Kylian Mbappe’s double took Real Madrid to a famous 2-1 Clasico win, which had Jose Mourinho sliding on his knees in celebration in Barcelona.
It was the 87th minute when Mbappe tucked in from Eduardo Camavinga’s cutback following some sublime skill from Jude Bellingham. The celebrations from Real Madrid were wild, with their head coach unable to contain himself, his staff on the pitch, and his players clashing with Barcelona fans.
Real had been on the defensive after Raphinha’s snapshot had levelled a pulsating clash, with Lamine Yamal narrowly clipping wide as LaLiga’s defending champions pushed for a winner. Instead Real have closed to within three points of their great rivals. Atletico are second just two off Barca now.
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Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring against Barcelona
It’s been a bad week for Hansi Flick’s side, whose 11-game winning streak at the start of this season was halted with defeat in the Champions League at Paris St-Germain. This loss will sting far more – it’s Real’s first win in Barcelona in three years.
Mbappe’s opener had been fortuitous, Gerard Martin slamming a clearance in off him. But Real’s move to get to that point had been excellent and throughout the contest they showed they were willing to go toe-to-toe with their more favoured hosts.
There was controversy before Raphinha’s equaliser, with Joao Cancelo not punished for putting his studs into Yan Diomande’s calf. But Mourinho and Real Madrid will leave Spotify Camp Nou celebrating.
Key moments at Spotify Camp Nou…
18: SHOT! It’s end-to-end as Guler steps in off the right and forces Garcia into a save moments after Gordon tested Lunin.
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Barcelona’s Anthony Gordon, right, is challenged by Real Madrid’s Arda Guler
24: SHOTS! Raphinha whacks one over the bar from 16 yards and then links up brilliantly with Gordon before bending a low effort just wide.
33: OVER! Mbappe scissor-kicks over the bar after a brilliant move featuring a big Bellingham tackle and Guler’s gorgeous cross.
41: GOAL! Mbappe gives Real the lead when Gerard Martin whacks the ball against him from Diomande’s cross into the box! A bizarre goal at the end of a fine team move from the visitors.
50: CHANCE! But Bellingham can’t find the pass to Mbappe after skipping away on the counter to set up a two-on-one against Martin, who shuts him down.
57: CONTROVERSY! Cancelo puts his studs into Diomande’s calf. The Real winger continues his attack before going to ground – but there’s no retrospective punishment for the Barca defender.
61: GOAL! Pedri reverses a pass into Raphinha and his snapshot beats Lunin, who got a hand to the ball but couldn’t keep the equaliser out.
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Barcelona’s Raphinha celebrates after scoring against Real Madrid
66: SAVE! An amazing save from Lunin, as he claws away Martin’s powerful header from a corner.
78: CLOSE! Lamine Yamal skips past a couple of challenges then clips a shot at goal – but the ball bounces just wide.
87: GOAL! Mbappe sensationally wins it for Real, slotting in after Camavinga cuts the ball back to him following sublime skill from Bellingham.
Mourinho not happy Cancelo was not sent off
Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho:
“First of all, I think it was a great match. A high-level match. One that the whole football-loving world surely stopped to watch, and wasn’t disappointed, with two teams that played to win.
“In our case, it’s more my place to talk about my own team than the other. The boys played an extraordinary match: very organized, very focused, with a lot of courage to play out from the back against an opponent that presses hard. We had good chances to make it 2-0 at the end of the first half.
“At the start of the second half, we had a situation with Jude and Kylian. Obviously, Barcelona, being behind, had a strong reaction in the second half, but we always stayed very calm and organized.
“At 1-1 we never lost our composure. For me, it was a great victory for the boys, I repeat, against a great opponent, with a referee who I think did a very good job, and a VAR that was asleep at minute 60 on a decision that could surely have had a big influence on the match: a clear red card for João on Diomandé.
“But a great match for me, a great match, a great victory, and the boys deserve it.”
Mbappe: Real Madrid back in title race
Mbappe celebrated the “team victory” that brought Real Madrid back into the LaLiga title race, saying it sent a “good message.”
“In the end, winning and still being in the title race is very important for us,” Mbappé told Real Madrid TV. “But we have to keep going.
“We know it’s a big game, but it’s worth three points, and we need a lot of points to win the league. Today sends a good message but we can’t think that the season is over, because nothing has been decided.
“It’s a team victory. The credit goes to the team and the group, because we knew we had to play like men, but also as a team.
“We prepared well in our recent games because we won and played well. We came into this with the right mentality, and today we gave everything we had.
“If we want to have any hopes of achieving things this year, we have to do it as a group and as a team, because the quality is here/ When you look at the players here, anyone who says there’s no quality is a liar.
“But we have to do everything as a team and as a group, because that’s how we’re going to achieve what we want to achieve.
“Everyone knows I like scoring goals and helping the team that way. But I think today that’s just a detail. This victory will give the group a lot of confidence, and there will be many more goals, so it’s not that important.”
Flick: Barca lacked freshness
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick:
“We had two defeats and we’re disappointed. First half was not good. Second half, after 1-1, was better. We controlled the game. We missed a little bit of luck. Against the ball they gave us not so much space.
“You could see today we missed also the freshness.
“It’s our first defeat in LaLiga. We won nine in a row. It happens, defeats are a part of the game. Now we have to analyse, make things better, and this we’ll do. Now it’s important we make a reaction.
“It’s a long way until the end of the season.”