BARCELONA, April 22, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Jude Bellingham snatched Real Madrid

a dramatic 3-2 Clasico win over champions Barcelona on Sunday with a
"fundamental" goal to take them 11 points clear at the top of La Liga.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed the England midfielder's decisive
intervention to take Los Blancos to the brink of the Spanish title.

Madrid twice came from behind with Vinicius Junior and Lucas Vazquez netting
to level Andreas Christensen and Fermin Lopez strikes, before Bellingham
rammed home the winner in stoppage time.

"He arrived at just the right time, he worked so hard in the game, it's been
a while since he scored and today he scored a goal that could be fundamental
in winning the league," said Ancelotti.

Barcelona, second, bounced back with a strong performance after their
Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain but their last
stand was demolished by Bellingham.

Madrid showed the same grit to stay in the match as they did midweek against
Manchester City on the way to the final four in Europe, before Bellingham's
knock-out blow left the Santiago Bernabeu crowd delighted.

Madrid's top scorer with 21 goals across all competitions, the former
Borussia Dortmund man netted twice in Madrid's Clasico win over Barcelona in
October and is shining in his first season in Spain at only 20 years old.

"We took a huge step towards La Liga," Vazquez, key in all three Madrid
goals, told Real Madrid TV.

"We've had a very good season, we're on a very good path, now we just have to
polish it off and we'll go for everything."

Madrid's penalty-saving hero against City, goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, made an
early mistake to hand Barcelona the lead.

The Ukrainian strayed from his line to try and deal with a corner but got
nowhere near the ball and Christensen nodded into the empty net.

However Madrid were quickly level through Vinicius, who fired over a fine
chance before levelling from the spot.

The sensational Vazquez escaped Joao Cancelo far too easily and was tripped
in the area by 17-year-old Barca centre-back Pau Cubarsi.

Barcelona were not deterred and made inroads down their right flank with
Lamine Yamal giving Eduardo Camavinga a torrid time.

- 'Disgrace' -

The 16-year-old starlet thought he had struck with a clever flick from a
corner but Lunin pushed the ball to safety, with Barcelona arguing it had
already crossed the line.

La Liga does not contract goal-line technology and using VAR the officials
could not confirm the ball had completely entered the goal, so the Catalans
were left frustrated.

"We deserved much more given the way we played but there's not much we can
do," said Xavi.

"(Not having goal-line technology) is a disgrace."

Barcelona were dealt a blow on the stroke of half-time when midfielder
Frenkie de Jong was taken off on a stretcher after hurting his ankle in a
challenge by Fede Valverde.

Xavi also brought Lopez on for Christensen at the interval and it paid
dividends for the coach after a slower start to the second half.

The midfielder was in the right place at the right time to finish after 69
minutes when Lunin could only parry Yamal's low effort back into danger.

However Madrid, seeking a fifth league and Champions League double, swiftly
struck back when Vinicius crossed to the back post and Vazquez arrived to
finish.

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen made a brilliant save to thwart Vinicius with Madrid
looking for a winner to virtually wrap up their La Liga title.

Bellingham dealt the killer blow, despite largely being kept quiet by the
Catalans until he appeared to emphatically decide the match in stoppage time
from Vazquez's cross.

"Xavi, stay," mocked Real Madrid's fans with the Barcelona coach due to leave
at the end of the season.

Earlier Atletico Madrid suffered a 2-0 defeat at Alaves to dent their chances
of a top four finish and end a woeful week, following their Champions League
exit.

Diego Simeone's side, fourth, lead fifth place Athletic by three points after
Carlos Benavidez and Luis Rioja's strikes consigned them to defeat.

"We're in a terrible dynamic," Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told DAZN.

"We have to improve and if we don't, this end to the season will be very
tough."