Barcelona took a huge step Sunday to securing the Spanish league title with a 4-3 win over Real Madrid – despite Kylian Mbappé’s hat trick in a mesmerizing ‘Clasico’ – and opened a seven-point lead over its second-placed rival with three matches remaining.
Raphinha scored twice, and Lamine Yamal and Eric García added a goal each for Barcelona, which trailed 2-0 after Mbappé scored in the fifth and 14th minutes at Montjuic stadium. The hosts evened the match just over the half-hour mark, and went on to lead 4-2 at halftime in a sensational recovery.
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Mbappé completed his hat trick in the 70th but Madrid wasn’t able to come back in a likely fatal blow to its hopes of successfully defending its title.
Mbappé became the league’s leading scorer with 27 goals, two more than Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, who did not start on Sunday.
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It was another thrilling match involving Barcelona, which on Tuesday was eliminated by Inter Milan in extra time in the semifinals of the Champions League. Barcelona lost to the Italians 7-6 on aggregate.
FC Barcelona has won every match against Madrid this season. It had already won 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the first league match in October, 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in January, and 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final last month.
