Mourinho: Real Madrid won 2-1 at Camp Nou in an intense El Clásico

Real Madrid stunned Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou on October 25, 2026, securing what the club described as their 81st victory against their long-standing rival in the fixture's history. Kylian Mbappé was the match-winner, scoring both goals for the visitors; Rafinha pulled Barcelona level before the French forward struck again in the final moments.

Coach José Mourinho praised the intensity and quality of the encounter and singled out his players' organisation and composure as decisive factors in a game that swung back and forth.

Mourinho: a spectacle, with moments that mattered

"This was real football, a battle, a spectacle, and that is clear to anyone who watched it. Two teams who went with an open guard to win. The players played an exceptional match, were very organized, focused and had the courage to take the ball out of the opponent's defense. We had chances to make it 2:0, but Barcelona reacted strongly in the second half, yet we remained calm and organized. Even at 1:1 we didn't lose our composure. We played against an excellent opponent and with a referee who, in my opinion, did his job well, but the VAR system looked like it slept in the 60th minute. There was a clear red card for João Cancelo for the foul on Diomande. Still, it was an excellent match and a big victory," Mourinho said.

The manager also defended back-up goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who started in place of Thibaut Courtois and produced a solid display.

"No one asked me about Lunin, but if we had lost because of his mistakes, the first question would have been about him. The only thing I told him was that he doesn't train to be on the bench. He played a very balanced and calm match. We have the best goalkeeper in the world, but today none of us cried because Thibaut didn't play. The group is very close," Mourinho added.

Photo: press material from the event