MADRID: Barcelona’s Rob­ert Lewandowski scored a quick-fire second-half double to set the leaders on course for a 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid that handed the hosts their first defeat in 42 La Liga games in a sensational El Clasico encounter on Saturday.

The Polish striker pounced with two goals in three minutes early in the second half before Lamine Yamal at 17 years and 106 days old became the youngest Clasico scorer and captain Raphinha wrapped up a comfortable win late on at a stunned the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Barca stretched their lead at the top with 30 points, six above Real who saw their unbeaten La Liga run come to a bitter end after 13 months, leaving them one tantalising positive result away from equalling the Catalans’ league record of 43.

“It’s a hard moment, a tough moment when you lose a game, (especially after) so many unbeaten,” admitted Real coach Carlo Ancelotti.

After four consecutive Clas­ico defeats, Barcelona claimed their first triumph over Real since March 2023 in style with a clinical performance in which they were true to coach Hansi Flick’s ideas of gambling with an aggressively high defence.

“We are very happy, very happy. To win here like this is a great victory,” Lewandowski told DAZN.

“The season is long, but this victory can help us with a lot more, with confidence and football ... so far we haven’t won anything, but the important thing is that we have a clear idea, we know where we want to go on.”

The visitors were more than comfortable playing on the counter-attack, exploiting the lightning speed of Raphinha and Yamal to help feed La Liga top scorer Lewandowski.

Real were on top at the start but became frustrated as they wasted several chances, mainly through off form Kylian Mbappe who missed four clear opening from close-range and was caught offside nine times, including having two goals ruled out.

Despite Real dominating proceedings, Barca kept playing their risk-taking tactics and the gamble paid off when the 36-year-old Lewandowski silen­ced the crowd with a two-goal blitz in the 54th and 56th minutes to reach 14 goals in 11 league games.

The hosts tried to get back into the contest but their batch of missed opportunities continued with Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and Mbappe wasting clear openings that infuriated their fans, who started booing the players.

Barcelona kept playing their game and it was a matter of time until they ended the contest with two more goals on the counter through the precocious Yamal after 77 minutes and the ever dangerous Raphinha six minutes from time.

Mbappe’s off key performance will have increased the growing concern in the Spanish capital over the France captain’s slow start at Real since he arrived from Paris St-Germain in June.

Three of the eight goals he has scored for Real in his first 13 games were penalties and he has found the net only once in the last five matches in all competitions.

“The star’s first Clasico was a cataclysm — a failure, stumbling eight times in Flick’s offside trap. Shrunken and without venom, he’s a worry,” wrote Madrid newspaper AS.

Ancelotti insisted his team had not been sent back to square one.

“I liked the first half, we have to follow that line,” said the coach. “We don’t have to throw everything in the bin, we just have to forget the last 30 minutes — we can’t give up, we just have to learn.

“We came out of the last def­eat well and we have to do the same, I am certain we will do better.”

The Italian coach was also optimistic, drawing on past experiences and highlighting the team’s resilience.

“The last time we lost 4-0 at home to Barcelona we won La Liga and the Champions League. We won’t stop fighting.”

Earlier on Saturday, third-placed Villarreal edged Real Valladolid 2-1 courtesy of a 84th minute strike by Ayoze Perez. Following the winner, Perez, 31, became the second-leading goal scorer in La Liga this season.

Meanwhile, Dodi Lukebakio scored a first half brace to help Sevilla record a 2-0 win against Espanyol while Las Palmas downed Girona 1-0.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2024