AFCON 2025
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 at the Camp Nou on Sunday, ending the champions’ perfect start to the La Liga season. The win cuts Barcelona’s lead at the top to three points, with Barcelona on 27 and Madrid on 24.
Barcelona arrived with nine wins from nine and a six-point cushion. They also hoped to become the first team to open a season in one of Europe’s top five leagues with ten straight victories. Madrid’s visit ended that chase.
Mbappe broke the deadlock on 41 minutes with a goal that carried a big slice of fortune, as the ball deflected in. It was his 100th goal for Real Madrid, and it left Barcelona facing their first defeat of the season at the break.
Barcelona answered on 61 minutes through Raphinha, who levelled the match after the restart. The hosts then pushed for a winner, and their control of the ball threatened to turn the contest in their favour.
Madrid had the better chances on the counter-attack, though. Early in the second half, Jude Bellingham failed to release a pass when Mbappe supported him against an isolated Gerard Martin, and Madrid spurned a golden opening.
The visitors made no mistake in the 87th minute. Bellingham launched a lightning-quick break, and Eduardo Camavinga fed Mbappe, who slotted into an empty net to seal the win. Jose Mourinho slid on his knees in celebration on the touchline.
Mbappe’s double also took his Clasico tally to eight goals in seven matches, and he has now scored 14 goals in 11 games against Barcelona. Mourinho’s unbeaten run in Clasicos now stands at six games, with four wins and two draws. He becomes only the third Madrid coach to reach that mark, after Miguel Munoz and Vicente del Bosque.
