Dallas, Texas: In a historic showdown at the AT&T Stadium, Barcelona emerged victorious against arch-rivals Real Madrid with a resounding 3-0 win in the season’s first EL Clasico on Sunday. The match marked a momentous occasion as it drew the largest crowd ever for an EL Clasico held in the United States and also set a record for the highest club soccer match attendance in the history of AT&T Stadium.
Despite being a pre-season friendly, the intensity and rivalry between the Spanish giants were evident throughout the match. A total of 27 fouls were conceded, and seven yellow cards were shown to players, demonstrating the competitive nature of the encounter.
Barcelona started off strongly in the first half, launching attacking forays into the rival half. In the 15th minute, they took advantage of a free-kick opportunity, with IIkay Gundagon delivering a clever pass to Pedri, who set up Ousmane Dembele for a brilliant goal, leaving Real Madrid’s goalkeeper with no chance.
Real Madrid had a chance to level the score in the first half when they were awarded a penalty kick, but Vinicius Junior’s attempt hit the crossbar and went out of play, allowing Barcelona to maintain their 1-0 lead going into halftime.
In the second half, Real Madrid intensified their pressure on Barcelona, with four attempts striking the crossbar. However, a defensive mistake from Real Madrid allowed Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez Martin to score a second goal with a stunning left-footer from outside the 18-yard box in the 85th minute.
As the match entered injury time, Barcelona sealed their victory with a third goal, courtesy of Ferran Torres, in the 90th minute. The 3-0 scoreline was a testament to Barcelona’s clinical finishing and Real Madrid’s misfortune in front of the goal.
Barcelona demonstrated their attacking prowess throughout the match, taking 12 shots at the Real Madrid goal, with seven on target. Their ball possession during the game stood at 47 percent, and they completed 458 passes with an impressive accuracy of 86 percent.
On the disciplinary front, Barcelona conceded 17 fouls and received three yellow cards during the fiercely contested clash.
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