Raphinha Shines as Barcelona Edge Real Madrid 4-3 in Thrilling Clasico

Barcelona produced a stunning comeback to defeat arch-rivals Real Madrid 4-3 in a dramatic Clasico at the Montjuic Olympic Stadium on Sunday, with Raphinha scoring twice to lead the charge. The win not only marked Barca’s fourth consecutive victory over their bitter rivals this season but also put them on the verge of clinching their 28th LaLiga crown.

After a painful midweek Champions League semi-final exit to Inter Milan in extra time, Xavi’s side responded in emphatic style. Falling two goals behind within 15 minutes, Barcelona roared back to claim a vital three points that now extends their lead at the top of the table to seven points over second-placed Real Madrid — with just three matches remaining.

Blistering Real Madrid Start

Carlo Ancelotti’s side exploded out of the blocks, with Kylian Mbappe netting twice early to silence the home crowd. The Frenchman opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the fifth minute after being brought down by Wojciech Szczesny, and doubled Real’s lead nine minutes later, finishing off a swift counterattack set up by Vinicius Jr.

But the early advantage soon crumbled.

Barca’s Rapid Response

Barcelona showed resilience and purpose, finding their way back into the match through Eric Garcia, who headed home from a corner in the 19th minute. Lamine Yamal then brought the Montjuic crowd to their feet in the 32nd minute with a stunning curling strike from the right edge of the box, leaving Thibaut Courtois rooted as the ball nestled inside the far post.

Barely two minutes later, a costly midfield error by Mbappe gifted possession to Barcelona, allowing Raphinha to break forward and finish coolly to give the hosts the lead.

Real thought they had earned a lifeline with a second penalty late in the half, only for VAR to intervene and rule it out for an earlier offside. A minute later, a defensive mishap from Lucas Vazquez presented Raphinha with an easy finish for his second of the night, making it 4-2 before the break.

Second-Half Drama

Barcelona dominated the ball in the second half and continued to carve out chances, but were repeatedly denied by Courtois, who kept Real in the game with a series of outstanding saves.

Real pulled one back in the 70th minute, when Vinicius Jr. again burst down the right flank to tee up Mbappe for his hat-trick. The reigning champions pushed hard for an equaliser, but Barcelona held firm in the final stages.

Title Race Nears Its Conclusion

The result leaves Real Madrid on the brink of finishing the season empty-handed. Barcelona, meanwhile, could secure the LaLiga title as early as Wednesday if Real fail to win at Mallorca. Even if Madrid manage a victory, a Barcelona win against Espanyol in Thursday’s city derby would officially crown them champions.

Speaking after the match, young star Yamal summed up the mood in the Barcelona camp: “It was very important to win today, especially after the disappointment in the Champions League. Suffering teaches you to correct your mistakes — now we’re so close to the title.”

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti remained philosophical: “It was a match fought until the last second. We competed well, but it didn’t go our way. Credit to both teams for a great game.”

As the season draws to a thrilling close, Barcelona now stand poised to reclaim domestic dominance — while Real Madrid are left to reflect on a campaign that promised much but appears destined to end without silverware.

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