When Jesús Gil Manzano blew the half-time whistle, Kylian Mbappé’s fifth-minute opener seemed like a distant memory, during which Barcelona had scored four goals. Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha had already dismantled an already terrible Real Madrid defense. Alejandro Balde made it 1-4 in added time of the first half.
The Real Madrid players entered the tunnel with their shoulders drooping as a sign of disappointment. The half-time score was shocking for many, although curiously it did not surprise others. Carlo Ancelotti had fielded a midfield with minimal ball retention capabilities, apart from perhaps Jude Bellingham, who had a very quiet first half. This midfield faced a trio of Pedri, Gavi and Marc Casadó, with arguably Spain’s best attacking trio this season lurking in front of them. Dani Ceballos or Luka Modrić should have started this match, but Real Madrid learned this lesson in the most catastrophic way possible.
Ceballos replaced Eduardo Camavinga in the second half, but with a scoreline like that, Barcelona were always more likely to pile on misery, and they did, with Raphinha adding the fifth goal shortly after the break. Wojciech Szczęsny’s red card briefly sparked some excitement on the Madrid bench when Rodrygo converted after an unlikely free-kick situation.
This match was lost for a long time in the first half. Ancelotti’s stubborn selection choices, devoid of a specific tactical scheme to counter Barcelona, once again led to a humiliating defeat. Ancelotti has suffered losses of this nature against Barcelona in every season since his return in 2021.