Mourinho slides after Mbappé double as Real win 2-1 at Camp Nou
Jose Mourinho celebrated Kylian Mbappé's late winner as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 in a La Liga Clasico at the Camp Nou on Sunday, marking the manager's trademark knee-slide reaction to the decisive strike. The victory continued a strong run for Real and altered the title race standings.
Real Madrid have now won five consecutive games in all competitions and Mourinho, who returned to the club this summer 13 years after his first spell, has gone six El Clasicos in a row without defeat. Four wins and two draws in his past six matches in charge of Real against Barcelona place him alongside Miguel Munoz (1962 to 1965) and Vicente del Bosque (2001 to 2003) in the club's history. It was only Real's second victory in eight games against Barcelona since his return to the fixture.
Kylian Mbappé scored twice in the 2-1 win, ending Barcelona's nine-game unbeaten domestic run with a late, crucial Clasico victory at the Camp Nou. The match result denied Barcelona the chance to open a nine-point lead at the top of La Liga and instead tightened the title race.
Reflecting on the game, Mourinho said: "In my view, Real Madrid do not play to win at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid play to win La Liga." He added: "We could win with luck, but we won with calmness and with all merit." He also emphasised responsibility within the group, saying: "The credit goes to the players. When you win, the credit goes to the players. But when you lose, the blame falls on you. And that's why we see coaches being sacked from their positions every week."
On the squad's composition and mentality, Mourinho said: "I've learned that I have an extraordinary group, with the quality and mindset to play." He discussed midfield balance: "In midfield, having a mix of talents gives us more than just having two players with similar characteristics. This mix of talents gives us balance when defending and quality when we go on the attack." He warned against complacency, adding: "We've beaten several teams by four or more goals, but this is Barca, and the players put on a great performance. We need to continue like this and don't go over the moon after this win."
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick accepted fitness and freshness were factors, saying: "We missed the freshness," and adding: "It's not easy for our players. We have to recover well, train well and we have to respond from this defeat." He also noted the fine margins in big matches: "In big games, small things are important and they decide the games and today, it wasn't on our side. I can see that today we were not fresh and this is what we have to change."
The outcome reshaped the top of La Liga: instead of Barcelona establishing a nine-point advantage with a Real defeat, Mourinho's side moved to within three points of their rivals, tightening the title race picture.
