After Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the 56th minute, Rodrygo scored for Real Madrid just four minutes later. However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side were unable to make much of a dent despite having an extra man advantage.

It was Barca’s third straight win in 2025, after losing two in a row at the end of 2024. “The Christmas break helped us reflect on what we did wrong,” said striker Lewandowski. “Now we can look forward to the run we will have until the end of the season.” Hansi Flick’s side started the season strongly and led La Liga for three months, before poor form in November and December saw them drop points in six of their final seven games of the year, calling Flick’s tactics into question. And unsurprisingly, he was effusive in his praise of the win: “I’m really proud! Proud of the team, the staff, the club, the fans, everyone. Today was an unbelievable game. For coaches, not so much! But for the fans, it was really great.”