Jude Bellingham’s “fundamental” goal helped Real Madrid move 11 points clear at the top of La Liga with a dramatic 3-2 win over champions Barcelona on Sunday. Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti praised the England midfielder’s decisive intervention to bring Real Madrid to the brink of the Spanish title. Madrid fell behind twice before equalizing with goals from Vinicius Junior and Lucas Vázquez to goals from Andreas Christensen and Fermín Lopez before Bellingham scored the winner in stoppage time. ball.

Ancelotti said: “He came at the right time. He worked very hard in the game and has not scored for a while. The goal he scored today is crucial to win the league.”

Second-placed Barcelona bounced back with a strong performance after being eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, but their final stop was destroyed by Bellingham.

Madrid showed the same grit as they did against Manchester City in midweek on their way to Europe’s last four, before a knockout tie at Bellingham sent the Bernabeu fans into a tizzy.

The former Borussia Dortmund man, who scored twice in Madrid’s Clasico win over Barcelona in October, is just 20 and has impressed in his first season in Spain.

“We have taken a big step towards La Liga,” Vázquez, key to all three Madrid goals, told Real Madrid TV.

“We’ve had a really good season, we’re on a really good path, now we just have to get it right and we’re going to give it our all.”

Real Madrid’s penalty hero against Manchester City, goalkeeper Andre Lunin, made an early mistake that gave Barcelona the lead.

The Ukrainian strayed from the goal line and tried to deal with the corner kick, but was nowhere near the ball and Christensen nodded into the empty net.

However, Madrid soon equalized through Vinicius, who equalized after a superb strike.

The sensational Vázquez easily escaped Joao Cancelo’s defense and was tripped by 17-year-old Barcelona centre-back Paulo Cubas in the area.

Barcelona were undeterred and Lamine Yamal gave Eduardo Camavinga a tough time as he advanced down the right wing.

-“shame”-
The 16-year-old starlet thought he had a clever shot from the corner, but Lunin pushed the ball to safety and Barcelona thought it had crossed the line.

La Liga did not contract goal-line technology and was unable to confirm whether the ball had fully entered the goal using VAR, so the Catalans were frustrated.

“Given the way we played, we deserved more but there was nothing we could do,” Xavi said.

“(The lack of goal-line technology) is a shame.”

Barcelona were dealt a heavy blow just before half-time when midfielder Frenkie de Jong was stretchered off after sustaining an ankle injury during a challenge with Fede Valverde.

Xavi also brought on Lopez for Christensen at half-time, which benefited the coach after a slow start to the second half.

Lunin could only deflect Yamal’s low shot into danger in the 69th minute, with the midfielder in the right place at the right time.

However, Real Madrid, seeking a fifth league and Champions League double, struck back quickly when Vinicius crossed to the back post and Vázquez finished.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen produced a superb save to deny Vinicius Junior as Madrid looked for a winner to all but end their La Liga title.

Although the Catalans were largely silent, Bellingham dealt the fatal blow until injury time when he received Vazquez’s cross that seemed to decide the game.

“Xavi, stay,” the Barcelona coach, who is set to leave at the end of the season, taunted Real Madrid fans.

Earlier, Atletico Madrid lost 2-0 to Alaves, denting their chances of a top-four finish and ending a miserable week following their Champions League exit.

Fourth-placed Diego Simeone’s side are three points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic after goals from Carlos Benavidez and Luis Rioja sealed the defeat.

Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told DAZN: “We are in a terrible dynamic.”

“We have to improve and if we don’t it will be a very difficult end to the season.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)