Kylian Mbappe’s 87th-minute goal ended Barcelona’s perfect start to the Liga season as Real Madrid put three points behind their arch-rivals in a potentially seismic El Clasico victory at the Camp Nou.
La Liga top scorer Raphinha’s best 13th goal of the season responded to Mbappe’s fortuitous opener shortly before half-time to earn Barca a draw in the first meeting between the teams of the campaign.
Last season’s division-leading marksman Jude Bellingham settled the ruck after a superb finish, twisting and turning before releasing Eduardo Camavinga to charge inside the box and cut in for the winner, with visiting coach Jose Mourinho kneeling down to celebrate.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Mourinho wins points by defeating Barca
When Madrid suffered their second defeat in three Liga away games at Atletico Madrid on September 20, Mourinho’s appointment for a second game at the club before the start of the season already looked like a flawed attempt to end Barca’s dominance of the division.
That may still be true – Madrid are one point behind Atleti and three shy of Barca – but the shift in momentum since then has now provided an early-season plot twist, ending the reigning champions’ air of invincibility.
Barca have won all of their first nine League games and could have scored the first goal but for Andriy Lunin to push an early Anthony Gordon shot onto the post.
The home side lost Xavi Espart to injury, who made way for Alejandro Balde after a challenge with Aurelien Tchouameni, and Gerard Martin’s pass from Yann Diomande fell behind when Mbappe slotted in.
The genius Lamine Yamal scored from a superb position before half-time and after an uninspired start to the second half, Pedri’s masterful turn and counter-pass touched off Raphinha’s position inside the box on the right and he shot between Jude Bellingham’s legs and beat Looney with his glove.
Lunin was deputizing for the ill Thibaut Courtois and Madrid had as much thanks to the Ukraine international as Mbappe, making a superb save to keep Martin’s header off the line.
A scruffy-looking Yamal deflected the shot wide at the nick of time as Barcelona looked to go ahead, but Bellingham’s balletic flourishes were the fitting catalyst for the move that led to Mbappe’s second, while Mourinho recalled his innate theatrics.
Madrid have won four times and scored 14 times in all competitions since Vinicius Junior was sent off at home to Villarreal on October 10, while Barca have scored 12 goals and conceded nine and suffered their second straight loss here with Tuesday’s Champions League defeat in Paris.
Madrid caused a roar three years after their last victory at Barca. Mourinho’s second coming has a statement result to justify the fanfare, and the holders’ title defense no longer looks like a certain procession.
Barcelona team against Real Madrid
After Tuesday’s 4-2 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona made two changes, bringing on Rodri and Fermin Lopez in midfield.
Dani Olmo was replaced in the first half of that game with an injury to his left muscle. Mark Bernal moved to the bench.
Barcelona: Joan Garcia, Xavi Espart, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo, Pedri, Rodri, Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Rafinha, Anthony Gordon
Substitutes: Voyciech 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 and Barcelona in the Classic
Lunin replaced Courtois in one of Madrid’s five changes, alongside the introductions of defenders Ibrahima Konate and Cucurella, midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and Diomande.
Álvaro Carreras, Antonio Rudiger and Eduardo Kamavinga have moved to the bench. Vinicius Junior was punished.
Real Madrid: Andriy Lunin, Federico Valverde, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, Jan Diomande, Kylian Mbappe
Substitutes:
Barcelona vs Real Madrid classic La Liga statistics
- Barca have won six of the previous seven meetings between the teams in all competitions, with the exception of a 2-1 home win for Madrid last season.
- Barca had won three of their previous four games against Madrid in La Liga, interrupted in October 2023 by the Blancos’ 2-1 win with Jude Bellingham scoring in the 68th and 92nd minutes after Ilkay Gundogan had opened the scoring.
- Lionel Messi is the top scorer in the history of the match, Barca’s all-time top scorer, scoring 15 times against Madrid.
- Two other players with double figures in the match played in Madrid: Alfredo di Stefano (13) and Raul (12).
- Hansi Flick’s men have won eight consecutive home games in all competitions since a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals on 14 April.
- With six assists for Barca, Lamine Yamal had scored more goals than any other player in the Liga this season before kick-off.
- Barca striker Raphinha is the top scorer in the division with 13 goals after 9 games, having played fewer games than the players immediately behind him.
- Since the Liga draw at the Camp Nou in December 2019, each of the last 22 El Clasico editions has seen at least one goal, with at least two in each of the last 12 encounters.
- It was also the last draw between the teams, although Barcelona won the 2024/25 Copa del Rey final after extra time, while Madrid won the 2021/22 Super Cup semi-final after 30 minutes of extra time.