Barcelona sink Real Madrid with thrilling Clasico comeback as LaLiga title beckons | OneFootball

Barca quickly erase early deficit to go seven points clear of fiercest rivals with only three games left to play this season

Barcelona took a giant step towards the LaLiga title with a thrilling comeback win over Real Madrid in a seven-goal epic in El Clasico.

Barcelona will now see their 28th LaLiga title confirmed on Wednesday night if Real Madrid do not win at home to Real Mallorca, otherwise they can seal it themselves in another derby away at Espanyol 24 hours later.

It was a disappointing end to his final Clasico in charge of Los Blancos for Carlo Ancelotti, who is expected to leave the club in the coming weeks and be replaced in the dugout by Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso.

His team simply had to win on Sunday to keep their title hopes alive and take the race to the wire, but could not get the job done despite their commanding early lead and will now end the season without major silverware, aside from the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Arguably the most famous match and rivalry in world football rarely lacks for drama and entertainment, but Sunday’s latest edition in Catalonia arguably hit new heights as a stunning spectacle.

Kylian Mbappe’s double had Real Madrid 2-0 up inside just a quarter of an hour at a sun-soaked Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, still Barca’s temporary home as extensive renovation works continue on the Camp Nou, the French superstar first drilling home a low fifth-minute penalty after he was brought down by Wojciech Szczesny following a mistake by Pau Cubarsi.

Mbappe finished off a blistering counter-attack to extend the advantage just nine minutes later despite claims of a foul by Fran Garcia on Lamine Yamal in the build-up, though Barca - as they did in both legs of their classic tie against Inter - once again rallied impressively and swiftly from an early deficit.

They began to press relentlessly and laid siege to the opposition box, Eric Garcia flicking past Thibaut Courtois from close range from a corner to start the comeback after 19 minutes, before Yamal curled in a wonderful first-time finish to restore parity.

Raphinha made it two goals in as many minutes as Barcelona needed just 20 to wipe out that early Madrid lead entirely and edge in front themselves.

The Brazilian, having headed wide from Yamal’s pinpoint cross, scored again just before half-time to make it 4-2 after dispossessing stand-in Madrid captain Lucas Vazquez and receiving the ball back from Ferran Torres, who had a hat-trick of first-half assists as he deputised up front for top scorer Robert Lewandowski, an unused substitute after returning from a hamstring injury off the bench at the San Siro.

Just before that, Mbappe earned what he thought was a second penalty for Madrid following a challenge by Frenkie de Jong, but referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez eventually reversed his decision following a VAR check due to an offside call against Jude Bellingham.

Mbappe shot low past Szczesny in the final seconds of the opening period after being played in by Bellingham, only to be denied by the offside flag.

Real Madrid sent on both Luka Modric and Brahim Diaz at the interval in search of a pulsating comeback of their own, but it was Barcelona who remained in firm control as Yamal was also thwarted by an offside decision after tapping home Raphinha’s unselfish pass.

They lost Cubarsi to a knock and Madrid began to have more success, with Mbappe ensuring a grandstand finish when he was teed up by Vinicius Jr to stroke in for his hat-trick goal with 20 minutes to go.

Courtois denied Yamal before Raphinha somehow slid over at the back post, while Courtois saved from Yamal again before Ferran’s follow-up attempt hit the hand of Aurelien Tchouameni, with the referee declining to award a penalty to Barcelona after being sent to watch replays on the pitchside monitor.

More chances came thick and fast at both ends, with the best falling to 21-year-old Real Madrid winger Victor Munoz, who could not equalise with a glorious opportunity after replacing the injured Vinicius Jr.

Mbappe was denied by Szczesny and then saw another goal rightly ruled out for offside after he flicked in from close range following a Tchouameni header from a Modric corner.

Substitute Fermin Lopez looked to have wrapped up another statement Clasico victory for Barcelona in stoppage time in some style, though his rifled effort was eventually disallowed for handball.

No matter, with prospective Double winners Barcelona holding on to all-but guarantee a title that will see them move within eight of Madrid’s record of 36.