Barça Hold Off Mbappé And Real To Close On Title

In the end, Barcelona were just too good and Madrid just not good enough: not just here, in the clásico that effectively clinched the league title, but all season long.

- Sid Lowe

In the end, Barcelona were just too good and Madrid just not good enough: not just here, in the clásico that effectively clinched the league title, but all season long. Hansi Flick's young team are going to be double winners, La Liga taken the way they played out the season. Montjuïc briefly held its breath and then celebrated, as they watched their side concede two inside 15 minutes, seemingly inviting a catastrophe, and still win. Because if Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick here, Barcelona scored more. Which is what they do.

Four times Barcelona have faced their rivals this season and four times they have beaten them. This win took Barcelona seven points clear with nine in play. They trailed early, but goals from Eric García, Lamine Yamal and two for Raphinha saw them do it again.

The latest clásico was not three minutes in when Pau Cubarsí sold Wojciech Szczęsny short. The pass was an accident waiting to happen, the keeper's response to it was as well. Szczęsny lunged at Mbappé, gifting the penalty from which the Frenchman gave Madrid the lead.