Mourinho finds peace of mind as Madrid beat Barcelona with Mbappe's brace

Jose Mourinho said Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Barcelona at Camp Nou gave his side "peace of mind". Kylian Mbappe scored two goals in either halves to beat Barcelona at their own backyard.Real Madrid celebrate win vs Barcelona at Camp Nou. (Reuters Photo)New Delhi,Oct 26, 2026 08:26 ISTJose Mourinho said Real Madrid's 2-1 victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou gave his side "peace of mind" after Kylian Mbappe's brace helped them end the league leaders' unbeaten start to the LaLiga season on Sunday. The win also brought Madrid to within three points of Barcelona at the top of the table, giving Mourinho's side a significant boost in the title race."It gives us peace of mind, and it's well deserved," Mourinho said after Madrid secured their first victory over Barcelona in LaLiga this season. Returning to El Clasico 13 years after his first spell at Real Madrid ended, the Portuguese manager saw his team withstand Barcelona's second-half response before Mbappe struck late to settle a nervy contest. Kylian Mbappe scores the winner in the 87th minute. (Reuters Photo) Mourinho was pleased with the way Madrid handled Barcelona's aggressive pressing and maintained their composure when the hosts threatened to take control of the game."It was a high-level game. I'm sure football fans around the world stopped to watch it and weren't disappointed," he said. "As far as we're concerned, the boys put in an extraordinary performance. They showed a lot of courage in playing out from the back against an opponent who presses very aggressively. We created some good chances to score."Mourinho acknowledged that Barcelona responded strongly after the break but praised his players for refusing to lose their shape or composure under pressure. "Obviously, Barcelona reacted strongly in the second half, but we stayed calm and organised. We never lost our composure. For me, it was a great victory for the boys," he added.WHO MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR REAL MADRID?Madrid's greater conviction in attack was evident in the opening exchanges, with both sides creating half-chances but the visitors looking more purposeful when moving forward. Barcelona struggled to impose themselves consistently, with Hansi Flick's frustration on the touchline reflecting Madrid's ability to disrupt the hosts' rhythm.The breakthrough arrived in the 41st minute, when Vinicius Junior's involvement in the move led to a delivery from the left by Yan Diomande. Barcelona defender Gerard Martin failed to clear the ball cleanly, allowing the onrushing Mbappe to get a touch as it bounced off him and into the net. Gerard Martin hits Mbappe with the ball, which then trickles into the Barcelona goal. (Reuters Photo) The goal gave Madrid a deserved advantage, although Barcelona had an opportunity to restore parity before half-time. A fortunate ricochet presented Lamine Yamal with a chance from close range, but the young forward could not convert.Madrid continued to threaten after the restart, using quick movement of the ball in their own half to find ways around Barcelona's press. However, the hosts gradually increased their intensity and began to make life increasingly difficult for the visitors.Barcelona's response paid off in the 61st minute. Pedri's reverse pass found Raphinha in space inside the penalty area, and the Brazilian finished into the corner to bring the home side level. Raphinha scores Barcelona's equaliser. (Reuters Photo) The equaliser shifted the momentum of the contest. Barcelona began to push forward with greater urgency, forcing Madrid's defenders into last-ditch blocks as the visitors struggled to escape the pressure. For a period, Flick's side looked capable of turning the game around.Madrid, however, continued to carry a threat on the counter-attack. Their defensive discipline kept Barcelona from finding a second goal, leaving the contest finely balanced heading into the closing stages.The decisive moment arrived with three minutes remaining. A loose touch from Barcelona substitute Gabriel Jesus allowed Madrid to launch a counter-attack. Substitute Eduardo Camavinga used his pace to get in behind the defence before squaring the ball for Mbappe, who tapped into an empty net to restore Madrid's lead.The goal completed Mbappe's brace and took his tally to 11 goals in 10 LaLiga appearances this season. More importantly for Madrid, it ensured they left Camp Nou with all three points after surviving Barcelona's strongest spell of the match.WHY DID BARCELONA LOSE EL CLASICO?While Mourinho celebrated a victory that strengthened Madrid's position in the title race, Flick was left to reflect on a performance that fell short of his expectations.The Barcelona manager admitted his players lacked their usual freshness, although he felt they had done enough in the second half to put themselves in a position to win the game."I'm not satisfied (with performance). Today you saw we are not 100 per cent fresh. Normally we are fresher, and we can create a little bit more. The second half was good," Flick said.He believed Barcelona had gained the upper hand after Raphinha's equaliser but felt his side made a costly error when they played into Madrid's pressure, allowing the visitors to exploit the space on the counter."Madrid had two chances to score a second but we came back and controlled the game and we made it 1-1. I had the feeling that now it is on our side. But in the end, we made the same mistake, played into pressure, and then they directly made the counter and scored the goal," he added.Flick accepted the result, even as he expressed disappointment at the manner in which Barcelona conceded the decisive goal."We have to accept it, it's not top for us, but defeat is also a part of the game," he said.The result leaves Barcelona top of LaLiga with 27 points from 10 matches, one point ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid. Madrid are third on 24 points, having cut the gap to their rivals and ended Barcelona's unbeaten run in the league.For Mourinho, the victory was about more than the satisfaction of winning one of football's biggest fixtures. Madrid had been tested by Barcelona's pressing and second-half resurgence, but they found a way to withstand the pressure and strike when the opportunity presented itself.That resilience, combined with Mbappe's finishing, gave Madrid a crucial victory in the title race and the peace of mind their manager felt they had earned.- Ends