Real Madrid denied Hansi Flick the chance to celebrate his 100th victory with Barcelona, defeating the Catalan side 2-1 at Spotify Camp Nou thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappé in La Liga’s tenth round.
The German manager entered the clash sitting on 99 victories with Barça across all competitions, but was forced to delay his milestone once again, coming just days after a 4-2 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.
The first half featured superior possession for Barcelona, whereas Real Madrid relied on defensive organization and exploiting transition spaces. Andriy Lunin, stepping in for Thibaut Courtois—who was sidelined with the flu—kept his team resolute against the hosts’ early attempts.
Before the break, Real Madrid broke the deadlock in the 41st minute in a move initiated by a cross from Yan Diomande, who deputized for the suspended Vinícius Júnior, before Gerard Martín’s clearance bounced off Mbappé and into the net.
Barcelona dragged themselves back into the match in the 61st minute when Raphinha controlled a pass inside the box from Pedri, adjusted his position, and struck into Lunin’s far corner to equalize and push the hosts forward in search of a winner.
However, Mbappé had the final say in the 87th minute; Jude Bellingham found Camavinga, who skipped past Pau Cubarsí before laying the ball off to the French forward in front of goal to complete his brace and hand José Mourinho’s side all three points.
By stepping up when it mattered most, Real Madrid thwarted Barcelona’s bid to establish an unprecedented record of ten wins from their opening ten La Liga matches. Barça’s perfect start was halted at nine victories, leaving the record shared with the Real Madrid side of the 1968–1969 season, while also snapping the Catalan club’s 23-game home winning streak in the league.
With this result, Barcelona remains frozen at 27 points atop the standings, ahead of second-placed Atlético Madrid on 25 points, while Real Madrid raised their tally to 24 points in third place, cutting the deficit with their arch-rivals from six points to three.
Barcelona now prepares to face Alavés in the next round before taking on Aston Villa in the Champions League, whereas Real Madrid visits Racing Santander prior to traveling to face AEK Athens in European competition, coming away from El Clásico with a vital victory that reignites their title chase.
