El Clásico: Mbappé Double Ends Barcelona’s Perfect Start, 2-1

What happened

El Clásico went to Real Madrid on Sunday, Oct. 25. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, the second three minutes from the end of regulation, and Madrid won 2-1 at Spotify Camp Nou, according to the live reports from VAVEL and Belgian broadcaster Sporza.

The result ended Barcelona’s perfect run in La Liga. Hansi Flick’s side had won all nine league games before kickoff, 101 Great Goals and other outlets noted. Barcelona are still top, but the gap to Madrid is now three points instead of six.

How the Clásico was decided

Minute marks follow Sporza and El Español; VAVEL’s running text logged the winner a minute later.

Barcelona had more of the ball. At halftime they held about 59% possession and had out-shot Madrid 9-6, VAVEL’s figures showed. But El Espectador described a home side that kept possession without finding a way through a deep Madrid defense. Andriy Lunin, starting because Thibaut Courtois had the flu, made a key save on a Gerard Martín header midway through the second half.

Both teams lost a defender to injury. Barcelona right back Xavi Espart went off around the half-hour mark, and Madrid’s Federico Valverde was replaced by Denzel Dumfries early in the second half. Neither club had announced the extent of either injury in the reports reviewed. No player was sent off.

Why everyone is talking about it

Mourinho’s return. Real Madrid rehired José Mourinho in June on a contract through June 30, 2029, Sky Sports reported, 13 years after his first spell ended. TimesLIVE said this was his 18th Clásico as Madrid coach and that his record going in was five wins, six draws and six losses, with only two wins at Camp Nou. Sunday’s result evens that ledger at 6-6-6 and gives him a third win in Barcelona.

A rough week for Barcelona. Five days earlier, Barcelona lost 4-2 at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Sunday made it two defeats in a row for a team that had been scoring about 4.3 goals per league game.

Missing stars. Madrid played without Vinícius Júnior, who was serving the second game of a four-match suspension, USA TODAY reported. Barcelona were without Jules Koundé and Dani Olmo, World Soccer Talk said.

The title race in numbers

The top three after 10 games, from Goal.com’s table:

A Barcelona win would have put them nine points clear of Madrid. Instead, three teams sit within three points, with 28 rounds still to play in a 38-game season.

The rivalry itself also tightened its long-term ledger. Before Sunday, Madrid had won 80 La Liga Clásicos to Barcelona’s 77, with 35 draws, World Soccer Talk reported. That now becomes 81-77-35 over 193 league meetings. Last season Barcelona took two of the three meetings, including a 2-0 league win on May 10 that clinched the title, according to Sports Illustrated.

What happens next

The schedules, per LaLiga’s club fixture pages for Barcelona and Real Madrid:

• Barcelona: host Alavés on Saturday, Oct. 31; host Aston Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday, Nov. 3; visit Atlético Madrid on Sunday, Nov. 8.
• Real Madrid: visit Racing Santander on Sunday, Nov. 1; visit AEK Athens in the Champions League on Wednesday, Nov. 4; visit Valencia on Saturday, Nov. 7.

That Nov. 8 trip to Atlético is the next big test at the top. The return Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu is set for Sunday, May 9, 2027, with a kickoff time still to be confirmed. All other La Liga results from the day are in our La Liga scores for Oct. 25.

Quick answers

What was the score of El Clásico?

Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou on Oct. 25, 2026. Mbappé scored both Madrid goals, and Raphinha scored for Barcelona.

Is Barcelona still top of La Liga?

Yes. Barcelona lead with 27 points from 10 games, two ahead of Atlético Madrid and three ahead of Real Madrid.

When is the next Clásico?

The return league match at the Bernabéu is scheduled for Sunday, May 9, 2027, according to LaLiga’s fixture list.