Real Madrid now lead alone in La Liga after the 3-1 victory over Barcelona in El Clasico. Coach Ancelotti's men made good use of the opportunities at the right moment, causing the rivals their first defeat in the championship.
It was Karim Benzema who opened the series of goals for Madrid in the 12th minute of the match. The Frenchman was accurate in front of goal, as Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved Vinicius Jr's first-time shot, but was unable to stop the Real Madrid veteran. Before the end of the first half, the hosts would score another goal, and this time the protagonist was Fede Valverde. The talented midfielder hit the ball beautifully at the entrance of the area, giving Ter Stegen no chance to react properly. The first half ended with the Galaxy's double advantage.
In the second, Barcelona managed to find the net only in the 83rd minute of the meeting with Ferran Torres. The forward sent the ball into the net after Robert Lewandowski's pass, and for a moment there was the idea that the Catalans could overturn the result. However, Madrid managed the situation quite well, waiting for the right moment for the Catalan defense to leave open spaces.
As a result, Real was awarded a penalty in the extra minutes of the match. Rodrygo was accurate from the penalty spot and the reigning Spanish champions sealed a 3-1 victory over their historic rivals.
Despite good performances in La Liga, defeat in El Clasico could prove quite costly for coach Xavi. Barcelona risks being eliminated from the Champions League groups, and in this case, La Liga will remain the only major trophy that the Catalans will still be in contention to win. However, everything still remains open in Spain, as the difference between leaders Real and Barca is only 3 points.