Real Madrid vs Barcelona 0-4: El Clasico in Spain’s LaLiga – as it happened

That’s it from our live coverage of El Classico.

Defending champions Madrid are left with a Real problem as Barcelona extend their lead at the top of LaLiga to six points with the win at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

The manner of the defeat will be just as painful for Los Blancos, looking at the league table.

There’s plenty of thinking to do – but – it’s not back to the drawing board, insists Real boss Carlo Ancelotti.

We hope you enjoyed our extensive coverage of the match and can join us again soon for more live action, with the focus returning to the Premier League on Sunday and a huge battle at the top between Arsenal and Liverpool.

For now, though – from me, Kevin Hand – it’s goodbye.

✨✨✨ pic.twitter.com/xsFe4Ml5Ag

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 26, 2024

Ilkay Gundogan took to his account on social-media platform, X, to say: “What a statement at Bernabeu. Wow.

“Vamoooos! It’s been some great results and performances recently – very happy my former teammates are doing such an amazing job so far. Tonight the big, big game – good luck & força Barça!”

Barcelona hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in Spain with 43 games undefeated.

Real’s defeat ends their 42-game unbeaten run.

What a way – and place – for it to end.

Villareal kept pace at the top with a 2-1 win at Real Valladolid on Saturday, while Atletico Madrid will seek to close the gap on Real to one point with a win at Real Betis on Sunday.

➕6⃣

🔵📈🔴 ¡El @FCBarcelona_es vence en #ELCLÁSICO y amplía su ventaja en #LALIGAEASPORTS! pic.twitter.com/U6soeoRsis

— LALIGA (@LaLiga) October 26, 2024

“It’s unbelievable, I’m really proud about the team and how we played,” the Barcelona boss told his club’s official channel when reflecting on the game. “Second half we deserved to win and this was our goal.”

Flick Ball is COOKING in LALIGA...#ELCLÁSICO pic.twitter.com/kCjbeitnvw

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) October 26, 2024

“When they scored those back-to-back goals, it took the energy out of us,” Carlo Ancelotti said. “This is a complicated moment for us. It hurts to lose a game and especially after going 42 games unbeaten, but we shouldn’t just throw everything away because this team will play better.”

“Today, we made a fantastic match and it is all about the team. Everyone gave it 100 percent,” said Hansi Flick, who his opposite number Ancelotti called “a gentleman” for telling his bench to cool it when they effusively celebrated the fourth goal near Madrid’s dugout.

“We came here to do just this,” the Barcelona forward said of the 4-0 win. “We had lots of confidence and when we scored the second goal, we wanted to score a third, and then a fourth, as many goals as possible. To win 4-0 at this ground and beat Bayern 4-1, we showed that we are ready for anything.”

“It’s difficult to give a team a ’10’, but Barcelona are very close. They have been excellent in every aspect,” Albert Ferrer told LaLiga TV. “They risk it and could have lost it in the first half, the timing of the runs, but overall, Barcelona have been much better than Real Madrid.

“For Real Madrid, it is a very painful loss, but it is just one game and they will be contenders for everything.”

Victory is ours! pic.twitter.com/JQt3TvCN4Y

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 26, 2024

“We knew they were going to use this high line and we just missed it,” Carlo Ancelotti said. “[Mbappe] sometimes fell offside, but he had three or four chances to score and needed a better finishing touch.”

“Our coach said that playing a high defensive line was non-negotiable,” Barca keeper Inaki Pena said. “It is risky to play with such a high defence line, but the effort and work of the entire team is reflected in the offside traps we are creating.”

“We had a tough week with tough games but we knew how to pull it out. We played a great game,” Marc Casado, an unknown reserve team player until Flick picked him to be his holding midfielder, said after his impressive outing.

Casado was one of five homegrown players that Hansi Flick put in his starting lineup, 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 Cubarsí, and showed no signs of being intimidated by the scenario.

“We struggled in the beginning,” the Barcelona defender said. “Real Madrid were pressing, it was expected, but we overcame it. We have been performing really well, on very good form and let’s hope we can continue like this.”

After four consecutive El Clasico defeats, Barcelona claimed their first triumph over Real Madrid since March 2023.

It’s the third time since the turn of the century that they’ve won by a four-goal margin at Real.

We’ll bring you the post-match reaction from both sides as it comes in. The thoughts of Real will be pretty interesting – their manager Carlo Ancelotti rarely mixes his words.

The Barca striker has netted 14 goals this season now from 11 games in LaLiga, with two assists to his name.

Ayoze Perez of Valencia is a distant second with seven strikes, while Raphinha has six. The Brazilian has six assists to his name and only teammate Yamal can match that. The youngster also has five goals to his name.

Mbappe tops Real’s scoring with six goals in 10 games and only one assist. Vinicius has five goals and four assists from his 11 appearances.

Barca’s 4-0 win came via 59 percent of the possession. The Catalan club had 15 shots with seven on target. Real had nine and four respectively.

Real had 25 touches in their opponent’s box compared with Barca’s 18. Clinical, to say the least, from the away side.