La Liga 2023-24: Bellingham double allows Real to fight back and win Clasico at Barcelona

Real Madrid is top of the standings on 28 points, level with Girona. Barca is third on 24, two ahead of Atletico Madrid, which has two games in hand.

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham celebrates after the match. | Photo Credit: REUTERS/Albert Gea

Real Madrid battled back to win 2-1 at Barcelona in a nervy LaLiga ‘El Clasico’ on Saturday thanks to a second-half brace by top scorer Jude Bellingham, who continues to impress with his superb form.

The 20-year-old Englishman has made his transition to Spanish football look ridiculously easy, with 13 goals and three assists in 13 games in all competitions since joining from Borussia Dortmund.

On Saturday, he led Real’s fightback after Barcelona had opened the scoring in the sixth minute through midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who took advantage of a bad defensive mistake by the visitors.

Barca was punished for failing to convert its dominance into more goals as Bellingham made the most of the two chances he had in the second half.

First, he unleashed an unstoppable strike from range into the upper left corner in the 68th minute, and then, in stoppage time, he scored the winner after collecting a Luka Modric pass inside the box.

“Even a draw would be unfair for us after the game we had; they looked like they’d surrendered, and then came those disgraceful blows to shock us. It’s a shame,” Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez told  DAZN.

“We dominated for 60 minutes, but this is football... Real Madrid have these things... Real Madrid scored two goals with the three or two-and-a-half chances they have.”

Barca dominated the first half, and Gundogan found the ball at his feet for an easy tap-in after Real defender Aurelien Tchouameni passed backwards to centre-back David Alaba, who barely reached the ball.

Midfielder Fermin Lopez, who hit the post in the 15th minute, and forward Joao Felix were a constant menace to Real’s defence and created several chances to score, with Real arguably lucky to go into the break only one goal down.

Andreas Christiansen headed on to the post after the break, and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made a brilliant save to deny Barca from a Ronald Araujo close-range strike.

Real Madrid started to find its mojo after manager Carlo Ancelotti brought Eduardo Camavinga and Modric off the bench, and Bellingham once again shone under the spotlight.

Real Madrid is top of the standings on 28 points, level with Girona. Barca is third on 24, two ahead of Atletico Madrid, which has two games in hand.