Barcelona suffered a stinging 2-1 defeat to bitter rivals Real Madrid at Camp Nou, struggling to recover from their recent European setback against PSG. The loss marks a significant blow for Hansi Flick’s side, as Kylian Mbappe’s brace not only secured the Clasico victory for the visitors but also brought an end to Barcelona’s perfect nine-match winning streak in the league.
The match began with intense pressure from both sides. In the 19th minute, Barcelona goalkeeper Garcia made a sharp save to deny a low strike from Arda Guler. Madrid continued to probe, winning consecutive corners shortly after, while at the other end, Raphinha missed a clear opportunity after Pedri pressured the Madrid defense, sending his shot over the crossbar.
The breakthrough arrived in the 41st minute. A cross from Diomande caused chaos in the Barcelona defense, and as Gerard Martin attempted to clear, the ball fell kindly to Mbappe, who clinically fired home to put the visitors ahead. Barcelona pushed for an equalizer before the break, but Lamine Yamal’s effort missed the near post, and Rodri’s follow-up attempt was saved by Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.
The second half saw Jude Bellingham thwarted by Cubarsi as he looked to extend Madrid’s lead. Barcelona eventually found their rhythm in the 61st minute when Raphinha latched onto a pass from Pedri and sent a low shot into the corner of the net, finding the target despite a touch from Lunin. The home side increased their intensity in search of a winner; however, Lunin saved a header from Gerard Martin in the 65th minute, while Yamal and substitute Frenkie de Jong also saw their efforts go wide or deflected for corners.
Real Madrid reclaimed the lead in the 87th minute when Mbappe scored his second of the night, finishing a cutback from Eduardo Camavinga. This result marks Mbappe’s 14th goal in 11 appearances against Barcelona. With this victory, Real Madrid sits third in the table with 24 points from 10 matches, while Barcelona remains at the top with 27 points, closely followed by second-placed Atletico Madrid. Barcelona’s initial run had matched the historic 1968-69 season set by Real Madrid, becoming only the second team to open a campaign with nine consecutive league wins before finally being stopped by their rivals.
