Lamine Yamal found himself at the centre of the post-match storm after Real Madrid edged Barcelona 2–1 at the Bernabéu — and his father has jumped to his defence on Instagram.
The 18-year-old winger clashed with Dani Carvajal at full-time amid a wider melee involving Thibaut Courtois and Vinícius Jr, after pre-match needle and barbs about Madrid “robbing and complaining.”
The match
Kylian Mbappé put Madrid ahead on 22 minutes from a delicious Jude Bellingham pass. Fermin López levelled for Barça before the break, but Bellingham ghosted in unmarked to tap home the winner after half-time. Madrid also missed a penalty and saw three goals chalked off as Xabi Alonso’s leaders extended their cushion at the top of La Liga to five points.
Key stat: Jude Bellingham is the youngest Real Madrid player this century to both score and assist in El Clásico (22 years, 119 days).
The flashpoint
Carvajal confronted Yamal over comments made in the build-up, with Vinícius briefly needing to be held back as tempers flared heading for the tunnel. Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, posted defiantly afterwards: “Good thing he’s only 18. See you in Barcelona,” and “Until death do us part my gang,” alongside photos backing his son.
The bigger picture
- Table: Real Madrid 27 pts (9–0–1); Barcelona 22 pts (7–1–2) after 10 games.
- Forming a response: Hansi Flick’s side now have to chase down five points; Yamal’s start to 2025/26 remains bright with 8 goal contributions (3G, 5A) in 8 appearances across competitions.
- What’s next: Barcelona host Elche next; Madrid welcome Valencia on Saturday. The return Clásico is slated for 10 May.
