Barcelona fell five points behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga after losing 2-1 in Sunday's El Clásico. Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham made the difference for Los Blancos, while Lamine Yamal failed to create any threat for an injury-hit Blaugrana side.
Madrid started strongly and thought they had earned a penalty when Vinicius Jr. went down in the box under pressure from Lamine Yamal, but VAR intervened. Shortly after, Mbappe put the hosts ahead with a long-range shot after Fermín López lost control, but the goal was ruled out for a pinpoint offside.
Mbappe finally opened the scoring, receiving a magnificent pass from Bellingham and finishing expertly. Wojciech Szczesny had to work hard to stop attempts from Mbappe and Dean Huijsen, keeping Barça in the game. Those saves paid off when Arda Guler lost the ball and Marcus Rashford set up Fermín to equalize.
However, Madrid regained the lead before the break when Bellingham tipped in Eder Militao's header in the box. The hosts had a chance to extend their lead early in the second half with a penalty for Eric Garcia's handball, but Szczesny saved Mbappe's shot. Despite the effort, the Barcelona player ratings reflect the team's difficulties.
Barça tried unsuccessfully to find a second equalizer, but their lack of options on the bench was evident as they failed to create clear-cut chances to test Thibaut Courtois. Their frustration culminated in stoppage time with Pedri being sent off for a second yellow card.
Goalkeeper and Defense
Wojciech Szczesny (7/10):
He made a couple of good saves in the first half before brilliantly saving Mbappe's penalty. He was helpless against either goal.
Jules Kounde (4/10):
He was outplayed by Vinicius on more than one occasion and did not offer the necessary support to Yamal in attack.
Pau Cubarsi (5/10):
He allowed Mbappe to beat him on the back for the first goal. He made some blocks, but still has work to do against elite forwards.
Eric Garcia (5/10):
His best moments were when he joined the attack from defense. He committed the penalty, although it was a very harsh handball decision.
Alejandro Balde (5/10):
He made good offensive runs but wasn't always found by his teammates. Perhaps he could have done better against Militao on the second goal.
Midfield
Frenkie de Jong (4/10):
He was too conservative with the ball and couldn't track Bellingham without it, especially when he lost the Madrid midfielder for the second goal.
Pedri (5/10):
He created space with his agility and stole the ball from Guler for the equalizer. However, he was beaten by Bellingham for the opening goal and was frustrated until his second yellow card.
Fermin Lopez (5/10):
He was in the right place to score the equalizer, but lacked conviction on other occasions. He was fortunate that Mbappe's goal was ruled out after he lost the ball.
Attack
Lamine Yamal (3/10):
Far from his best, almost nothing he attempted worked out. His passes and shots were inaccurate, and he left Kounde exposed in defense against Vinicius. A night to forget, reflected in the Barcelona player ratings .
Ferran Torres (3/10):
He had the opportunity to lead the attack, but he didn't perform at the required level. His substitution for defensive midfielder Casado as Barça searched for a goal speaks volumes about his lack of threat.
Marcus Rashford (6/10):
He was Barça's most dangerous attacker. His speed caused problems, but he showed composure in assisting Fermín.
Substitutes and Coach
Ronald Araujo (6/10):
He made a couple of important blocks while the team was exposed on defense looking for the tie.
Marc Casado (5/10):
One of the few experienced players Flick was able to bring in, but he didn't contribute much.
Roony Bardghji (N/A):
He came on in the final 10 minutes to bolster the attack.
Gerard Martin (N/A):
He entered in stoppage time.
Hansi Flick (5/10):
Although their options are limited, it might have been better to use Ferran as a substitute. The title defense already seems to be in serious jeopardy. Barcelona player ratings demonstrate that significant improvement is needed
