The fourth El Clásico of the 2024-2025 season was a thrilling contest and delivered more excitement than the previous three, as Barcelona and Real Madrid fought tooth and nail for three important La Liga points.
Real Madrid took a two-goal lead early through two goals in quick succession from Kylian Mbappé.
Barcelona were still shaking off the fatigue of their Champions League experience, but bounced back.
Eric Garcia and Lamine Yamal had the match level by the 32nd minute, and Raphinha scored two and had Barcelona in a comfortable position at 4-2.
In the second half, Real Madrid provided a response with another goal, applying threats just as Hansi Flick’s side looked under control.
What followed was a compelling back-and-forth, with both teams creating plenty of scoring opportunities in a dramatic showdown.
Here are the Barcelona player ratings:
Wojciech Szczesny: 6.5
The Polish goalkeeper was wrong-footed early on and that foreshadowed a penalty conceded that gave Real Madrid an early lead.
He made no noteworthy saves going forward and, was constantly being exposed, even on the offside calls!
Gerard Martin: 7
Despite the last defeat in Milan, the young defender was in excellent form, despite being young, he was composed.
He handled his ball play nicely, had few defensive errors, and frequently was able to support the attack.
Iñigo Martinez: 7.5
The experienced defender received an early booking, but was almost immaculate at the back.
Despite being found out by Mbappé’s pace, his well-thought-out positioning and the offside trap made up for any noise.
Pau Cubarsí: 6.5
The young centre-back’s inability to clear the ball handed Real Madrid a first penalty but he settled down thereafter.
He also lack the ability to stop the cross to Mbappé at second goal.
Eric Garcia: 7
Filling in for Jules Koundé, Garcia remarkably filled in at right back and linking with Lamine Yamal in attack as some crucial thing going forward.
Pedri: 8.5
The Canary Islander’s quick recovery allowed Raphinha’s first goal to clear Madrid’s backline completely.
He controlled the play in the middle, allowing him the ability to outmanoeuvre four Madrid midfielders.
Frenkie de Jong: 8
De Jong played superbly in Barcelona’s double pivot while advancing higher in the line-up when it was needed.
He was instrumental in the play that led to Yamal’s equaliser through his clever play.
Dani Olmo: 7
Olmo could not find his rhythm and while he contributed to Barcelona’s movement in midfield on some occasions, he did not have the influence Flick would have liked.
Lamine Yamal: 8.5
The young winger gave Fran Garcia issues on the right, but he didn’t completely dominate early on.
However, his fabulous equalizer lit him up, putting a showcase on his own flair and brilliance.
Raphinha: 9
The Brazilian put on a Champions League-level performance versus Real Madrid, who simply couldn’t defend against him.
His rocket goal for the third and setup for the fourth showed how dominant he was.
Ferran Torres: 9
Although he didn’t score a goal, the Spanish forward was part of every one of Barcelona’s goals in their comeback.
He assisted Garcia’s opener, also assisted Yamal’s equalizer and interconnected with Raphinha on the fourth.
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