Barcelona Triumphs Over Real Madrid in 4-3 Thriller, Moves Within Reach of La Liga Title

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona took a massive step toward reclaiming the La Liga title on Sunday with a pulsating 4-3 comeback win over arch-rivals Real Madrid, overcoming a hat trick from Kylian Mbappé to notch a fourth consecutive El Clásico victory this season.

Raphinha’s brace, along with goals from Lamine Yamal and Eric Garcia, secured a dramatic triumph at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, pushing Hansi Flick’s team seven points ahead of second-place Real Madrid with just three matches remaining. A slip-up by Los Blancos against Mallorca midweek could now mathematically crown Barcelona as 2024-25 La Liga champions.

Mbappé, who joined Real Madrid last summer amid soaring expectations, delivered yet another standout performance. The French forward netted twice in the opening 14 minutes to stun the Catalan crowd and added a third in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to stop Barcelona’s electric resurgence.

The game opened with controversy, as Mbappé earned a penalty in the 8th minute after being brought down by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny. Barcelona protested that he was offside in the buildup, but the call stood. Szczęsny guessed correctly but couldn’t prevent Mbappé’s spot-kick from hitting the back of the net.

Moments later, Vinícius Júnior set up Mbappé for his second with a clever through ball, which the Frenchman rifled past Szczęsny to make it 2-0. Barcelona’s coaching staff were livid, arguing Yamal had been fouled earlier in the play, but the goal stood.

Down two goals early, Flick’s youthful side responded with energy and conviction. Gerard Martin forced a save from Thibaut Courtois, and from the resulting corner, Ferran Torres flicked the ball to Eric Garcia, who nodded home to cut the deficit.

Barcelona didn’t take long to draw level. In the 27th minute, Yamal, just 17, curled a beautiful finish past Courtois after receiving a smart layoff from Torres. Two minutes later, Pedri slipped a pass to Raphinha, who fired Barcelona into the lead with a drilled finish from inside the box.

Madrid, reeling from Barcelona’s three-goal blitz in just 12 minutes, attempted to regroup, but the Catalans kept the pressure on. Raphinha nearly added a fourth before halftime, heading just over from a sensational Yamal cross. But he would get his second before the break, dispossessing Lucas Vázquez on the edge of the box, playing a one-two with Torres, and slotting past Courtois for a 4-2 advantage at halftime.

Mbappé thought he had struck again in first-half stoppage time, but the goal was ruled offside. Yamal also had a goal chalked off early in the second half for the same reason.

Flick introduced fresh legs, including Alejandro Balde and Andreas Christensen, as Barcelona sought to manage the final 45 minutes. But Real Madrid wasn’t finished. In the 70th minute, Vinícius picked out Mbappé on the break, and the striker completed his hat trick with a calm finish past Szczęsny to make it 4-3.

Ancelotti’s side pushed for a late equalizer, with Victor Muñoz skying a golden opportunity and Szczęsny denying Mbappé once more. Fermin López appeared to seal it with a dazzling solo goal late on, but it was disallowed for a handball.

Still, Barcelona held firm through the frantic final moments, earning a vital win that could define their season. After a crushing Champions League semifinal exit to Inter Milan, the performance restored belief and placed La Liga glory within reach.

“It was essential to win after the Champions League defeat,” said Yamal postgame. “The fans needed this, and so did we. We’re close now — we just have to finish the job.”

Mbappé, whose 26 league goals now lead the scoring charts, may have delivered a career-defining performance, but it was Barcelona’s collective resilience and attacking flair that defined this edition of El Clásico — and perhaps the 2024-25 title race.