Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho celebrated Kylian Mbappe’s late winner at Barcelona on Sunday with a trademark knee slide, maintaining his unbeaten streak against the club and cutting the gap at the top of La Liga to just three points with a 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou.
Real Madrid Moves Within Three Points of Rivals
- The result transforms the top of La Liga, bringing Real Madrid to within three points of their rivals.
Mourinho Enters Rare Air After Camp Nou Victory
Jose Mourinho has become just the third Real Madrid manager to go six El Clasicos in a row without defeat, 13 years after he last led Los Blancos in this fixture. Four wins and two draws in his past six matches put him alongside Miguel Munoz (1962 to 1965) and Vicente del Bosque (2001 to 2003). The result also marks just a second victory in eight games against Barcelona for Real Madrid, halting the reigning champions’ nine-game unbeaten domestic run. A defeat would have handed Barcelona a commanding nine-point advantage, but the 2-1 scoreline instead transforms the La Liga title race.
Mourinho Praises Squad Effort While Flick Cites Fatigue
Mourinho emphasized the collective effort of his squad rather than individual glory after the final whistle. “In my view, Real Madrid do not play to win at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid play to win La Liga,” he stated. “We could win with luck, but we won with calmness and with all merit. It’s a very strong group. Everyone works very hard. Everyone was ready to win.” The Portuguese manager noted that mixing different profiles in midfield provided both defensive stability and attacking quality. Meanwhile, Barcelona boss Hansi Flick pointed to fixture fatigue as a key factor in the loss. “We missed the freshness,” Flick said. “It’s not easy for our players. We have to recover well, train well and we have to respond from this defeat.”
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