By Jose Benjamin De Leon Castillo

Flick's Barcelona Humiliates Ancelotti's Madrid in a Tactical Masterclass​

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Ancelotti opted for a 4-3-3 with Lunin in goal, Lucas Vázquez, Militao, Rüdiger and Mendy in defence, and the midfield trio of Tchouaméni (a constant source of discontent for Madrid fans), Valverde and Camavinga. Upfront, the attack was led by Vinicius, Mbappé and Bellingham. Barcelona mirrored the formation with Iñaki Peña in goal, Koundé, Íñigo Martínez, Cubarsí and Balde at the back, Casadó, Pedri and Fermín López in midfield, and Yamal, Lewandowski and Raphinha leading the attack. 
 
The early exchanges were frantic, but Madrid's high press lacked coordination. Mbappé, who arrived with such high expectations, missed two early chances. Barcelona gradually seized control, with Yamal and Raphinha causing problems for Madrid's defence. Madrid's attack was plagued by offside calls. Mbappé seemed incapable of timing his runs. Even when onside, their finishing was poor. Vinicius and Camavinga wasted good chances, leaving the home fans disheartened. Ancelotti, on the sidelines, looked increasingly agitated as his tactical experiments failed to produce results. 
 
Flick made a crucial change at half-time, bringing on Frenkie de Jong for Fermín López. This seemingly small adjustment transformed Barcelona's midfield, allowing them to dominate the second half which turned into a headache for Real Madrid.  
 
In the 54th minute, Barcelona carved open the Madrid defence. Casadó, finding space in the midfield, threaded a perfect pass to Lewandowski, who got behind Rüdiger and calmly slotted the ball past the goalie. Just two minutes later, Barcelona struck again, exposing Madrid's defensive frailties. Balde, with acres of space on the left, whipped in a dangerous cross. Lewandowski, demonstrating his exceptional movement, lost his markers and powered a header past a helpless Lunin. 2-0. 
 
Real Madrid, reeling from the two quick goals, were all over the place. Their midfield was non-existent, their defence was exposed, and their attack - led by the misfiring Mbappé - offered no response. Mbappé continued to disappoint, missing another golden opportunity. Barcelona - smelling blood - kept attacking, with Lewandowski almost scoring again, but hitting the post. The stadium, once a cauldron of noise, was now eerily quiet. 
 
Ancelotti's response was baffling. He brought on Modric for Tchouaméni, but the damage was done. His substitutions were too little too late. Barcelona were rampant, and Yamal added a third goal in the 77th minute - a cool finish after a swift counter-attack. Raphinha then added salt to the wound with a delightful chip over Lunin in the 85th minute, capitalising on Madrid's desperation to get back in the game.