Real Madrid vs. Barcelona [OCTOBER 26, 2025] | LALIGA Full Match Replay | ESPN FC

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Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona: El Clasico replay and the big talking points

This is ESPN FC's full-match commentary replay of Real Madrid against Barcelona in El Clasico. Real Madrid won 2-1 through goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, with Fermin Lopez equalizing for Barcelona and Pedri sent off late. The commentary focuses on the danger of Barca's high line, two VAR controversies, Real Madrid's improved defensive discipline, and Vinicius Junior's reaction to being substituted.

Tune into the full match replay from October 2025 in El Clasico, where Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 ith Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham on the scoresheet for Madrid. Fermin Lopez scored the lone goal from Barca, followed by two late red cards for Andriy Lunin and Pedri. Sunday, the 265th ElClasico airs on ABC for the 1st time! ⚽️ 3p ET | Pregame | ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes ⚽️ 4p ET | FCBarcelona vs RealMadrid at Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona Tune into LALIGA all season long on ESPN+ ➡️ https://shorturl.at/iFx7z ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN

Transcript

Well, four times they met last season, and four times Barcelona won. They haven't won five in a row since the pomp of Lionel Messi and Xavi and Iniesta and Busquets between 2008 and 2010. So, Real Madrid really do have a score to settle today, quite apart from the positions in the league table. >> [music] >> In those four meetings last season, Barcelona hit 16 goals against Real Madrid's seven. The four meetings average nearly six goals a game. Incredible, really. For the neutrals, huge entertainment. And of course, we hope that is the case again here. That's quite a tifo, isn't it? >> That's incredible, isn't it? Just adds to the aura of the game, the atmosphere of the game. I mean, it's an incredible new stadium that they've prepared, haven't they? What a place to play football. >> Where you can reach out and feel this atmosphere, I'm sure. Real Madrid today making two changes from their midweek win in the Champions League over Juventus. The slight surprise is a place in midfield for Eduardo Camavinga. Dean Huijsen is fit again and comes back into the defense. So, Brahim and Asensio drop out. Kylian Mbappé with 11 goals in eight matches in his career against Barcelona. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal, who've been out recently with injury, they are both available from the bench today. Soto Grado is the man with the privilege and pressure of handling the occasion. And these gentlemen may well be in use before we're through today led by Javier Villanueva in the VAR booth. This is the Barcelona team and in-form Marcus Rashford appears in his first classico today for Barcelona. Into the team come Frenkie de Jong who was rested in midweek and a fit-again Ferran Torres. But Barcelona do have a long injury list that could be important. No Lewandowski, no Raphinha, no Dani Olmo, no Gavi. Raphinha in particular, I would say, is a miss for Barcelona. He scored five goals in those four minutes in the last season. >> And you know, sometimes in games like this you just need a bit of experience. Some people who have been there and done it can handle the pressure. Raphinha is certainly one. Robert Lewandowski another. Gavi, even though he's young, has played in many games. So you're right, it's whether this young precocious squad can handle this type of atmosphere today. They've done it in the past. Can they do it again with a slightly weaker side? >> [cheering] >> Lamine Yamal who stirred things up in the week with comments in an interview saying, half jokingly I think, about Real Madrid, they steal, they cheat. But it didn't go down too well in the Real Madrid dressing room and Dani Carvajal has said, I'm going to be having a word with him after the game today. But it all just fires it up, doesn't it? And of course he doesn't need pumping up. >> No, he doesn't need pumping up at all. And Lamine Yamal saying things and celebrating, doing the Kylian Mbappe celebration when they won last year. And of course, Barcelona winning >> [cheering] >> La Liga. There's a lot on it today. >> Real Madrid, of course, in their traditional all white Los Blancos. >> [cheering] >> Barcelona two points behind them in the La Liga title. Barcelona defending the crown, but nobody's done that successfully for the last 6 years in Spain. >> [cheering and screaming] >> seem to take it in turns to win it. >> [screaming] >> Frenkie de Jong with the early header. One thing to watch for with Barcelona is this high line defensive as but they're on the front foot here with Fermín López who got a hat-trick in midweek against Olympiacos in the Champions League. Good work by Carreras there. He's got a job on his hands but Lamine Yamal giving it straight away to Pedri. >> I mean, that's two big mistakes already. >> Rashford off the outside of the boot. He got a couple in the week as well and he's so looking forward to appearing in this massive match. >> Yeah, another huge mistake from Dean Huijsen. That's two. He came running forward and missed the ball. He's just given one away there. Falls to Rashford, gets the shot off. Militão blocks. Sloppy start from the center defender who's come back in. >> Barcelona are operating with their coach Hansi Flick watching from the stands after his red card in La Liga last week. Here comes the Barcelona corner looking for the flick on. Punch was a good one by Courtois. And here's Fede Valverde for Real Madrid. Into Vinícius and there's plenty on here. They can't quite get it right. >> He should have got it right here. That's a simple ball for him. >> [cheering] >> Here's Vinícius Júnior cutting in and IS HE FOULED THERE? LOOK LIKE IT. PENALTY! REAL MADRID EARLY ON. THE DRAMA starts already and it was Lamine Yamal who did it. >> [cheering] >> Extraordinary challenge from Lamine Yamal. Extraordinary. We'll wait for the replay. >> [cheering] >> Vinicius Junior holds his run up. He tries to put him in behind Mbappe. He doesn't get there. >> Was Vinicius offside in the build-up? There might be a question here before that happened. There's no doubt about that >> [laughter] >> being a penalty. >> Yeah, he doesn't get the ball. Vinicius Junior kicks into his forte to penalty. Referee's not going to change his mind, or VAR certainly shouldn't. >> Not on that. But I just wonder when Vinicius got the ball earlier on in the move, whether he was in an offside position, which will be checked. >> Yeah, it looked very tight. I thought he was just on, actually. He was initially offside, and then he holds his run and goes back onside. I think it was Balde. It was incredibly tight. I think Balde just played him on, but we'll wait and see. >> And it was Frenkie de Jong uh Frenkie de Jong is talking to the referee about that now. That's the hold-up. Sandro Scharer in charge with >> So, he's offside there, Ian, but then the lines of the pitch is just whether he's leaning forwards. His shot is left shoulder of his. But Lamine Yamal doesn't get anything of the ball. >> Well, it's mighty tight, and now >> But he's not >> monitor will be consulted. >> This is not an offside decision, Andy. And this is a This is for the penalty. >> Yeah, because that's a line decision. Yeah. So >> He kicks the back of Lamine Yamal's football. Lamine Yamal doesn't get anything of the ball, so I think that's what he's saying. >> [cheering] >> Well, after all the controversy and the decision >> angle to be looking at, Owen, cuz you can't see whether Lamine Yamal's kicking the ball or not there. That angle. Very strange. >> Has Lamine Yamal played the ball first. >> he hasn't cuz you can see the other angle. He hasn't. >> That's what they've got to decide. >> What a strange angle. >> [cheering] >> Well, there's never any shortage of talking points in this game and it is not going to be a penalty kick. He's decided that he got a touch on the ball before the contact. >> That's extraordinary that. That was the only angle the referee was [cheering] given. I'm amazed. >> The VAR Javier Fernandez Laorden has clearly been in the ears of the referee. That's what he thought he saw. >> [cheering] [cheering] >> And a very, very relieved Lamine Yamal who's been hitting the headlines in the build-up with all those comments to the game. Swung deep towards the far post. That will be out of play. Not a very accurate cross. >> [cheering] >> Real Madrid have won 11 of their 12 matches in all competitions this season, but the slip-up was in their biggest game of the season so far and they were hammered 5-2 by their Madrid rivals Atletico which did pose a lot of problems about their defending. Pedri to switch the play to Balde. Now, here's Marcus Rashford. Into Torres Rashford again bursting through that gap or trying to. Wow, just managed to shut the door on him, but he is full of positive thinking at his new home of Barcelona. This Cubarsi only 18 years old, but already looks like a veteran. And you'll be seeing him playing for Spain at the World Cup as well, we're pretty sure. Eric Garcia >> [cheering] >> Yeah, the flag does go up in the end. It looked offside. >> Yeah, he just played it a bit late, actually. Out of Garcia, he made a decent run. Balde, just slow. See he makes the run. Should have went there. He has another little stutter, and then by the time he does it, it's too late. Can't hold his run. >> Kounde with the header. This De Jong is one of those players affected by a little virus that was going around in the Barcelona camp. Missed some training this week, but fit enough for this game. All the way back to one of the world's great goalkeepers, Thibaut Courtois. Here's Vinicius. More of the time, they're they're looking to get men in behind that high line that Barcelona traditionally have since Hansi Flick took over. Here's Yamal again. He's getting the treatment from the fans, of course. He is one of the most talked about teenagers in the world. >> Yeah, and rightly so, cuz he's probably the best teenager in the world. >> Rashford inside to Ferran Torres, who's playing the Lewandowski role today, back after injury himself. Lamine Yamal looking to bend one. Seen that, haven't we, few hundred times already in his embryonic career. >> I saw the first game of the season, didn't we, in away at Mallorca, cutting in onto his left foot, slightly different angle. Trying to bend it into that far corner. >> That's a big match up today, him against Carvajal, playing his first classico for Real Madrid, who had a well, frankly, a bit of a nightmare against Atletico. Needs to step up on that. >> [cheering] >> Referee says play on. De Jong. Him and Pedri can control the match in that midfield area if Real aren't careful. >> Yeah, Real Madrid are not pressing the ball here, and just getting back in the shape, trying to be defensively strong. >> Through by Fermín López. Couldn't quite pick up Torres' run. Marcus Sorg is in charge for Barcelona today, who is the assistant to uh Hansi Flick. They appealed a couple of times this week trying to get it reversed, that red card of Hansi Flick, but uh the result of that is he really can't have anything much to do with it today, except watching the stand. Can't do the half-time team talk, press conferences, interviews, etc. Pedri. De Jong again. Torres. It's that possession football we've seen so much from Barcelona teams down the years. They have scored in their last 48 matches. In fact, every game >> Yeah, 2025. >> Yeah. Well, they'll score today, won't they? I don't think there's any question about that. Real Madrid will score goals as well. It's just who scores more than each other. That's the only thing. >> MBAPPE! WOAH! >> [screaming] >> HOW ABOUT THAT? >> [cheering] >> HE ONLY NEEDED A SPLIT SECOND, the master marksman. That is a sensational strike again from Kylian Mbappe, who's now scored 12 times in his career against Barcelona. >> Yeah, and this is Barcelona guilty of giving the ball away and being sloppy and defensively not strong enough, and that's going to be their weakness. >> [cheering] >> Because they have controlled possession, and a simple turnover like that falls to Mbappe. It's just whether he's offside, whether it's a Real Madrid kick, or whether it's a Ferland Mendy one. >> [cheering] >> Tight enough. Falls from Christensen out of position. Really good connection on it outside the right foot just spinning away from the goal goalkeeper. Slices across it, lovely finish. >> [cheering] >> He's just not missing, is he? This season. Look at Xabi Alonso there who scored in this fixture himself way back in 2011. >> [cheering] >> They are just having to check it, of course. >> It was really tight. And I I think it was a Real Madrid 40 wins the ball back from Ferran López. >> I got to tell you we got a lot of Real Madrid fans looking around at us and worried now and wondering, well, why haven't they got on with the game? >> There we go. >> Oh. >> No, offside. >> It's offside. So, Real Madrid have been denied what they thought was a penalty kick and now a Kylian Mbappé goal. Right now, the fans of Real Madrid hate VAR with a vengeance. >> Yeah, I think we all hate VAR here, to be honest. As we go to the palcos and see Florentino with Joan Laporta, the two presidents. >> Yeah, I'm I'm not sure if Joan Laporta, the president of Barcelona, hates VAR at the moment. >> I think he will eventually. >> [cheering] >> It's one of those things that's never in the 150 years of football before this would have never been picked up before the VAR era. A hair's breadth decision like that. >> But that's where we are. Koundé with a little flick on. Towards López. Now then, Lamin Yamal, but just bounced away from him and Éder Militao was able to do the rest. >> Dean Howson. And Carreira's there. Carreira's misses the header. Dean Howson falls over. There's a few nervy people out there. >> Well, it is quite a nervy occasion. I don't suppose you ever felt any, did you, playing in these? >> Not particularly, no. >> You are a bit different, though. >> I'm looking forward to seeing that line away in that offside. See how close it was. >> Of course, we're still waiting for the Spanish directors to put them in. We should get a picture of the semi-automated offside picture. >> Courtois was able to get it away, not very well. Sloppy pass which Carreira's was able to pick up. Picked up by Vinicius. Real definitely having the best of the early argument. They have won their last 10 home games here at the Bernabeu. >> Here we go, Ian. Ferland Mendy, it's Oh, it was a header. >> Yeah, that's breath, wasn't it? >> There you go. There you go, Ian. Look at that. >> Wow. Needs to wear a smaller size of boot. >> I mean, I'd like to see that again. >> I'd like to see that again. It must have been a millimeter. >> Yeah. Very, very tight. Ooh. It's uh dicing with danger. Courtois was able to sort it all out. Jude Bellingham out there, of course, today for Real Madrid. >> Despite his recent omission from the England squad. He is sharpening up now and did get the winner against Juventus in midweek. He's kind of back ahead of schedule after his shoulder surgery and says he feels the best he's done physically for a long time. It's Balde filling in in that right back position again because they've tried Alexander-Arnold and Daley Blind have been unfit. Both back on the bench today. Here's Vinicius taking on Kounde. Here's Lamine Yamal. Double back marking on him. >> [cheering] >> Play on, says the referee. >> There's the high line here, especially with Mbappe's pace. That scares me, that does. Barca really high up the pitch. >> And you could just imagine if Trent Alexander-Arnold was playing and fit, how he would delight in dropping balls with back spin in behind that defense. Of course, Guler might do that job for Real Madrid today. >> on the pitch already. Such an easy ball. You can do it blind. Kylian's that quick. >> Kounde. Lamine Yamal. It's Fermin Lopez. And Pedri. Barcelona's only La Liga defeat and it knocked them off the top of the table was a shock one, 4-1 away to Sevilla. When that high line did cost them. >> Yeah. >> Is Yamal. Carreras looking to stay very, very close to him, not let him turn and run at him with the ball. >> He is so comfortable on the ball, isn't he, Gavi, and Lamine Yamal for such a young age. So brave, always pausing and giving himself an extra half a yard. Very rarely gives the ball away. >> Here's Frenkie de Jong. Pau Cubarsí thought about the shot, didn't he? From what? 30, 35 yards? >> Yeah, he wants to pass the ball. That's why he got caught in the end, cuz he changed his mind three times. >> Had a goal disallowed, didn't he, against Girona last week, Cubarsí, so maybe he's getting ideas that he may be able to hit the back of the net from time to time. >> I think Xabi Alonso accepts, doesn't he, that Real >> And Rüdiger are work in progress. They're trying to build solid foundations. No question, the 5-2 hammering from Atlético was a setback. It was back to the drawing board a bit after that. Here's Yamal again. >> [cheering] >> And another battle with Álvaro Carreras. Player in his first Clásico, signed from Benfica in the summer. >> Uh, the referee's gone back and given a foul on Adrián and Lamine Yamal in the far corner, on the other side of the pitch from the throwing. >> I actually don't think there was that much in it, to be honest, but a foul's been given here. And there was absolutely nothing in it, was there? >> Guler wanted that, didn't get it. Hasn't been able to really get into the game as yet, the playmaker. >> [cheering] >> And Eduardo Camavinga to Bellingham. AND MBAPPé'S IN BEHIND HERE! AND YES, HE MAKES IT COUNT AGAIN! UNSTOPPABLE, Kylian Mbappé. Give him a chance, he's going to take it. >> You know what, Ian? That was tight as well, really tight. And that's the one time somebody's run forward, and Bellingham it was this time, [music] playing it through. If you keep If he keeps doing that, Kylian Mbappé, running forwards with this line defense defensive line of Barcelona, they're going to be in mad trouble. >> Well, of course they're going to look at this one again, as well. Let's check it. >> You see, goes into Jude, and you see Kylian Mbappé there. There's his run. >> I mean, he looks onside. Balde looks as if he's playing him onside. And once he gets in that position, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he is definitely not missing there. >> For club and country, if this counts, it's his 19th of the season. >> [cheering] >> Yeah, I think this one will be all right. This one will be okay. >> Everybody 75,000 fans are out of their seats. >> [cheering] >> It stands. It's 1-0. And Mbappé, now incredibly, in his last 27 games for club and country, has 32 goals. >> [cheering] >> Well, he's like Erling Haaland, isn't he, and Harry Kane at the moment. Everything's going in. Can Barcelona fight back from that? Real Madrid there. >> Yeah, yellow card for >> Yeah. >> Yeah, it was a yellow card. Camavinga thought he was fouled, but either way, Fede Valverde was bringing down Marcus Rashford. You see there, nowhere near the ball. >> [cheering] >> That was the challenge on Camavinga. He wanted the foul. >> [cheering] [cheering] >> Look at the Real Madrid supporters who had to suffer so much at the hands of Barcelona last season, beaten in both La Liga clashes, and in the Copa del Rey final, and in the Spanish Super Cup final. >> [cheering] >> Yeah, today's game, I mean, is all about how Real Madrid will defend. Because Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior onto Cubarsí and Eric García is a mismatch. Look how high they are. >> [cheering] >> Vinícius to spread the play. There's a confidence about the work of Real Madrid here. Xabi Alonso must be delighted with how this this has gone. Barcelona can't really get into it. They can't. Mbappé's now scored in seven straight La Liga matches, and in 14 out of 15 league games since May. That's equal to his longest career scoring streak. >> Camavinga being deployed towards that right hand side. Bellingham has got an opportunity here. Deflecting. Could have gone anywhere. Goes behind for the corner. >> [cheering] >> And they're blocked by keeper Stegen. Barcelona look trapped in the starting blocks today. >> Yeah. >> [cheering] [cheering] >> Real Madrid have the eye of the tiger about them here. >> [cheering] >> Woah. Long range effort hammered over the bar by Fede Valverde. He can hit them. >> He was leaning back that time on his left foot. >> ESPN Plus is your home for La Liga. All 380 games are available in English and Spanish. And Real Madrid will be back in action next Saturday against Valencia at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. And then on Sunday, Barcelona take on El Clasico at 12:00 noon. >> [cheering] >> Just to remind you of the bigger picture, Real Madrid, should they win this, will go five points clear of Barcelona at the top of the table. And that would be a significant advantage, I would say. Here's Frenkie de Jong. Lamine Yamal up against Balde. Rashford now. De Jong again. The attack's just missing that