The clock in the Santiago Bernabéu showed 98:40 when Pedri picked up the ball on the edge of his area and went on the final run of an exhausting afternoon when so much happened that it was not just the players who struggled to keep up. Here was one last chance to salvage something, the Barcelona midfielder somehow hauling himself up the pitch in search of a final twist; instead, as he reached the other end, a tired touch and a desperate lunge saw him take out Aurélien Tchouaméni – the world upside down – and get sent off. And so the clásico was over, bar the shouting and the pushing.
There was plenty of that, players squaring up then and again when the final whistle went a few seconds later, Thibaut Courtois and Lamine Yamal confronting each other; so too Vinícius Júnior, who had stormed off when he was substituted, and Raphinha, who had not even played.
In the midst of it all, Madrid celebrated. The match that never lets you down was 105 minutes long and featured 37 shots, three goals scored, three more disallowed, a penalty given and taken away again and another saved. It also had a new winner, Madrid beating Barcelona five clásicos later.
First-half goals from Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham brought revenge and maybe even some redemption after four defeats last season, Fermín López scoring for Barcelona. For 70 minutes, it had been frantic, players pouring through wide spaces from one end to the other; then Madrid had found a way to cede territory but not control, holding on to the lead they established early and might have established even earlier.
When they scored the first of the day’s three goals, it was the third time this stadium had erupted; the difference, 20 minutes into a wild, noisy first half, was that the celebrations were not cut short by the video assistant referee.
They had been playing just a minute and 57 seconds when César Soto Grado pointed to the spot, only to be called to the screen where he saw that it had, in fact, been Vinícius Júnior, running into the area and swiping at a shot, who had made contact with Lamine Yamal, not the other way round.
Less than 10 minutes after that, Mbappé sent a superb shot flying beyond Wojciech Szczesny and into the net. Again, though, the replay rescued Barcelona, the Frenchman was fractionally offside.
The tone was set for a match in which the best chances, of which there were many, came when Madrid were able to run, which they did often. Barcelona were unable to exercise the control they have become accustomed to. Uncomfortable when they were pushed back, nor did they look secure stepping up, the space behind them opening: the timing of their line is not what it once was, nor is the pressure applied on the passer.
When the breakthrough came, when the line was breached, it was Bellingham who did it. Turning superbly away from Pedri, he slotted through for Mbappé to score.
A storm had started: Bellingham’s shot was deflected wide, Federico Valverde struck over, Mbappé was stopped by Szczesny, Álvaro Carreras was too, and Eric García had to slide in to stop Mbappé racing clear once more. All that inside nine minutes. Next came another opportunity for Vinícius Júnior and one for Bellingham, both saved by Szczesny.
Yet Barcelona suddenly had a great chance – Ferran Torres’s shot was weak from near the penalty spot – and then the equaliser. Under pressure, Arda Guler lost it and Pedri, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Balde and Rashford again set up López to finish.
It was Rashford’s seventh assist in blaugrana but it was not sufficient. Madrid led again when Vinícius Júnior beat Jules Koundé and played a long, looping cross, which was headed back across by Éder Militão. Waiting by the line to score was Bellingham.
Twice Mbappé might have got the third. First, he put the ball in the net from close range just before the break but was offside. Then, García handled early in the second half but his penalty was saved superbly by Szczesny’s flashing right hand.
The game was not showing any sign of slowing, the spaces still wide, and at the other end López wasted another collective stampede when he chose to go it alone and curled a shot straight at Courtois.
Madrid though would not relinquish their lead, some of the frenzy finally slipping from the match as it went into the final quarter of an hour. Bit by bit, Barcelona got the ball but Xabi Alonso’s side waited, contained and continued to break. They, in fact, threatened more than the visitors did.
Brahim Díaz, on for Guler, set up Bellingham to find the net, but the flag was up again. Mbappé had two chances to run, one stopped by Ronald Araújo and the other pulled wide.
Still there was more: Koundé was unable to control a glorious ball from Lamine Yamal, which might have levelled it, Rodrygo was denied twice by Szczesny and then, with heavy legs, Pedri went off on that last run.
