BARCELONA: Much of Real Madrid’s season has been a balancing act and they finally fell completely off the rails on Sunday as Barcelona sped away from them on the way toward reclaiming the Spanish title.
Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick but the Catalans came from two-goals down to win 4-3 and the margin of victory might have been larger still, were it not for some contentious refereeing calls in the final stages in Madrid’s favor.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti understood early on this season that fitting last summer’s marquee arrival Mbappe and established stars Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes in the same side was going to be difficult while keeping the team stable.
After losing just twice across all competitions on the way to winning La Liga and the Champions League in 2024, this year Madrid have suffered 14 defeats — four of those against Barca — and will end up without a major trophy.
Defeat by Barcelona at the Olympic stadium on Sunday leaves them seven points behind the Catalans with three matches left to play.
That the Clasico was close at all came down to Mbappe, whose treble took him above Robert Lewandowski to lead Spain’s scoring charts with 27 league goals.
“Mbappe was the only resistance,” wrote newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
“Madrid faced the Clasico with one tank and 10 tin soldiers, and Barca knocked them all down.”
Mbappe’s goals also made him the club’s top goalscorer in a first season at Madrid with 39, beating Ivan Zamorano’s record of 37 set in 1993.
“The team’s flagship figure is Mbappe,” wrote AS, noting that although he has not been at his personal peak this season, he has still been one of the club’s best players, and “among the ‘fantastic four’, undoubtedly the standout.”
Madrid conceded 16 goals in their four Clasico defeats by Barcelona this season, scoring seven, with Mbappe netting five of those goals.
The French forward scored in every final Madrid played in, netting in European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup triumphs, as well as in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup defeats.
By contrast, Vinicius and Bellingham did not score in any of the four games against Barcelona.
“The changing of the guard is real,” added AS. “Heading into next season the roadmap is clear: Mbappe and 24 others.”
Mbappe failed to deliver in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid and then Arsenal as Madrid were eliminated in the quarter-finals, but his hat-trick against Manchester City was the kind of display Los Blancos expected from him.
With the team built around him and a sturdier defense and midfield, Mbappe can take Madrid to the silverware they demand.
“He did well,” said Ancelotti of Mbappe, pleased with the way the forward got in behind Barcelona’s high line, but upset at his team’s woeful defending.
“It was quite obvious that we defended badly,” said the Italian bluntly.
Ancelotti is set to depart at the end of the season to be replaced by Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, who will inherit the puzzle of how to use Madrid’s attacking stars effectively.
With Vinicius and Rodrygo struggling for form for months and Bellingham’s first season heroics long since faded, it is evident that Mbappe will spearhead Madrid’s next project.
Mbappe shows fallen Real Madrid new road to riches
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Mbappe shows fallen Real Madrid new road to riches
- Much of Real Madrid’s season has been a balancing act and they finally fell completely off the rails on Sunday as Barcelona sped away from them on the way toward reclaiming the Spanish title
Desert Vipers chief urges side to focus on playoff, not ILT20 trophy
- The Vipers, the most successful team this season with eight wins from 10 matches, take on the Emirates knowing the winner will secure a direct place in the final
DUBAI: The Desert Vipers’ director of cricket, Tom Moody, has urged his side to focus on the immediate challenge of Qualifier 1 against MI Emirates on Tuesday rather than lifting the DP World ILT20 trophy.
Speaking on the Vipers Voices podcast on Monday, Moody said: “You do not look at the prize, as simple as that. Yes, we all want to be successful. Yes, we all want to win trophies, but if you get too obsessed with that mission, you end up falling short.”
The Vipers, the most successful team this season with eight wins from 10 matches, take on the Emirates knowing the winner will secure a direct place in the final.
Moody, a former World Cup winner with Australia, stressed the importance of approaching the game positively and executing a perfect performance with bat, ball and in the field.
“If we just take that positive outlook and draw on the experience we have had, concentrate on just trying to put together our perfect game, we should be in good hands,” he said.
Moody acknowledged the strength of MI Emirates, led by Kieron Pollard, and highlighted the challenge of playing at Abu Dhabi, where the opposition is familiar with the conditions.
“They play most of their games there, so that is an advantage for them. But at the end of the day, you are not really playing the opposition; you are playing the ball,” he added.
Reflecting on the Vipers’ season, Moody said five of their eight league wins came in the final over, giving the team experience under pressure.
“It gives important lessons for the team and builds trust within the playing group,” he said.
He also addressed the impact of the cooler conditions in the UAE and dew on the finals series, saying the team must adapt regardless of the toss.
“From my perspective, the mindset we need to share is that it does not matter. We just need to adapt,” he said.
