Real Madrid came out on top in a dramatic El Clásico encounter at the Santiago Bernabéu, edging Barcelona 2-1 in a game filled with VAR controversy and end-to-end football.

Mbappé and Bellingham strike, but Barcelona hit back

The match kicked off at a frantic pace, with Real Madrid thought to have taken an early lead through Kylian Mbappé in the 12th minute, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside.

Madrid eventually broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when Mbappé latched onto Jude Bellingham’s through ball and slotted calmly past Wojciech Szczęsny.

Barcelona responded mintues later, with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Balde combining brilliantly down the left.

Their move set up Fermín López, who drilled home a low finish in the 38th minute to level the score before halftime.

Penalty drama and late pressure

The second half delivered its fair share of controversy when Real Madrid were awarded a penalty after a handball by Eric García.

However, Kylian Mbappé’s spot-kick was superbly saved by Szczęsny to keep Barcelona in the game.

Meanwhile, Hansi Flick’s men buoyed by their possession, stayed composed and continued to press high, denying Madrid the freedom to play through midfield.

Substitute Ronald Araújo made key interventions to keep Mbappé and Rodrygo quiet, while young Lamine Yamal’s energy on the wing troubled Madrid’s backline.

Barcelona pushed hard in the closing stages, with Courtois forced into several saves to keep them alive. Yet, Real Madrid’s resilience held firm as they saw out the win to secure a vital three points in the title race.