Barcelona thrash Real Madrid in El Clasico thanks to Flick masterstroke
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Robert Lewandowski scored his 13th and 14th goals of the season, helping Barcelona crush Real Madrid 4-0 at the Bernabeu Stadium and putting an end to their impressive 42-match unbeaten streak in LaLiga.
The Polish player kicked off the scoring with a goal in the 54th minute and added another just two minutes later with a header. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha then scored as well to finalize the scoreline.
It was a disappointing night for Madrid star Kylian Mbappé, who found himself offside many times in his first El Clásico. A goal he scored in the first half was disallowed by VAR, and the champions couldn't capitalize on their early momentum.
"We got off to a great start. We performed well in the first half," Hansi Flick remarked later, emphasizing his team's characteristic high defensive line.
The fortification was elevated. It may appear perilous and treacherous, yet it's not. It proved to be effective.
"Ultimately, we implemented the appropriate adjustments during the half-time break. We switched things up and increased our pressing efforts. In the second half, we were able to maintain better possession of the ball. That's what I instructed them to focus on during the break."
"Every game and opponent presents unique challenges, so we need to adjust our strategies accordingly. Defense is a priority for us, and we consistently focus on it. The back four, along with Iñaki, have performed exceptionally well."
Ayoze was a substitute who made a significant impact, helping Villarreal secure a 2-1 win over Real Valladolid and move up to third place. This victory followed Mamadou Sylla's penalty that equalized the score after Thierno Barry had given Villarreal an early lead.
Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sivera's mistake resulted in an own goal, giving Rayo Vallecano a 1-0 victory at home. This win came after Rayo had to play with only 10 players for 68 minutes due to the first-half red card shown to defender Abdul Mumin.
The unlucky Sivera watched as Gerard Gumbau's shot bounced off the crossbar and struck him in the back, before deflecting into the goal.
Alex Munoz propelled Las Palmas to consecutive league victories with his goal in the 42nd minute, leading to a 1-0 win against Girona.
In the second half, goals from Willi Orban, Lutsharel Geertruida, and Lois Openda propelled RB Leipzig to the top of the Bundesliga standings, following a 3-1 victory at home against Freiburg.
Ritsu Doan got the visitors off to a strong start in the match between the teams in second and third place at the day's beginning, but Leipzig quickly rallied with a determined response.
Romano Schmid's late goal disrupted Bayer Leverkusen's attempt to defend their championship as Werder Bremen rallied to equalize twice, ending the match in a 2-2 tie.
Victor Boniface made his comeback to the Leverkusen squad after being sidelined with minor injuries from a car accident last weekend. He got the first goal of the match, and after Felix Agu accidentally scored an own goal, the visitors regained the lead. Marvin Ducksch had briefly equalized, but Schmid stepped in at the last moment to make a difference.
Alexis Claude-Maurice scored twice, leading Augsburg to a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in a home match.
The visiting team, which saw Almugera Kabar receive a red card for a second yellow card during stoppage time, initially took the lead in the fourth minute with a goal from Donyell Malen. However, Claude-Maurice equalized before halftime and then secured the win just five minutes into the second half.
Deniz Undav and El Bilal Toure scored for Stuttgart as they secured a 2-1 victory against struggling Holstein Kiel. Armin Gigovic found the net for the visitors, but the match also saw both teams reduced to 10 players after Jeff Chabot and Fiete Arp were sent off.
In the meantime, St. Pauli's match at home against Wolfsburg finished in a draw with no goals scored.
In Serie A, Napoli's captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo netted the sole goal, leading his team to a 1-0 victory over Lecce at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Ademola Lookman and Mateo Retegui both netted a pair of goals in Atalanta’s impressive 6-1 victory over Verona. Marten de Roon and Charles De Ketelaere contributed with the other two goals, while Amin Sarr managed to score a consolation goal for the away team.
Jonathan David and Mohamed Bayo scored during stoppage time, allowing Lille to secure a 2-0 win over Lens in Ligue 1, despite the last-minute nature of their goals.
Himad Abdelli, Jean-Eudes Aholou, Ibrahima Niane, and substitute Bamba Dieng scored goals to lead Angers to a 4-2 victory over St Etienne, even though Zuriko Davitashvili managed to equalize for St Etienne twice during the match.
Mama Balde's goal in the first half was crucial in helping Brest secure a 2-1 victory against Reims. Romain Faivre started the scoring by converting a penalty, while Joseph Okumu found the net for the home team.
PA played a role in creating this report.