had just been a hero in Manchester, did not start the Clásico on the right foot, quickly tipping the balance towards the Barça side.
With the score at 0-1, Ancelotti’s men advanced their lines a few meters. Not two minutes later – with 70% possession in the first 10 minutes -, they enjoyed an unbeatable action to get hooked again, but ‘Vini’ sent a high pass into Modric’s area. The Rio native had another good chance with a header that was not precise, while Barça relied on Yamal’s dangerous runs on the right, who made Lunin work.
However, the home team’s dominance with the ball resulted in a tie when not even 20 minutes had passed. Lucas Vázquez insisted on the right and dribbled past a hitherto fragile Cancelo, entering the area and cutting back Cubarsi, who hit his right leg. Soto Grado did not hesitate to point out a penalty that Vinícius converted – his thirteenth goal in the League -.
From there, Real Madrid’s best minutes came, while Barça suffered by defending too far back and only stretching with set pieces. And it was in another corner, the torture of the locals, when Barça was able to take the lead again with a backheel from an active and dangerous Lamine Yamal at the first post that he took on the line, with suspense from the VAR, Lunin, redeeming himself of his initial mistake.
The young winger was a pain in the neck for Camavinga, unable to keep up with him at speed. Xavi’s men took a breath with more possession, inaugurating the most equal minutes of the Classic, with both teams trying to exploit their weapons without success.
Not even with the clearest of targets, with Vinícius facing alone after a sensational theft from Bellingham. But the ‘7’, who was able to shoot, preferred to backheel to Rodrygo who did not finish due to a precise defensive action by Christensen. The first 45 minutes ended with the worst Barça news, as De Jong had to leave on a stretcher after a split ball that Valverde dealt with more forcefully. It was Pedri’s moment.
The exit from the locker room confirmed the somewhat cold atmosphere at the Bernabéu, with the teams without showing too much fang and with a slow pace. Only Yamal on the right and a shot from the Bellingham front made the fan get up from his seat. That heavier cadence benefited Barça and its long possessions, while the 2-1 for Real Madrid went into limbo in a counterattack that Vinícius failed to convert after a run of more than 30 meters.
Xavi tried to shake up the match by bringing on Ferran Torres and Joao Félix. And it was the ‘shark’ who enjoyed a great opportunity when he entered the area after a great gallop that did not culminate in a counterattack, although he was offside. Barcelona was better in that pasty rhythm, and it was in a play that seemed isolated when Lamine Yamal served a good threaded ball that Lunin stretched out, whose rebound reached Fermín who did not miss and made it 1-2, silencing the Bernabéu even more .
But the script of the game did not end there, and Ancelotti’s men, aware that not losing allowed them to almost secure the title, kept trying and found the prize just three minutes later. In Vinícius’ umpteenth attempt on the left, this time he chose to center and found Lucas Vázquez alone, without the marking of a lost Cancelo, who finished off first to tie (2-2) and wake up the Madrid fiefdom.
The Madrid ‘7’ was able to score another dangerous counter thanks to an exceptional long delivery from Lunin, but he hesitated whether to assist Brahim, who had entered for Kroos, or whether to finish, opting for the latter, to the dummy and when it was too late . The match entered a crazy phase in the final minutes, with blows from both sides, although without much danger for the goalkeepers.
And the madness broke out in stoppage time, with a goal from Bellingham after a pass from Lucas Vázquez from the right. The Bernabéu, which saw how its team had to suffer and defend the 3-2 lead until the end, quickly threw itself into the arms of its star and celebrated with its team a title that is closer, thanks to an 11-point lead. In fact, the stadium held out after the final whistle to sing the anthem and the classic ‘champions, champions’.
–RESULT: REAL MADRID, 3 – FC BARCELONA, 2. (1-1, at halftime).
REAL MADRID: Lunin; Lucas Vázquez, Tchouameni, Rüdiger, Camavinga (Fran García, min.71); Modric, Kroos (Brahim, min.71), Valverde, Bellingham; Rodrygo (Miltao, min.74) and Vinícius (Joselu, min.81).
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Araujo, Koundé, Cubarsi, Cancelo; Christensen (Fermin, min.46), De Jong (Pedri, min.45 7), Gündogan; Yamal, Lewandowski (Ferran Torres, 64th minute) and Raphinha (Joao Felix, 64th minute).
0 – 1, min. 6, Christensen.
1 – 1, min.18, Vinícius, penalty.
1 – 2, min.69, Fermín López.
2 – 2, min.73, Lucas Vázquez.
3 – 2, min.90 1, Jude Bellingham.
–REFEREE: Soto Grado (C. Riojano). He cautioned (Camavinga, min.33), Vinícius (min.75) and Modric (min.83) at Real Madrid. And to Koundé (Min.75) and Cubarsí (min.90) by FC Barcelona.
–Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
