It was a true El Clásico at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys; a place where the spirit of FC Barcelona famously exclaims that “Suffering makes us strong.” Resilience and tactical genius have given Barcelona a further step toward claiming the 2022-23 La Liga title with this match. A 4-3 scoreline was rather close, and Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick performance becoming one for the record books kept the action jumping all the more.
Barcelona was set aback with an earth-shattering start, as Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid scored two quick goals, raising his personal tally for the season to 39 goals in 52 appearances. He broke Ivan Zamorano’s 1992/93 anything-for-an-goal record for a debut season at Real Madrid, in addition to scoring one more than Cristiano Ronaldo’s 33 in his debut of 2009. With Barcelona’s further lead, Mbappe’s hat-trick instantly saw him lead the La Liga scoring tally with 26 goals, overtaking Robert Lewandowski .
Not built to collapse here after such an early shudder, Barcelona responded soundly with a counterattack. Lamine Yamal, age 17, was the architect of a comeback. Initially via a header from Eric Garcia, he equalized stunningly. Then in succession scored twice in the middle for Barcelona to life a lead of 4:2. Mbappé scored a third for Real Madrid, but Barcelona held firm to declare victory.
Barcelona, tactically, were again key to coming back. Coach Xavi Hernández had his boys press high, capitalizing on Real Madrid’s defensive gaps. The midfield trio of Pedri, Gavi, and Frenkie de Jong kept the rhythm, while the attacking quartet of Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Gavi constantly posed attacking threats. It was evident how well the team worked together in a shifting three dimensions.
This goes down in history with Barcelona seven points clear in La Liga with three matches to play. If Barcelona manage to win their next match against Espanyol, or if Real Madrid fails to win against Mallorca, the 28th title is on their hands. The win also boosts them after their fall to Inter Milan in the week in the Champions League, surfacing once again their resilience and fighting attitude.
