Kylian Mbappe’s 87th-minute goal ended Barcelona’s perfect start to the Liga season as Real Madrid moved three points behind their fierce rivals with a potentially seismic win in el clasico at Camp Nou.
La Liga top scorer Raphinha’s 13th top-flight goal of the season looked to have earned Barca a draw in the first meeting between the teams of the campaign, replying to Mbappe’s fortuitous opener shortly before half-time.
Last season’s leading marksman in the division settled a crackling contest after a sublime piece of skill by Jude Bellingham, turning and spinning before releasing Eduardo Camavinga to charge inside the box and cut a pass back for the winner, visiting head coach Jose Mourinho dropping to his knees to celebrate.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Mourinho makes point by beating Barca
When Madrid suffered their second defeat in three Liga away games at Atletico Madrid on September 20, Mourinho’s appointment before the start of the season for a second spell at the club already appeared a flawed attempt to halt Barca’s domination of the division.
That may still prove true – Madrid are a point behind Atleti and three shy of Barca – but the shift in momentum since then has now provided an early-season plot twist by ending the reigning champions’ air of invincibility.
Barca had won all of their first nine Liga games and might have scored first but for Andriy Lunin pushing an early Anthony Gordon strike around a post.
The hosts had lost Xavi Espart to injury by then, making way for Alejandro Balde following a challenge with Aurelien Tchouameni, and fell behind when Gerard Martin’s attempt to clear Yan Diomande’s cross hit Mbappe and went in.
The ingenious Lamine Yamal shot wide from a glorious position before the break and, after an uninspired start to the second half, Barca drew level when Pedri’s masterful turn and reverse pass located Raphinha inside the box on the right, taking a touch and fizzing a shot through Jude Bellingham’s legs to beat Lunin via a glove.
Lunin was deputising for the ill Thibaut Courtois and Madrid have the Ukraine international to thank as much as Mbappe, making a remarkable save to keep Martin’s header off the line.
Yamal, who looked crestfallen at full time, curled a shot wide as Barcelona pushed to go ahead, but Bellingham’s balletic flourish was a fitting catalyst for the move that led to Mbappe’s second, celebrating in a corner while Mourinho provided a reminder of his innate theatrics.
Since Vinicius Junior was sent off in their home win over Villarreal on October 10, Madrid have won four times and scored 14 goals in all competitions, while Barca have scored 12 and conceded nine, suffering a second straight defeat here to go with their loss in Paris in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Madrid have cause to crow three years after their last win at Barca. Mourinho has a statement result to justify the fanfare around his second coming, and the holders’ title defence no longer looks a certain procession.
Barcelona team vs Real Madrid
Barcelona made two changes from their 4-2 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, bringing in Rodri and Fermin Lopez in midfield.
Dani Olmo was replaced during the first half of that game with an injury to his left adductor. Marc Bernal moved to the bench.
Barcelona: Joan Garcia, Xavi Espart, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo, Pedri, Rodri, Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Anthony Gordon
Substitutes: Wojciech Szczesny, Alejandro Balde, Brian Farinas, Gavi, Gabriel Jesus, Karim Adeyemi, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal, Dominik Livakovic, Hamza Abdelkarim, Orian Goren, Alex Campos
Real Madrid team vs Barcelona in el clasico
Lunin replaced Courtois in one of five Madrid changes alongside the introductions of defenders Ibrahima Konate and Cucurella, midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and Diomande.
Alvaro Carreras, Antonio Rudiger and Eduardo Camavinga moved to the bench. Vinicius Junior was suspended.
Real Madrid: Andriy Lunin, Federico Valverde, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, Yan Diomande, Kylian Mbappe
Substitutes: Illia Voloshyn, Sergio Mestre, Eder Militao, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alvaro Carreras, Antonio Rudiger, Denzel Dumfries, Eduardo Camavinga, Thiago Pitarch, Endrick, Carlos Espi, Brahim Diaz
Barcelona vs Real Madrid el clasico La Liga stats
- Six of the preceding seven meetings between the teams in all competitions had produced Barca victories, the exception a 2-1 home win for Madrid last season
- Barca had won three of their preceding four at home to Madrid in La Liga, interrupted by a 2-1 Blancos victory in October 2023 when Jude Bellingham scored in the 68th and 92nd minutes after Ilkay Gundogan had opened the scoring
- Lionel Messi is the top scorer in the history of the fixture, Barca’s all-time leading marksman netting 15 times against Madrid
- The other two players in double figures in the fixture both played for Madrid: Alfredo di Stefano (13) and Raul (12)
- Hansi Flick’s side had won eight consecutive home games in all competitions since a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals on April 14
- With six assists for Barca, Lamine Yamal had set up more goals than any other player in this season’s Liga before the start of the match
- Barca forward Raphinha is the 13-goal top scorer in the division after nine appearances, having played a game less than the players immediately behind him
- Since a Liga draw at Camp Nou in December 2019, each of the last 22 editions of El Clasico has featured at least one goal, with at least two in each of the 12 most recent encounters
- That was also the last draw between the teams, although Barcelona won the 2024/25 Copa del Rey final after extra time, with Madrid prevailing in the 2021/22 Super Cup semi-finals after an extra 30 minutes
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