Tensions boiled over in the final seconds of the first El Clásico of the season with Real Madrid and Barcelona nearly coming to blows at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The two bitter rivals clashed in Madrid with the La Liga summit on the line. Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham led the way for Los Blancos while a lone goal from Fermín López was all Barcelona could manage in what wound up being a 2–1 victory for Xabi Alonso’s men.
The already heated rivalry reached a fever pitch once Pedri saw red in the 100th minute. The sending off, which all-but ended Barcelona’s pursuit of an equalizer in stoppage time, made what was already a frustrating match for the defending Spanish champions even worse.
Chaos quickly ensued on the touchline, with both benches having to be held back from one another. Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior, who threw a fit after being replaced by Rodrygo earlier in the second half, were at the center of the action, along with Alejandro Balde.
Even the injured Antonio Rüdiger got involved in the scrum, dressed in his street clothes after watching most of the contest from the stands. The referee soon blew the final whistle after things settled down on the touchline, but tensions once again erupted, this time on the pitch.
Presumably in response to Lamine Yamal’s taunts aimed at Real Madrid in the buildup to Sunday’s El Clásico, Dani Carvajal went right up to the teenager and the two La Roja teammates exchanged words. Yamal then seemingly got into an altercation with Thibaut Courtois, prompting both sides to once again come together.
Dani Carvajal approached Lamine Yamal at the FT whistle.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 26, 2025
A scuffle broke out between the teams including Courtois and Yamal exchanging words. pic.twitter.com/FnPMzO57Gh
The fight spilled onto the touchline, with Raphinha—another injury absentee for Barcelona—having to be held back as he defended his teammates. The Brazil international was in a race to be back in time for the all-important clash, but he was not deemed fit for the match.
After so many lopsided victories for Barcelona last season against Real Madrid, the tightly contested affair at the Santiago Bernabéu was always going to end with some drama.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Junior at Center of Heated El Clasico Scuffle.