Real Madrid beats Barcelona 2-1 in El Clasico, cuts title gap to three points

Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday, halting the home side's nine-game La Liga winning streak and reshaping the title race. Kylian Mbappé scored twice to secure the victory, bringing his season tally to 14 goals and his career total for Real Madrid to 100 across all competitions.

Barcelona had dominated La Liga with nine consecutive wins and were on course to break Real Madrid's 1968-69 record for the best start to a Spanish top-flight season. However, a 4-2 Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain midweek preceded the Clasico loss. The result ends Barcelona's unbeaten league run and leaves them with a three-point lead over Real Madrid, who now occupy third place with 24 points after 10 matches. Atlético Madrid sits second with 25 points.

José Mourinho's tactical approach proved decisive in the victory. Real Madrid deployed Federico Valverde at right back and Bernardo Silva in midfield, with the setup designed to limit Barcelona's attacking spaces and exploit counterattacking opportunities. Marc Cucurella effectively contained Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, completing 95 percent of his passes and making 12 defensive contributions. Andriy Lunin deputized for injured goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Barcelona's Gerard Martín conceded the opening goal through a poor clearance that rebounded to Mbappé.

The win marks Real Madrid's fifth consecutive victory across all competitions and comes after recent defeats to Real Betis and Atlético Madrid. Mourinho, in his return to Real Madrid after a previous spell from 2010–2013, has now gone unbeaten in his last six Clasico encounters. He emphasized pre-match that the fixture transcends normal league play and defended his team's development under his management, noting that he had been in post for only three months of active work. Mbappé now ranks second among La Liga scorers this season and is a frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or award.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick acknowledged the loss as a setback but stressed the team's defensive vulnerabilities had been exposed in consecutive defeats. The title race remains competitive with over 28 games remaining in the season.