Reliable Vazquez; Vini vision: 5 key points of how Real Madrid stunned Barcelona

With 20 minutes remaining in Sunday's ELCLASICO, the gap between first-placed Real Madrid and second-placed FC Barcelona in the LALIGA EA SPORTS table was down to just five points. By the time the full-time whistle sounded around the Bernabéu, the difference was 11 points, after Los Blancos completed a 3-2 comeback victory with a stoppage-time Jude Bellingham winner.

It was a dramatic and entertaining back-and-forth affair, one which could have gone either way. Below come five explanations to outline exactly how Real Madrid ensured they took the three points.

Bellingham comes up clutch again

Both of the ELCLASICO match-ups in this 2023/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season have been won via stoppage time goals from Jude Bellingham. After the Englishman scored a late winner for a 2-1 victory in Catalonia earlier this season, he was once again the man to turn the ball into the back of the net on Sunday, this time completing the 3-2 win. That makes him the first player since Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2006/07 to score in both ELCLASICO league games in his debut season at Real Madrid. All season long, the 20-year-old has contributed in the most important matches and he once again came up clutch to bury the chance in stoppage time.

Lucas Vázquez is Mr. Reliable

One of Real Madrid's best performers on the night isn't usually a starter for the team. That's Lucas Vázquez, who was filling in for Dani Carvajal at right-back and who produced an excellent performance, winning the penalty through which Vinícius scored Los Blancos' first goal of the night before the 32-year-old scored the goal that made it 2-2 with a tidy finish. Coming just a few days after he so coolly and calmly took and converted a penalty in his team's Champions