Barcelona rallies to beat Real Madrid 4-3 despite Mbappé hat trick to move closer to La Liga title

MADRID (AP) — Barcelona took a huge step Sunday to securing the Spanish league title with a 4-3 win over Real Madrid — despite Kylian Mbappé’s hat trick in a mesmerizing “clasico” — and opened a seven-point lead over its second-placed rival with three matches remaining.

Raphinha scored twice, and Lamine Yamal and Eric García added a goal each for Barcelona, which needs two more points to secure its 28th league title.

The Catalan club trailed 2-0 after Mbappé scored in the fifth and 14th minutes at Montjuic stadium. The hosts evened the match just over the half-hour mark, and went on to lead 4-2 at halftime in a sensational recovery.

Mbappé completed his hat trick in the 70th but Madrid wasn't able to come back in a likely fatal blow to its hopes of successfully defending its title.

Mbappé became the league's leading scorer with 27 goals, two more than Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski, who did not play on Sunday.

Mbappé also became Madrid's player with the most goals in his debut season with 39, surpassing the 37 scored by Iván Zamorano in the 1992-93 campaign. Mbappé had already overtaken Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy (both 33 goals) and Brazil great Ronaldo (30).

It was another thrilling match involving Barcelona, which on Tuesday was eliminated by Inter Milan in extra time in the semifinals of the Champions League. Barcelona lost to the Italians 7-6 on aggregate.

The Catalan club has won every match against Madrid this season. It had already won 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the first league match in October, 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in January, and 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final last month.

“We have to celebrate the victory. I’m very happy for the whole club and the fans. The atmosphere is incredible, and I really appreciate it,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. “The job isn’t finished yet. We need to be more consistent defensively, but with matches every three days it’s very difficult to train.”

Barcelona can clinch the title by winning at Espanyol on Thursday. It could already be champion by then if Madrid fails to beat Mallorca on Wednesday.

Barcelona then hosts Villarreal and visits Athletic Bilbao in the final round.

“Every match will be tough, but we have the quality,” said Flick, who is in his first season with Barcelona. "I believe we can do it.”

The result virtually ends Madrid’s chances of winning the league, with its hopes shifting to the Club World Cup, starting next month. Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup at the start of the season.

The loss adds pressure on coach Carlo Ancelotti, who is rumored to be leaving the club to take over Brazil's national team. Former Madrid player Xabi Alonso, who recently announced he is leaving Bayer Leverkusen, is widely expected to be Madrid's next coach.

When asked if it was his last clasico, Ancelotti said: “It’s the last one of the season. There are three games left and we have to try to win all three."

Spanish media reported that some fans protested against the team after players arrived back in Madrid.

Ancelotti had his 350th game with Madrid.

“In a game at this level, you have to defend and attack well. We attacked well, looking for chances. Obviously, we could have done better in the first half, we made some obvious mistakes that cost us goals," he said. “We had to defend better. We gifted them some chances and they punished us.”

Needing to win to get back into the title race, Madrid got off to a great start before Barcelona responded.

García began Barcelona's comeback with a header off a corner kick in the 19th, Yamal equalized with a curling shot into the far corner in the 32nd, and Raphinha scored in the 34th and 45th minutes for Barcelona to lead 4-2 at halftime in a stunning turnaround.

It was a mistake by Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí that had led to the early penalty converted by Mbappé in the first Madrid goal, and Mbappé added another goal in a breakaway to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Both teams had goals disallowed in the final minutes.

Vinícius Júnior had to be substituted in the second half with a sprained ankle.

Barcelona is unbeaten in 16 straight league matches, with its last loss coming against Atletico Madrid late last year.

Madrid, eliminated by Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, had won four in a row in the league.

Among those in the stands at Montjuic was Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith and singer-songwriter Travis Scott, who was shown celebrating in the VIP tribunes.

In the fight against relegation, 18th-placed Leganes beat 14th-placed Espanyol 3-2 to move within a point of Alaves, the first team outside the drop zone.

Alaves lost 1-0 at fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao.

Also Sunday, sixth-placed Real Betis drew 1-1 with midtable Osasuna.

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Barcelona players celebrate after the La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 11, 2025. AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts after missing a chance to score during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Barcelona's Raphinha shoots by Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois during the La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 11, 2025. AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's Raphinha, right, and Real Madrid's Lucas Vazquez fight for the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Real Madrid's Luka Modric tackles Barcelona's Pedri during the La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 11, 2025. AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti, left, gives instructions during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Barcelona's Raphinha, right, and Real Madrid's Lucas Vazquez fight for the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, and Kylian Mbappe celebrate after a goal during the La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 11, 2025. AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona players celebrate after a goal during the La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 11, 2025. AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)