Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham celebrates with teammates after scoring his facet’s third purpose through the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona on the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, on April 21, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
With a late strike by Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid took an enormous step towards profitable the Spanish league.
Bellingham, who shortly grew to become one in every of Madrid’s most necessary gamers after his switch final 12 months, possible sealed the title on Sunday by scoring a stoppage-time winner in a 3-2 victory over Barcelona within the remaining “clasico” of the season.
Barcelona twice took the lead on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium however Madrid rallied to win for a cushty 11-point cushion over its second-place rival getting into the ultimate six rounds.
Bellingham scored the profitable purpose from a tough angle one minute into stoppage time with a left-foot strike into the highest of the web after a cross towards the far submit by Lucas Vázquez, who additionally scored and arrange a purpose by Vinícius Júnior.
“He hadn’t scored in a while but scored a goal that could be crucial for us winning the Spanish league,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated of the 20-year-old midfielder.
Bellingham hadn’t discovered the web in his final six appearances for Madrid in all competitions. The England worldwide had scored each targets for Madrid when it gained 2-1 at Barcelona within the first league clasico of the season.
It was the third straight win for Madrid over Barcelona this season. Madrid is unbeaten in 26 league video games, since shedding at Atletico Madrid in September.
“The title is a lot closer now. It was a vital match, we had to win it, and we did it,” Ancelotti stated. “It was an even game, against a strong opponent that was doing all it could to get back into the title race again.”
The clasico got here 4 days after Madrid eradicated Manchester City on penalties in England to advance to the Champions League semifinals. Barcelona had been eradicated a day earlier by Paris Saint-Germain after a loss at residence, leaving the league because the Catalan group’s solely title alternative for the season.
Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, the hero for Madrid within the shootout in opposition to City, miscalculated a cross into the world in Barcelona’s first purpose and failed to totally clear a ball in entrance of the purpose within the second.
Barcelona, the defending league champion, got here to the Spanish capital wanting to revive its title possibilities and took an early lead with a header by Andreas Christensen six minutes into the match.
The hosts equalized with Vinícius changing an 18th-minute penalty kick earlier than Barcelona went forward once more with Fermín López’s purpose from shut vary within the 69th. Vázquez, who was fouled after a run inside the world to immediate the penalty transformed by Vinícius, evened the match once more after a cross by the Brazil ahead within the 73rd.
Vázquez was one of many modifications made to the squad by Ancelotti after the match in opposition to City. He additionally used Luka Modric alongside Toni Kroos in midfield, and Aurélien Tchouaméni within the protection.
Barcelona loudly complained in regards to the penalty awarded to Madrid and wished one for itself after a problem on López within the second half. It additionally complained over a possible purpose within the first half when it wasn’t clear if the ball crossed the purpose line earlier than Lunin batted it away. It took a number of moments earlier than video evaluate decided that it was not a purpose.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández, possible making his final clasico look after saying he’ll go away the membership on the finish of the season, stated his group performed higher and deserved to win.
“I said yesterday that I hoped the referee wouldn’t make any mistake and that he would go unnoticed, but none of that happened,” Xavi stated. “It’s a disgrace. It was not a good consequence. Everyone noticed it”
Xavi said Barcelona would not give up on the league just yet but recognized that it was all-but-over and that Madrid had to be congratulated for its campaign.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong left the field on a stretcher late in the first half after hurting his right leg in a clash with Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde.
The match marked the debut of the new state-of-the-art 360-degree video scoreboard at the renovated Bernabeu.
Among those in attendance at the Bernabeu were tennis great Novak Djokovic, former NFL star Tom Brady and actor Andy Garcia.
Atletico struggles
Atletico Madrid adopted up its Champions League elimination with a 2-0 loss at Alaves within the Spanish league, lacking an opportunity to strengthen its maintain on fourth place.
The defeat in opposition to Thirteenth-place Alaves saved Atletico solely three factors forward of fifth-place Athletic Bilbao within the struggle for a Champions League spot subsequent season. Athletic had been held to a 1-1 draw in opposition to relegation-threatened Granada at residence on Friday.
Atletico failed to advance within the Champions League after shedding to Borussia Dortmund 5-4 on combination following a 4-2 loss in Germany on Tuesday.
Alaves, which had misplaced three league matches in a row, gained with targets by Carlos Benavídez within the fifteenth minute and Luis Rioja in second-half stoppage time.
In different outcomes, sixth-place Real Sociedad was held 1-1 at midtable Getafe, whereas ninth-place Villarreal gained 2-1 at last-place Almeria.
