A 91st minute objective from Jude Bellingham sealed a 3-2 win for Actual Madrid over El Clasico rivals Barcelona on Sunday night.
The England star netted his third objective of the season in opposition to Barca within the dying embers of the sport, sealing not solely all three factors however probably the La Liga title too.
The win sees Madrid go a whopping 11 factors away from their arch rivals heading into the ultimate few weeks of the 2023/24 season.
How the sport unfolded
A somewhat sloppy opening 5 minutes from Actual Madrid had been duly capitalised upon by Barcelona, with the opening objective of the sport coming courtesy of Andreas Christensen.
The ex-Chelsea man rose highest on the again submit to nod residence his third ever objective for La Blaugrana, capitalising upon Andriy Lunin lacking an tried punched clearance so as to take action.
That objective woke Madrid up, and Los Blancos started to press ahead with actual intent after going behind. After just a few half-chances went begging, the house aspect had been gifted their first actual clear lower probability of the sport when Lucas Vazquez was felled within the penalty space by and over-stretched Pau Cubarasi.
Up stepped Vinicius Junior to take the consequence spot kick, and he made no mistake with it – curling into the underside proper nook of the online previous Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Within the twenty fifth minute, Barca would come inside a whisker of retaking the lead from one other nook kick. This time it was Robert Lewandowski who’d get his head on the set piece supply, nevertheless he was unable to direct his effort from the sting of the six-yard field on track – ballooning it over the crossbar as an alternative.
Madrid’s woes from nook kicks continued a couple of minutes later, when a low supply into the close to submit precipitated much more havoc within the Madrid field. Lamine Yamal’s backheel flick on the close to submit nearly caught Lunin out, with the Ukrainian nearly scooping the ball away from hazard earlier than it crossed the objective line.
Actual Madrid seemed notably somewhat knackered at the beginning of the second half, permitting Barca to take full management of proceedings. The most effective probability of the interval of domination for the guests would fall to substitute Ferran Torres who, after being performed by on objective following a fast counter assault, stabbed the ball previous Lunin and simply extensive of the submit.
Barca would ultimately get their effectively deserved objective within the 68th minute by Fermin Lopez. The midfielder reacted quickest within the coronary heart of the penalty space to latch onto a rebound to make it 2-1.
That lead did not final too lengthy, nevertheless, as as soon as once more Madrid had been capable of peg Barca again quickly after.
This time the equaliser would come courtesy of Lucas Vazquez, who ghosted in behind Joao Cancelo on the again submit to slip residence a curling cross from Vincius Junior.
Astonishingly, Madrid would web a winner within the 91st minute of the sport by Jude Bellingham.
The celebrity midfielder reacted shortly on the left of the penalty space to slip residence the ball after a Brahim Diaz cross discovered its method by two Barca defenders and into his path.
GK: Andriy Lunin – 4/10 – A really shaky outing for the goalkeeper. Each Barca targets may be chalked as much as errors from Lunin.
RB: Lucas Vazquez – 8/10 – Scored the all vital equaliser, and was implausible defensively too; profitable a whopping eight duels in the course of the sport.
CB: Aurelien Tchouameni – 5/10 – Regarded somewhat sluggish at instances in the course of the defence.
CB: Antonio Rudiger – 5/10 – One of many many Madrid gamers who seemed completely knackered after enjoying 120 minutes in opposition to Man Metropolis on Wednesday.
LB: Eduardo Camavinga – 4/10 – He could not lay a glove on Yamal. A disappointing outing.
CM: Federico Valverde – 6/10 – Used the ball effectively, finishing 92% of his passes and recovered possession on three events for his aspect too.
CM: Toni Kroos – 6/10 – A leggy outing, however that did not cease him from finishing 98% of his tried passes.
CM: Luka Modric – 7/10 – The most effective of Madrid’s deeper central gamers, the Croatian put in an actual shift within the coronary heart of the midfield.
AM: Jude Bellingham – 8/10 – The England celebrity as soon as once more got here up large in an enormous sport for Madrid. His 91st minute objective has all-but sealed the title for his membership.
ST: Rodrygo Goes – 7/10 – His direct working trigger Barca issues within the first half. He light within the second.
ST: Vinicius Junior – 8/10 – Madrid’s star man in El Clasico as soon as once more. His objective and help earned his staff a vital level on Sunday.
Substitutes
SUB: Brahim Diaz (71′ for Kroos) – 6/10
SUB: Fran Garcia (71′ for Camavinga) – 5/10
SUB: Eder Militao (74′ for Rodrygo) – 5/10
SUB: Joselu (82′ for Vinicius Junior) – 5/10
Supervisor – Carlo Ancelotti – 8/10 – Wins over Manchester Metropolis and Barcelona is kind of an achievement, even by Ancelotti’s lofty requirements.
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen – 6/10 – Made an excellent save late within the sport to disclaim Vinicius.
RB: Jules Kounde – 5/10 – The France defender was stored busy on the flank, being concerned in a whopping 13 duels in the course of the sport; profitable seven.
CB: Ronald Araujo – 6/10 – Adopted up his horror Champions League outing with a reasonably strong one in El Clasico.
CB: Pau Cubarsi – 5/10 – Gave away a penalty within the first half, however was largely strong in any other case.
LB: Joao Cancelo – 3/10 – As soon as once more, his lack of defensive consciousness value Barca this week. Cancelo was fully asleep within the lead as much as Madrid’s second objective.
CM: Frenkie de Jong – 6/10 – Tidy outing till his premature damage on the stroke of half-time.
CM: Andreas Christensen – 7/10 – Scored his third objective ever for Barca within the first half.
CM: Ilkay Gundogan – 7/10 – Barely put a foot flawed all night, finishing 99% of his passes.
RW: Lamine Yamal – 8/10 – Barca’s greatest participant by fairly a distance. The teen had the beating of Camavinga all night.
ST: Robert Lewandowski – 4/10 – Missed an excellent probability within the first half, and wasn’t fairly on the races all through.
LW: Raphinha – 5/10 – With the majority of Barca’s assaults coming from the appropriate flank, he hardly ever obtained concerned.
Substitutes
SUB: Fermin Lopez (45′ for De Jong) – 7/10
SUB: Pedri (45′ for Christensen) – 6/10
SUB: Joao Felix (64′ for Lewandowski) – 5/10
SUB: Ferran Torres (64′ for Raphinha) – 6/10
Supervisor – Xavi Hernandez – 7/10 – The supervisor did not do an excessive amount of flawed on the evening, with Barca usually enjoying fairly effectively.
Participant of the match: Vinicius Junior (Actual Madrid)
