Real Madrid Take Five-Point Lead After Beating Barcelona in First El Clásico of the Season
Date: October 26, 2025
Venue: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid
Competition: La Liga 2025-26, Matchday 10
Full-Time: Real Madrid 2 – 1 Barcelona
Real Madrid moved five points clear at the top of La Liga after a statement 3-1 win over arch-rivals Barcelona in the season’s first El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday night.
The result marks Xabi Alonso’s first El Clásico win as Madrid manager and ends Barcelona’s recent dominance in the fixture.
⚽ Match Summary
Real Madrid made an explosive start in front of a packed Bernabéu crowd of over 80,000. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 18th minute, slotting calmly past Marc-André ter Stegen after a slick pass from Jude Bellingham.
Barcelona hit back through Fermín López in the 35th minute, capitalising on a defensive lapse by Madrid’s right-back Dani Carvajal.
But just before halftime, Bellingham restored Madrid’s lead with a powerful finish from the edge of the box, igniting deafening celebrations inside the stadium.
In the second half, Vinícius Jr. sealed the win with a trademark solo run in the 78th minute, driving past two defenders before finishing low into the corner.
The England midfielder produced a defence-splitting through ball to tee up Kylian Mbappe for the 22nd-minute opener, before his 43rd-minute tap-in restored his side’s lead, five minutes after Fermin Lopez had levelled.
It was Bellingham’s fourth goal in five appearances in the clash between the league’s top two sides, with Xabi Alonso’s men moving five points clear of Barcelona as the game ended with Pedri sent off and clashes on the touchline.
Real lost all four Clasicos in all competitions last season, but from minute one set about breaching Barcelona’s high defensive line.
The hosts were awarded a penalty when Vinicius Jr went down inside the opening two minutes, but a video assistant referee (VAR) review determined the Real Madrid winger had kicked the leg of Lamine Yamal before he went down.
Ten minutes after VAR had ruled out a stunning 25-yard Mbappe volley from the edge of the box for a marginal offside, Bellingham spun away from Pedri before sliding a pass through to the French striker to slot past Wojciech Szczesny.
Madrid peppered Barca’s third-choice goalkeeper with shots, but were caught out by a 38th-minute counter-attack that ended with Marcus Rashford squaring for Fermin to equalise.
And more controversy followed as Hansi Flick’s side went behind again before the break.
Barcelona’s players felt Real defender Dean Huijsen fouled Pau Cubarsi as he tried to clear Eder Militao’s header across the face of goal, but Bellingham was left unmarked at the back post to score.
Mbappe was denied a second when he converted from another offside position following a magical team move started by Vinicius and Bellingham having his effort stopped.
The second half began with VAR intervening once again to award Los Blancos a debatable penalty when the ball inadvertently struck the hand of Eric Garcia as he slid in to challenge Bellingham and the rebound ricocheted back on to him.
Szczesny, though, produced a fine one-handed stop to keep out Mbappe’s spot-kick in the 52nd minute.
Bellingham then tapped in from Brahim Diaz’s low cross with 20 minutes remaining but, for a third time, Madrid were denied by an offside call.
The visitors struggled to test Real keeper Thibaut Courtois and the match ended in chaos with clashes on the touchline between the rivals.
Tempers flared after Pedri was shown a second yellow card for a lunge on Aurelien Tchouameni deep into injury-time.
Tactical Battle
Madrid’s decision to close the Bernabéu roof intensified the crowd noise — a clever psychological move that clearly energized the hosts. Xabi Alonso’s side pressed high, dominated possession, and constantly exploited spaces behind Barcelona’s full-backs.
Barcelona struggled to find rhythm. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal showed flashes of brilliance but was largely contained by Ferland Mendy and Antonio Rüdiger.
The midfield duel between Tchouaméni–Camavinga and Pedri–De Jong tilted in Madrid’s favour early on, setting the tone for the game.
Key Moments
- 18’ — Mbappé opens scoring after Bellingham assist (1-0)
- 35’ — Fermín López equalises for Barcelona (1-1)
- 42’ — Bellingham restores Madrid’s lead (2-1)
- 78’ — Vinícius Jr. seals victory with superb solo effort (3-1)
- 90+2’ — Madrid fans celebrate as Alonso applauds the crowd
The victory gives Real Madrid 28 points from 10 matches — five clear of second-placed Barcelona (23 points).
It also strengthens Madrid’s title credentials and sends a clear message that Xabi Alonso’s new-look side are serious contenders both domestically and in Europe.
For Barcelona, it’s a sobering defeat after a strong start to the campaign. Xavi’s men will now regroup ahead of their Champions League clash against Porto mid-week.
Post-Match Reactions
Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid coach):
“We played with courage, intensity, and unity. The fans were incredible — they pushed us every minute.”
Xavi Hernández (Barcelona coach):
“We made too many mistakes in key areas. Madrid were clinical; we were not.”
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid midfielder):
“El Clásico is special. To score and assist today is a dream.”
Match Highlights
- Real Madrid: vs Real Betis (Away) — November 1
- Barcelona: vs Valencia (Home) — November 2
With the win, Real Madrid not only claimed bragging rights in Spain’s biggest fixture but also tightened their grip on the La Liga title race. The Santiago Bernabéu roared like it hadn’t in years — and the message was clear: the balance of power is shifting back to Madrid.
Real Madrid go five points clear at the top of La Liga after a 3-1 win over Barcelona in El Clásico 2025. Mbappé, Bellingham, and Vinícius Jr. on target as Xabi Alonso earns first Clásico victory.