Real Madrid player ratings vs Barcelona: Jude Bellingham is the king of El Clasico! England star dominates while Kylian Mbappe has up-and-down day as Los Blancos take control of La Liga title race

Jude Bellingham had a hand in both goals, and Kylian Mbappe continued his excellent run of form as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 in the first Clasico of the season. It was hardly a legendary iteration of this famous fixture, but two first-half goals from Los Blancos were enough to see off the short-handed Blaugrana.

Madrid thought they might have had a penalty early on, but saw it chalked off after Vinicius Jr was adjudged to have kicked Lamine Yamal, rather than the other way round, as the Brazilian burst into the box. Mbappe then had a goal disallowed for a narrow offside, but he wasn't to be denied, and soon after Bellingham played him through and Mbappe lashed into the bottom corner.

Los Blancos then gifted Barca an equaliser as Arda Guler gave the ball away on the edge of his own box to allow an unmarked Fermin Lopez to ghost into the area and finish. But Madrid had more in them, still, and Bellingham made it 2-1 thanks to an easy tap-in after no one tracked the Englishman on a set-piece.

Xabi Alonso's side had a chance to put the game away in the second half from the spot, yet Wojciech Szczesny responded, saving Mbappe's penalty after a lengthy VAR review handed Madrid a fortuitous spot-kick. It was a rather quiet second half, otherwise as Madrid sat in while Barca, without the injured Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, had few attacking ideas.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Santiago Bernabeu...

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Goalkeeper & Defence
Thibaut Courtois (7/10):
Didn't really have a save to make. Could do little about Fermin's goal.
Federico Valverde (7/10):
Picked up a silly yellow card in the first half, but kept it tidy otherwise.
Eder Militao (8/10):
Assisted Bellingham's goal with a tidy header. Excellent on the right side of the Madrid defence.
Dean Huijsen (8/10):
Backed up Carreras effectively and helped keep Yamal quiet. A good showing after a tricky run.
Alvaro Carreras (8/10):
Not his best performance, but perhaps his most important. Gave Yamal nothing.

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Midfield
Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):
Solid at the base of midfield and threw in some terrific tackles. Ensured things were tidy late on.
Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):
All action in the middle. Enjoyed a few nice ventures forward, too. Looked tired as the game wore on.
Arda Guler (5/10)
Turned in a solid 30 minutes before giving away the ball in the run up to the Barca goal. Never got back into it. Not his best showing.
Jude Bellingham (8/10):
Deployed as a right-sided No.10. Excellent in his defensive work and produced a brilliant assist for Mbappe before netting the winner. He's back.
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Attack
Kylian Mbappe (7/10):
Could've had three in the first half alone. Scored a wonderful opener, but mssed a penalty. A strange performance, all said.
Vinicius Jr (6/10):
Unfortunate not to have been awarded a penalty in the first half. Enjoyed effective moments here and there. Lasting image will be his temper tantrum after being subbed.

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Subs & Manager
Brahim Diaz (5/10):
Never really got in the game, and was a bit loose when Madrid broke.
Rodrygo (6/10):
Notable more for his defensive effort off the bench rather than any attacking exploits.
Dani Carvajal (N/A):
No time to make an impact on his return from injury.
Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Dani Ceballos (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Xabi Alonso (8/10):
Fielded the youngest Clasico XI since 2010. Got a couple of good goals from his side in the first half, and was happy to sit in after the break. Job done.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Midfield

Attack

Subs & Manager