BARCELONA, May 12 — Real Madrid’s season-long balancing act came crashing down on Sunday as Barcelona surged ahead in the La Liga title race with a dramatic 4-3 comeback win, despite a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick.
BARCELONA, May 12 — Real Madrid’s season-long balancing act came crashing down on Sunday as Barcelona surged ahead in the La Liga title race with a dramatic 4-3 comeback win, despite a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick.
Mbappe’s goals gave Madrid a two-goal lead, but the Catalan side stormed back to seal victory — a result that could have been even more emphatic if not for controversial refereeing decisions that favored Madrid in the final minutes.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti had recognized early in the season the challenge of integrating star summer signing Mbappe with established talents Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo, all while trying to maintain balance in the squad.
After a dominant 2024 campaign with just two losses en route to La Liga and Champions League triumphs, Madrid have now endured 14 defeats this season — four of them to Barcelona — and are poised to finish without a major title.
Sunday’s defeat at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium leaves Madrid seven points behind their rivals with only three games remaining.
Mbappe was the standout performer in the latest Clásico, notching a treble to surpass Robert Lewandowski as La Liga’s top scorer with 27 goals.
“Mbappe was the only resistance,” wrote Mundo Deportivo. “Madrid faced the Clásico with one tank and 10 tin soldiers — and Barca knocked them all down.”
BARCELONA, May 12 — Real Madrid’s season-long balancing act came crashing down on Sunday as Barcelona surged ahead in the La Liga title race with a dramatic 4-3 comeback win, despite a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick.
The French forward also broke Ivan Zamorano’s 1993 record for most goals in a debut Madrid season, reaching 39.
According to AS, “The team’s flagship figure is Mbappe.” Despite not being at his absolute best all year, he has outshone the rest of Madrid’s “fantastic four.”
While Madrid conceded 16 goals in their four Clásico losses this season — scoring only seven — Mbappe netted five of those.
He also scored in every final Madrid reached this season, contributing to wins in the European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup, and defeats in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. In contrast, neither Vinicius nor Bellingham scored in any of the four matches against Barcelona.
“The changing of the guard is real,” added AS. “The path forward is clear: Mbappe and 24 others.”
Although Mbappe struggled in Madrid’s Champions League exits to Atletico Madrid and Arsenal, his hat-trick against Manchester City showed the brilliance Los Blancos had hoped for.
With better support in defence and midfield, Mbappe is expected to be central to Madrid’s future title ambitions.
“He did well,” said Ancelotti, praising how Mbappe exploited Barcelona’s high line — though he admitted frustration with his team’s poor defending. “It was clear we defended badly,” he said bluntly.
BARCELONA, May 12 — Real Madrid’s season-long balancing act came crashing down on Sunday as Barcelona surged ahead in the La Liga title race with a dramatic 4-3 comeback win, despite a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick.
Ancelotti is expected to leave at season’s end, with Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso set to take over and face the task of optimizing Madrid’s wealth of attacking talent.
As Vinicius and Rodrygo continue to struggle for form and Bellingham’s early-season spark fades, it’s clear Mbappe will lead Madrid’s next era. — AFP
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