Bellingham seals Real Madrid’s Clasico win vs Barcelona

MADRID: Jude Bellingham’s decisive goal helped La Liga leaders Real Madrid beat archrivals Barcelona 2-1 in a tense El Clasico clash vs their bitter rivals on Sunday, moving five points clear at the top of the table.

Barcelona, who won all four meetings vs Madrid last season, saw their dominance ended as Xabi Alonso claimed his first Clasico victory as Real Madrid coach.

Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring for the hosts after a clever setup from Bellingham, before Fermín López equalised for Barca against the run of play. But Bellingham restored Madrid’s lead before half-time, tapping in after Éder Militão’s header — a goal that ultimately decided the high-stakes encounter vs the Catalans.

Madrid could have extended their advantage after the break, but Wojciech Szczęsny denied Mbappé from the penalty spot following Eric García’s handball.

Barca, missing several key players including Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Dani Olmo, struggled to create chances. Teenager Lamine Yamal, who had mocked Los Blancos earlier in the week, faced loud jeers from Madrid fans and failed to make an impact.

❗️Araujo: "’m not going to talk about Lamine today. I’ll just say he’s a great professional, and we’re happy to have him with us." pic.twitter.com/MLsJMTs1ho

— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) October 26, 2025

Pedri was sent off late on for a second yellow card as tempers flared in stoppage time.

Madrid’s ninth win in ten league games reaffirmed their title credentials and served as redemption after their derby loss vs Atletico Madrid last month.

“We did what we had to do,” said midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni. “Against Atletico we didn’t play how we wanted, but today vs Barcelona we showed what we’re capable of.”

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Assistant coach Marcus Sorg, standing in for suspended Hansi Flick, played down the defeat. “The season is long — there are 28 games left, and we’re not panicking,” he said.

Despite Barcelona’s late push — even sending defender Ronald Araújo up front — Thibaut Courtois remained largely untested as Madrid saw out a deserved win vs their greatest rivals.