Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou in the Clasico on Sunday, with Kylian Mbappe scoring both goals. Jose Mourinho's side went into the night as underdogs but came out of a dramatic, fiery match with three vital points and bragging rights over their rivals.
The result made Real the first team to beat Barcelona in La Liga this season and ended the Catalan club's run of nine straight league wins. A Barcelona victory would have broken Real's record for the best start to a Spanish top-flight season, set in 1968-69. For Hansi Flick's team it was a second consecutive defeat, arriving only days after a Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
The win also nudged Real ahead in the all-time Clasico head-to-head record, 107 victories to Barcelona's 106.
Mbappe's brace took his tally for the campaign to 14 goals and marked a personal landmark: his 100th goal for Real in all competitions since he arrived from PSG in 2024. The 27-year-old is the second-highest scorer in La Liga this season. Last season he finished as top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League, won the World Cup Golden Boot and became the all-time leading scorer at the World Cup. Those feats make him one of the frontrunners for the Ballon d'Or, with the ceremony due in London on Monday.
Real's season had been rattled by defeats to Real Betis and Atletico Madrid last month, but recent results point to stability. They have now won five in a row, three in La Liga and two in the Champions League. Sunday's win was only their second in eight meetings with Barcelona, yet they are narrowing the gap in the table. After 10 matches Real are third with 24 points, three behind leaders Barcelona. Atletico sit second on 25 points.
Mourinho is in his first season back in Spain after Real turned to their former manager following two seasons without trophies, hoping he could halt Barcelona's recent dominance. He has not won a league title since guiding Chelsea to the Premier League in 2014-15, but his record as one of football's most decorated managers remains formidable. His return to the Clasico came 13 years after his first spell at Real ended.
The victory should lift morale and strengthen unity in the squad, and it gives Mourinho evidence that his methods can return Real to the top of Spanish football. He was careful to keep perspective, however. "If we win today but lose at El Sardinero, it counts for nothing, because Madrid isn't playing to win at the Camp Nou," he said. "They're playing to win the championship."
After celebrating with his trademark knee slide, the 63-year-old knows the work is far from finished. In his first spell at Real he won three trophies, including a record-breaking La Liga title, so he knows better than most what the club can achieve.
