The Pole turned in a masterclass in finishing while his French counterpart fell short in Barcelona's emphatic Clasico win
One striker was banging in goals at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night. Another squandered countless chances. But before the game, you might not have guessed which was which. A 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski showed a man 10 years his junior just how a No.9 should play in Kylian Mbappe's first Clasico, turning in an attacking clinic to lift Barca to a 4-0 win.
Lewandowski was immense throughout, taking his two goals wonderfully, and putting in the kind of legwork worthy of any top team. Mbappe, meanwhile, was woeful. He mistimed his runs, squandered chances, and was often strolling around the park when Madrid didn't have the ball. One led by example, another was on the periphery of a team he is supposed to own.
Ironically, it was Mbappe and Madrid who might have had the better of the play in the first half, but their susceptibility to the Blaugrana's audacious offside trap saw the two sides go into the break goalless.
And then, Lewandowski took over.
His first goal was the finish of an experienced veteran, the Polish No.9 running through on goal, waiting for Andriy Lunin to commit, and sliding the ball in at the near post. The second was even better, shuffling into space between Madrid's two centre-backs and flicking Alejandro Balde's cross into the bottom corner with a powerful header.
He wasn't the only one to chip in. Lamine Yamal, kept relatively quiet in the first half, made his mark in the second, rinsing Ferland Mendy on the wing and blasting the ball into the roof of the net. Raphinha, reborn under Hansi Flick, added a clever fourth by dinking over Lunin and careening off in celebration to complete what was a humiliation.
Madrid, then, might just be in a bit of trouble here. It was widely assumed that they would run away with this league, with Barca overseen by a new coach and reliant on a young squad. Instead, the plucky La Masia kids – led by the classy veteran – arrived on Madrid's turf and showed them exactly how to show up in a big game. Lewandowski one, Mbappe nil.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Santiago Bernabeu…
GettyWINNER: Robert Lewandowski
That's what a vintage striker's performance looks like. Last year, there were real concerns that Lewandowski had lost a step. Although the No.9 found the net at a decent rate, his declining athleticism and occasional poor finishing left questions as to whether he could handle another season at the top level. Thus far this year, he has vanquished those worries, thriving under his former manager.
He showed up in style against Los Blancos. He wasn't involved much in the first half, but was deadly when it counted in the second. Both of his goals were wonderful things, a ball tucked into the near post followed by a flicked header into the far corner. There was an uncharacteristic squandered third from the big man – but it mattered little at the end of the day. And as the minutes dwindled, Lewandowski was found at the back, winning some crucial defensive headers and seeing his side over the line. He looks a player renewed, under a manager with unwavering faith in his game. The Pichichi could be on its way, and league glory might also beckon, too.
AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Kylian Mbappe
Well, that's not the best first Clasico ever. Mbappe has, historically, been excellent in big games (see the 2022 World Cup final for proof). But in his first massive test for Los Blancos, he was miserable. Barca's tactic was admittedly simple: play one of the world's fastest attackers offside. But what should have been an excuse for the Frenchman to feast was instead a kind of basic setup that foiled him time and time again.
Mbappe was caught offside eight times over the course of the 90 minutes, and resorted to speculative efforts and squandered shots from the edge of the area. A lot of these, admittedly, came under fine margins – his disallowed goal was a matter of centimeters. Still, the big arrival should be able to handle these situations. Instead, he was left to look rather foolish. There will be other big games to come, and he will simply have to show up in those.
GettyWINNER: The Barcelona high line
A lot of the talk in the lead up to the fixture was around whether Barca could play their signature risky high defensive line against a side with so much pace on the attack. Surely, Hansi Flick would have to be conservative?
So much for that. Barca were as risky as ever, despite not being blessed with blistering speed at either centre-back position. Mbappe alone was caught offside six times in the first half, while Vinicius, too, struggled to time his runs. It was a well-executed tactic and immense entertainment, helping facilitate a chaotic contest. Perhaps more importantly, though, it worked. Madrid had few clear chances, and Barca picked them off on the break. A clinic in audacious defending.
GettyLOSER: Real Madrid's treble hopes
Ok, this thing is not over. It is October, and there is a lot of football to go. But there was a widespread perception – if not assumption – that Madrid would walk this thing. The addition of Mbappe was less about whether they could win La Liga and more if they could claim all three trophies available.
As it has become clear, this whole thing might not be so easy. Barca are better than expected under Flick, playing some expansive attacking football and doing enough defensively to be able to travel to the home of their fiercest rivals and secure an emphatic win. Meanwhile, Los Blancos have looked unsteady at times in Europe, while the big-money front line hasn't quite clicked. As with all Madrid sides, the real questions will be answered towards the end of the season, in the biggest games. But Saturday showed that this won't be such an easy win.