Barcelona beat Real Madrid and sealed the LaLiga title. Flick’s men were superior to Ancelotti’s side and managed to come back from two early goals by Mbappé, who now trails by seven points with only nine to play for. Only a catastrophe could now prevent the Blaugrana from winning the title.
It was not just any afternoon of football at the Lluis Companys. This stadium may have witnessed the most important match before Barcelona returns to the Camp Nou. The tension was palpable, that of a confident home team, but one that knew that, after their tough Champions League elimination, a defeat today could complicate their chances of winning the league title. The visitors arrived with the aim of ensuring that LaLiga did not end here, knowing that the season had not been good but that there was still a slim chance of salvaging it. The mentality was to give it a go, but the scenario was not the most favorable.
Mbappé strikes for Real Madrid
And the match could not have started in a more heated and controversial manner. Just three minutes into the game, he crossed to Vinicius, Cubasrsi failed to control the ball, leaving Mbappé, who was further forward at the time of the pass, alone and he was brought down by Szczesny, resulting in a penalty. The VAR was consulted, but it was deemed that the center back had made a mistake and that the Madrid striker’s position was legal. He took the penalty himself, grazing the goalkeeper. Only five minutes had passed and the Whites were already in the lead.
Little time had passed and Real Madrid seemed very focused on the game: another steal, in the 13th minute, between Ceballos and Valverde, led to a lethal counterattack. Vinicius, with space on the left wing, left Mbappé completely alone in front of Szczęsny. He had time to think and beat the keeper with his right foot. Real Madrid struck hard against a Barcelona side that had not yet recovered from their elimination against Inter.
Barcelona’s reaction and a blow to LaLiga
But the game gave no respite and Barcelona tried to react, and boy did they react. Barely five minutes later, from a corner kick from the left by Dani Olmo, Ferrán flicked the ball on at the near post, Eric García shot from inside the six-yard box, point-blank, to reduce the deficit and bring his team back into the game.
Barcelona kept pushing, didn’t let up, and in the 31st minute, Barcelona equalized with a left-footed shot from Lamin Yamal after a cross from the center. The Spanish international pulled out all the stops to put the ball past Courtois and tie the game.
And just a minute later, Pedri stole the ball after Ceballos and Mbappé collided, losing a silly ball in midfield. The Canary Islander passed to Raphinha, who scored the goal that turned the game around. It was a stunning blow from a Barcelona side that had been slow to get into the game but knew how to turn the situation around.
With just one minute to go before the end of the first half, Lucas Vázquez inexplicably lost control of the ball on the edge of his area. Raphinha, who never gives up on a ball, stole it, played it to Ferrán, who returned it to him to fire past Courtois and leave the score at 4-2 at half-time.
Real Madrid did not give up
In the second half, Real Madrid threw everything forward in search of an impossible comeback. Barcelona were on top and looked set for a fifth, but the Whites kept waiting. In the 70th minute, Madrid launched a counterattack. Vinicius and Mbappé were alone with the whole field open. The Brazilian passed to the Frenchman to score his hat-trick and set up a thrilling finale.
But it had all been decided in the first half and the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Barcelona continued to try to finish them off, Real Madrid kept fighting, without giving up, but aware that the feat was almost impossible. The match had everything: goals, controversial comebacks, tension, and a title at stake, and Barcelona showed what it has shown all season, that it knows how to rise to any adversity and that it has done more to be league champions.
Barcelona seals LaLiga with this victory. Flick‘s men came back from two early goals to leave Ancelotti’s side with no chance, seven points clear with nine to go. Barcelona now need just two draws to be champions. The Whites put an end to a season that has fallen far short of expectations at the start of the campaign.