Kylian Mbappe struck twice to earn Real Madrid a 2-1 Clasico victory over La Liga leaders Barcelona on Sunday at Camp Nou. The Real Madrid beat Barcelona Clasico result cut the gap at the top to three points and handed the champions their first domestic defeat of the campaign.
Mbappe opened the scoring before the interval, then slotted home late after Raphinha had equalised for the champions. Real Madrid remain third, behind Atletico Madrid and Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, who had won their first nine games before a difficult week.
How Madrid won at Camp Nou
The opening period was cagey, with few clear chances. Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi twice reacted well to shut down Mbappe, while Real Madrid’s Marc Cucurella constantly grabbed at the shirt of 19-year-old winger Lamine Yamal.
Anthony Gordon, playing in his first Clasico since joining Barcelona from Newcastle United, backheeled the ball to Raphinha, who fired narrowly wide as the hosts threatened. Barcelona were dealt a setback when young defender Xavi Espart pulled up hurt and needed to be replaced by Alejandro Balde before the half-hour mark.
Andriy Lunin, playing in goal for Real after Thibaut Courtois pulled out of the squad with flu, saved at his near post from Gordon before the visitors took the lead. Mbappe scored his 10th league goal of the season, and his easiest, as Barcelona’s Gerard Martin cleared a cross straight at the Frenchman, who deflected it into the net.
Barcelona responded by carving out a fine chance for an equaliser, but Yamal, for once, miskicked in front of goal and fired wide when poised to level. Yan Diomande then came close to doubling Madrid’s lead before half-time, drilling into the side netting.
Courtois had been ruled out before the match, as covered in our report on the goalkeeper’s flu absence. Lunin’s performance in his place proved decisive, with key saves at both ends of the match.
Raphinha levels, Mbappe settles it
Martin redeemed himself early in the second half as he held off Jude Bellingham, who could neither beat the defender nor find a free Mbappe. Raphinha, who had a quiet first half, pulled Barcelona level just after the hour mark.
Pedri fed the Brazilian, La Liga’s top goalscorer with 13 goals, who fired through Bellingham’s legs. Lunin could not keep the shot out, and the match stood at 1-1.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper then made a superb save to deny Martin from a corner, as Barcelona flowed forward with the wind finally in their sails. Yamal bent an effort wide with Lunin at full stretch, and Barcelona substitute Frenkie de Jong had a shot desperately blocked by Dean Huijsen.
There was a sting in the tail for the Catalans. Substitute Gabriel Jesus lost possession, and Real raced through on goal. Eduardo Camavinga beat Cubarsi and unselfishly cut the ball back for Mbappe to tuck home his second of the night into an empty net, with Joan Garcia drawn out of position.
Real Madrid beat Barcelona Clasico in context
The result was a second straight defeat for Barcelona after their loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday in the Champions League. The champions had won six of the seven previous Clasicos since Flick arrived, but they were surprisingly subdued against Mourinho’s side.
Mourinho was delighted with his team’s display in his first Clasico back at the helm of Real Madrid. “My team had an extraordinary game, very organised, good concentration, with courage to play out from the back against a team that presses you a lot,” Mourinho told reporters.
“We had chances for the second goal… obviously Barca had a strong reaction but we were calm and organised and at 1-1 we never lost our tranquility.”
Barcelona midfielder Pedri was frank about his side’s display. “In general we didn’t have a great game, in the first half we weren’t ourselves, there were a lot of things we could have done better,” Pedri told DAZN. “We wanted to win the Clasico in front of our fans, but the season is very long… a league is not won here.”
Real, without suspended winger Vinicius Junior, won their fifth straight game across all competitions under Mourinho.
