Mourinho's Real Madrid Beats Barcelona 2-1 to End Nine-Game Streak

Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday night, stopping the host club's nine-game winning streak in La Liga.

The result was decisive for three main reasons: it gave Real Madrid the all-time head-to-head lead, marked a major individual milestone for Kylian Mbappe, and shifted the league standings closer to parity between the two rivals.

Kylian Mbappe scored both goals for the visitors. His brace brought his total to 14 goals this season and marked his 100th goal for Real Madrid across all competitions since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024. The 27-year-old is currently the second-best scorer in La Liga this season.

The victory ended Barcelona's perfect start to the league campaign. Had the home side won, they would have broken Real Madrid's record for the best start in Spanish top-flight history, set during the 1968-69 season. This was also Barcelona's second consecutive defeat, following a loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League earlier in the week. Real Madrid now hold the all-time El Clasico record with 107 wins to Barcelona's 106.

Jose Mourinho's team has shown stability in recent weeks after losing to Real Betis and Atletico Madrid last month. The club has won five consecutive matches, including three in La Liga and two in the Champions League. This run has helped narrow the gap to Barcelona in the league table.

With 10 matches played, Real Madrid sit in third place with 24 points. Barcelona leads the table, while Atletico Madrid sits in second with 25 points. The margin between the top two and the third-place team is now just three points.

Mourinho, 63, returned to Real Madrid after two trophy-less seasons for the club. He has not won a league title since leading Chelsea to the Premier League crown in 2014-15. During his first spell at the club, he won three trophies, including a record-breaking La Liga title. His return to the manager's seat was seen as a move to challenge Barcelona's recent dominance.

After the final whistle, Mourinho told reporters that a win at Camp Nou counts for little if the team loses at El Sardinero, noting that Madrid is playing to win the championship, not just the match. He made his intentions clear by celebrating the victory with a knee slide on the pitch.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony for the best player of the 2025-26 season is scheduled for Monday in London. Mbappe is considered one of the frontrunners for the award following his performance last campaign, where he finished as the top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League, and won the World Cup Golden Boot as the tournament's all-time leading scorer.