cal Football is Mathematics
More
More
Previews Trends Top Trends Livescore Injured players Team Comparison
Language
English
English (EN)
Español (ES)
Deutsch (DE)
Italiano (IT)
Français (FR)
Русский (RU)
Ελληνικά (GR)
Български (BG)
Român (RO)
Polski (PL)
Português (PT)
Português (Brasil)
Settings
Time Zone
cfimg
COEF
About us
What is Forebet
FAQ
Main features of Forebet
Avoid Scam
Contact
Mobile App
Categories
My Leagues
Football
Popular Leagues
Countries
International

    How did Barcelona stomp Real Madrid once again?

    How did Barcelona stomp Real Madrid once again?
    Maciej Rogowski Photo / Shutterstock.com
    01/14/2025 1298

    The second of this season’s El Clásico matches was played recently, and for the second time, it was all Barcelona. The first one ended 4-0 in favour of the Catalan side, while this one finished 5-2.

    Why and how does this keep happening to a squad that is as elite as Real Madrid? There are several factors, and the biggest of which we touch on below.

    Tactics

    Barcelona employed similar tactics to those they’ve been using under Hansi Flick.

    Alejandro Balde advanced high from his left-back position, while Raphinha moved further inside, becoming more of a number 10 in the classical sense. Meanwhile, the central striker Robert Lewandowski dropped deep, pulling his defender with him and leaving ample space up front for Lamine Yamal and Raphinha to exploit.

    All very familiar, but Real Madrid simply couldn’t stop it.

    They actually took the lead with a brilliant counter-attack, capped off by Kylian Mbappé scoring the opening goal. However, by the time that happened, Barcelona had already created two chances, and more were to follow. Another staple of their play was the high press, which caused plenty of problems for Real Madrid.

    It didn’t have as much impact in the past because back then, Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić were controlling the midfield. That’s no longer the case, and it was very evident. Eduardo Camavinga, one of Real’s midfielders, managed only 12 passes in the first half—clearly not a good number.

    Lacklustre defending

    Another major issue for Madrid was their defensive setup. Vinícius Junior was supposed to cover the left flank, but he often tracked back too late, allowing the ball to progress well ahead of him. This gave Barcelona’s right-back Jules Koundé the opportunity to push forward, creating a numerical advantage alongside Yamal.

    That side of Real’s defence collapsed far too often, as nobody from the midfield came to assist. It’s either a poor setup or, more likely, poor execution by the players on the pitch, who didn’t fulfil their roles as required.

    No elite creators

    While Madrid boasts flashy attacking talents in Mbappé, Vinícius, and Rodrygo, they lack a true creative midfielder.

    The only one who fits that profile is Luka Modrić, but at his age, he can no longer contribute consistently at this level. He’s useful for a half or 30 minutes but not for a full match of this intensity. The absence of Modrić in the starting lineup, along with the departure of Toni Kroos—who had been a cornerstone for Madrid for over a decade—has hurt them significantly.

    They have impressive attacking options but no one to consistently set them up with chances, resulting in possession without much purpose. Against elite teams like Barcelona, this deficiency was glaringly obvious in both matches this year.

    Conclusion

    Neither this 5-2 defeat nor the earlier 4-0 loss came as a surprise. Madrid has struggled against weaker teams this year, so this result isn’t shocking. They simply don’t have an answer when Barcelona plays their best football. It’s both a personnel issue and a tactical problem, compounded by occasionally poor execution.

    Home team
    Away team
    Probability %
    1X2
    Pred
    Correct score
    Avg. goals
    Weather conditions
    Coef.
    Score
    Live
    coef.
    SSC
    383428
    12-1
    2 - 1
    3.39
    13°
    +130
    +130 +300 +160 no no no
    FT
    2 - 5(1 - 4)
    -
    - - -

    Supercopa de España

    SSC
    1
    SSC
    X
    SSC
    1
    View all
    <
    October 2026
    Football predictions
    >
    {"9":"September 2026","10":"October 2026","11":"November 2026"}
    MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
    01020304
    05060708091011
    12131415161718
    19202122232425
    262728293031
    Cancel

    Featured match

    RuC
    2

    Pick of the day

    Us1
    1
    8th
    14th
    Minnesota United have seen both teams score in each of their last 11 Major League Soccer matches.

    Top trends

    All trends
    Copyright © 2009-2026 Forebet.com All rights reserved.