Kylian Mbappé's late heroics delivered a dramatic 2-1 victory for Real Madrid over Barcelona at Camp Nou, ending the Catalan side's nine-match unbeaten run in La Liga. The French forward struck twice, with his second goal arriving in the 87th minute to seal a key win in El Clásico.
Mbappé opened the scoring before Barcelona's Raphinha equalised, setting the stage for a frantic finale. Eduardo Camavinga provided the assist for the decisive goal, which was Mbappé's 100th for Real Madrid. The result handed Barcelona their first league defeat of the season.
Flick cites fatigue
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick pointed to tiredness and a lengthy injury list as key factors in the loss. "The team missed freshness," Flick said, highlighting defensive absences that included Andreas Christensen, Jules Koundé, and Eric García. The defeat followed a 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, compounding a difficult week.
Real Madrid boss José Mourinho praised the spectacle. "The world that loves football will have stopped to watch this and they won’t have gone disappointed," Mourinho said. "This was two teams that played to win." His side successfully stifled a Barcelona attack that had been averaging 4.3 goals per game.
League table implications
Despite the setback, Barcelona remain top of La Liga, holding a two-point advantage over Atlético Madrid. Real Madrid's victory moves them to within three points of their rivals, intensifying the title race. Key performers for Madrid included Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler, while Barcelona relied on Pedri and Lamine Yamal.
Barcelona's record-equalling streak of nine consecutive league wins is now over. They return to action next Saturday with a home fixture against Alavés, aiming to quickly rediscover their winning form.
Read the full report at theguardian.com
