'Suffering makes us strong' - Barcelona joy despite Mbappe record

After a tough loss to Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-finals, Barcelona faced a challenging season.

In past years, this might have led to disappointment. A potential treble reduced to just one cup would fit their recent struggles. However, this is a new Barcelona.

In Sunday’s Clasico against Real Madrid, Barcelona fell behind 2-0. This was the third time in four matches they started like this. Yet, they fought back to lead 4-2 at halftime and finished 4-3.

Now, Barcelona knows that a win against Espanyol on Thursday will secure their 28th league title. If Madrid loses to Mallorca on Wednesday, it will also clinch the title for them.

Winning four Clasicos in one season is impressive. It’s only happened twice before and shows Hansi Flick's excellent work since taking over as manager last summer.

Barcelona now has identity and belief, even if they make things difficult for themselves. Young players like Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Pau Cubarsi are having great seasons. The team looks ready to compete for years ahead.

After a slow start on Sunday, Flick's attack dominated Madrid with pressing and finishing skills. However, defense remains an issue. Flick acknowledged the need for improvement.

"I know we must improve defensively," he said. "It’s not just about the back four; mistakes happen."

Yamal shared his thoughts after the match: "Winning today was very important for us." He added that suffering helps build strength and teaches lessons.

"It's been a tough year without our stadium," he said. "But we’ll keep trying next year."

With this victory, Barcelona holds a seven-point lead over Real Madrid with three games left in the season.

On the other hand, Carlo Ancelotti faces challenges at Real Madrid. He has never successfully defended a league title as a manager.

Madrid's future looks uncertain after another loss to Barcelona. Despite playing well at times, losing again means they effectively handed Barcelona the league title.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice early on and completed his hat-trick later in the game. However, defensive issues were evident as Barca led 4-2 by halftime.

Conceding 16 goals across four Clasicos is unacceptable for any team. Although Madrid pushed hard in the second half, Barcelona continued their offensive dominance.

A missed chance by substitute Victor Munoz could have changed things but scoring hasn’t been an issue for Ancelotti’s side overall.

Ancelotti struggled to find balance with star players like Mbappe and Vinicius Junior on his roster this season.

"It was an evenly matched game," Ancelotti stated post-match. "We competed until the end but need better defense."

He is expected to leave at season's end with Xabi Alonso likely replacing him from Bayer Leverkusen—a challenging task ahead of him.

Regarding his future with Madrid, Ancelotti remarked: "The honeymoon lasts until my last day here."

Ending without trophies seems unfair for a coach who has won 15 major titles with the club.