Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona: Kylian Mbappe and Co have a night to forget

by · Mail Online

Kylian Mbappe endured a night to forget as Real Madrid were hammed 4-0 by Barcelona in his first El Clasico on Saturday night. 

Carlo Ancelotti's side came into the tie on a 42-game unbeaten run in La Liga - one short of Barcelona's record - but they faced a determined Blaugrana outfit which was expertly drilled in defence and devastating in attack. 

Goals from Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and a brace from Robert Lewandowski inflicted a painful defeat on the defending champions and breathed more energy into Hansi Flick's Catalonia project. 

The German boss, appointed in the summer to replace club legend Xavi, was known to adopt an uber-offensive approach during his time in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich

In Barcelona, it appears Flick is able to benefit from the same strategy because of his side's defensive discipline as the visitors repeatedly caught Madrid's array of attackers offside. 

Robert Lewandowski took his tally in LaLiga this season to 14 goals after his brace
The 36-year-old opened the scoring with a pinpoint finish into the corner past Andriy Lunin
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha were on the scoresheet during the thumping win on Saturday
Kylian Mbappe twice had the ball in the back of the net but each effort was ruled out for offside

Mbappe had the ball in the back of the Barcelona net on two occasions but was ruled to be offside both times.

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Lamine Yamal gets his BRACES customised for El Clasico as Barcelona prepare to face Real Madrid

The Frenchman had countless more instances where he was found beyond the last defender when a through ball had been delivered. 

He was not the only culprit. Vinicius Jr, who scored a hat-trick in midweek to help Real Madrid fight back from 2-0 down to beat Borussia Dortmund, had a rare off night. 

Carlo Ancelotti's side were missing the electric Rodrygo through injury and his absence was keenly felt as the home side scratched around for inspiration as the match drifted away. 

The first half had been a fairly even affair, with Madrid starting the better of the two teams before Barcelona grew in confidence and began to string some beautiful passing sequences together. 

Barcelona broke the deadlock after interval when Robert Lewandowski netted his 13th LaLiga goal of the season, evading Madrid's offside trap and curling a pinpoint shot around the helpless Andriy Lunin. 

Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in El Clasico thanks to a thunderous right-footed drive
Raphinha rubbed salt into the Madrid wounds, just days after netting a hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-1 win over Bayern Munich
Madrid saw their 42-game unbeaten run in La Liga emphatically ended by their bitter rivals

The 36-year-old doubled his tally and the visitor's lead with an exquisite header from the edge of the six-yard box just two minutes later. 

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Fullback Alejandro Balde provided a perfect cross for the Polish forward to convert.

Lewandowski should have then completed a hat-trick, but missed when well placed in the box. 

Any hope the home side harboured of getting back into the game was extinguished 13 minutes before time when Yamal fired a right-footed shot into the roof of the net. 

In doing so, the 17-year-old became the youngest player to score in the history of El Clasico, beating a record held by Ansu Fati.

Seven minutes after that hammer blow, former Leeds star Raphinha rubbed salt into Real Madrid wounds with a deft lob over the onrushing Lunin.

Hansi Flick's side move six points clear at the top of LaLiga and have dropped points in only one game this season

Victory in the capital completed a truly stunning week for Flick and Barcelona, who have put eight goals past Bayern and Real within a matter of days. 

In fact, Barcelona have scored at least three goals in seven of their last eight matches. 

They now move six points clear at the top of LaLiga and have put the other teams in Spain and in Europe on notice.