Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona: Kylian Mbappe and Co have a night to forget in the Frenchman’s first El Clasico – as Robert Lewandowski’s brace helps send Hansi Flick’s side six points clear

Kylian Mbappé had a night to forget as Real Madrid were hammered 4-0 by Barcelona in their first El Clasico on Saturday evening.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side drew level on a 42-game unbeaten home record, but they faced a determined Blaugrana team, expertly drilled in defense and devastating in attack.

Goals from Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and a brace from Robert Lewandowski inflicted an embarrassing defeat on the defending champions and breathed new energy into Hansi Flick’s Catalonia project.

The German boss, who was appointed in the summer as a replacement for club legend Xavi, was known for taking a highly attacking approach during his time in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. That team depended on the pace of Alphonso Davies to get them out of trouble as attackers encountered the ocean of space his high defensive line had created.

In Barcelona, ​​it seems that Flick can benefit from the same strategy due to his team’s defensive discipline. On Saturday night, the visitors caught Madrid’s string of attackers too long to count.

The 36-year-old opened the scoring with a pinpoint finish into the corner past the helpless Andriy Lunin

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha were also on the scoresheet during the resounding victory on Saturday evening

Kylian Mbappé twice had the ball in the back of Barcelona’s goal, but each attempt was disallowed for offside

Mbappe had the ball in the back of Barcelona’s net twice, but it didn’t matter as the referee raised his flag twice to signal that he had been targeted by the Blaugrana defense again.

Apart from his successful finishes, the Frenchman had numerous occasions where he was found past the last defender when a through ball had been scored.

He wasn’t the only one to blame. Vinicius Jr, Madrid’s savior in midweek when they trailed 2-0 at half-time to Borussia Dortmund, had a rare off night. Carlo Ancelotti’s side were missing the electric Rodrygo through injury and his absence was clearly felt as the home side looked for inspiration as the match went by.

The first half was a fairly even affair, with Madrid starting the better of the two sides before Barcelona grew in confidence and began to string together some wonderful passing sequences.

That somewhat passive existence gave way to penetrating aggression after the break, as Robert Lewandowski scored his thirteenth LaLiga goal of the season after triggering Madrid’s weak offside trap and curling a pinpoint shot around the helpless Andriy Lunin.

Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in El Clásico history thanks to his thunderous right-footed action

Raphinha rubbed salt in Madrid’s wounds just days after Barcelona scored a hat-trick in Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Bayern Munich

Madrid saw their 42-match unbeaten home run ended emphatically by their bitter rivals

The 36-year-old doubled his tally and the visitors’ lead with a superb header from the edge of the six-yard box just two minutes later.

Fullback Alejandro Balde provided a perfect cross that needed some work to end up in the back of the net.

That Lewandowski gave exactly the answer shows how his generational power has been restored under his former Bayern boss. The less said about his outright miss, the better. That only served to prove that he is human.

Any hopes the home side had of getting back into the match were extinguished thirteen minutes from time when Yamal fired a right-footed shot into the roof of the net. The 17-year-old became the youngest player to score in El Clasico history.

Seven minutes after that hammer blow, former Leeds star Raphinha rubbed salt into the wounds over the onrushing Lunin with a deft lob. The win in the capital completes a truly brilliant week for Flick, whose team have put eight goals past Bayern and Real in their last two games.

Hansi Flick’s side are six points clear at the top of LaLiga and have dropped points in just one game this season

Barcelona have scored at least three goals in seven of their last eight matches. They now move six points at the top of LaLiga and have put the other teams in Spain and on the continent on notice.

This Barcelona may not be like the legendary team of old, but they are certainly good enough to compete with any team on their day, and they will probably score at least three goals in the process.