Barcelona 2-0 Real Madrid: A brilliant free-kick from Marcus Rashford and a goal from Ferran Torres send Hansi Flick’s side over the line as they clinch the La Liga title in style at El Clasico.
Marcus Rashford took the lead with a brilliant free-kick (Image: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Barcelona only needed a draw to clinch the title, but they were never going to be satisfied with such a result. They wanted to show their superiority over their rivals, and that’s exactly what happened.
Real Madrid were thrown into disarray and it took just 20 minutes for the result to be decided. Marcus Rashford curled a beautiful free-kick into the top corner past Thibaut Courtois to make it 1-0 after nine minutes, before Ferran Torres safely scored the winner in the 18th minute.
Barça have been pushing towards the title in recent months, having won 10 league games in a row before El Clasico. Real, by contrast, have collapsed in dramatic fashion, with internal tensions spilling over and ruining an already disappointing season.
Alvaro Arbeloa is not in control of the dressing room. Aurelian Choameni and Fede Valverde clashed. Kylian Mbappé has become public enemy number one after a petition was launched calling for his expulsion after he flew to Sardinia with his girlfriend while out with a hamstring injury. And Los Blancos will end the season without winning a trophy.
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Things have gotten so bad that Real president Florentino Perez wants Jose Mourinho back.
Against this backdrop, there can only really be one result, and after a touching minute’s silence in memory of Hansi Flick’s father, who died hours before kick-off, Barcelona got the result.
Rashford took the lead after double-bluffing Courtois and smashing a perfect ball past the goalkeeper. Since joining on loan from Manchester United, he has made 47 appearances this season, scoring 14 goals and providing 14 assists, a feat only matched by Luis Suarez in recent Barça history.
Real Madrid’s miserable campaign is almost over (Image: Javier Borrego/Getty Images)
Torres read Dani Olmo’s knockdown to double the home side’s lead, running away from an immobile Raul Asensio and beating a helpless Courtois. No matter how you look at it, Real looked like a team that lacked cohesion and was the top scorer.
Jude Bellingham, one of a record three English players to start in El Clasico, thought he had scored in the 63rd minute, but the offside flag was immediately raised and replays showed Barça’s tall defensive line had done its job effectively.
Barça are unbeaten at home in La Liga this season, but Real never looked like they were going to make a comeback as they felt Flick had enough to empty the bench of substitutes. Trent Alexander-Arnold was booked for shoving Raphinha in a fit of anger, but that was all Real’s battle was about as the title went to their rivals for the second successive season.
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