ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI scored twice as Barcelona shattered Real Madrid’s 42-game unbeaten run in LaLiga.
But it was a night of frustration for Kylian Mbappe in his first Clasico as the Frenchman saw TWO goals ruled out for offside.
Instead it was Lewandowski who was the star of the show as he netted his 16th and 17th goals of the season to send Barca six points clear at the top.
Lewandowski’s first, in the 54th minute, followed a superb pass by Barca’s latest youth talent Marc Casado.
And he followed it up with a header almost immediately after the restart to silence the Santiago Bernabeu.
In fact, it should have been a historic hat-trick as Lewandowski somehow hit the post with an open goal after Raphinha’s cross cut out Los Blancos keeper Andriy Lunin.
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Lamine Yamal made it a rout in the 77th when the teenage phenom somehow rifled a shot from an angle over Lunin.
Raphinha got involved in the burgundy-and-blue party when he broke free with Madrid pressing forward and chipped the keeper in the 84th.
Mbappe had a frustrating first game against Barcelona in a white shirt.
The France star was repeatedly caught offside by Barcelona’s synchronized back four and failed to beat second-choice goalkeeper Inaki Pena one-on-one with his team down two goals.
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Hansi Flick, meanwhile, had a night to remember in the first Clasico for the German coach.
Barcelona still have financial troubles that cast doubt over their future but they have made huge steps forward since Flick replaced Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez in the summer.
Casado, an unknown reserve team player until Flick picked him to be his holding midfielder, was one of five home-grown players that Flick put in his starting line-up, the same 11 that beat Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League three days before.
A total of six players under 22 years old started for Barcelona, led by 17-year-olds Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, and showed no signs of being intimidated by the scenario.
Yamal upstaged Mbappe this summer when Spain beat France en route to winning the European Championship.
And he did it again when he displayed the finishing touch that Mbappe was lacking.
Mbappe himself was ruled offside no less than five times in the first half hour, as Barcelona pressed high up the field.
While Jude Bellingham was largely anonymous as the game slipped away from the increasingly desperate hosts.
Vinicius Junior, who is set to win the Ballon d’Or on Monday, didn’t fare much better as he missed a golden chance to give Madrid the lead in the first half.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
