El Clasico: Barca Beat Real In Thriller

Barcelona closed in on the league title as they fought back from two goals down to beat Real Madrid - for whom Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick - in a thrilling Clasico.

Real Madrid raced into a 2-0 lead with Mbappe scoring twice inside 14 minutes, but Barca hit four by half-time - one each for Eric Garcia and Lamine Yamal, and two for Raphinha.

Mbappe scored again with 20 minutes left, to take his club total in all competitions to 39 - the most ever by a Real Madrid player in their debut season - and Barca's Fermin Lopez had a goal ruled out for handball in a gripping finish.

Having already beaten Real Madrid in La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup final and the Copa del Rey final this season, Barca equalled the record they set in 1982-83 of winning four Clasicos in a single campaign.

That Real Madrid have conceded 16 goals in four Clasicos this season illustrates their decline and Barcelona's improvement over the past nine months.

Victory has put Barcelona seven points clear of their arch-rivals with three games left to play.

- Author: Alex Brotherton, BBC