Mourinho Jabs at Barcelona Fans as Madrid Win El Clasico

WHO:

The Guardian - Thibaut Courtois was unable to play after waking with flu; substitute goalkeeper Andriy Lunin started in his place.

The Guardian - Real Madrid winger Yan Diomandé, aged 19, made his first El Clásico appearance.

The Guardian - Xavi Espart was forced off with an injury.

Sportskeeda - José Mourinho was Real Madrid’s manager.

Sportskeeda - Barcelona fans gathered around Real Madrid’s hotel before kickoff.

BBC - Mourinho, a Portuguese manager, returned to Real Madrid that summer, 13 years after his first stint in charge.

BBC - Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said his team lacked freshness after a demanding few weeks.

WHAT:

The Guardian - Barcelona had 18 shots to Real Madrid’s 10 and 62% possession; the expected-goals figures were 1.19 for Barcelona and 1.94 for Real Madrid.

The Guardian - Lunin made a save from Gerard Martín, while Lamine Yamal missed a chance before halftime and sent a second-half shot just wide.

The Guardian - Eduardo Camavinga scored the winning goal after Jude Bellingham created the chance.

The Guardian - Real Madrid had won five consecutive matches.

Sportskeeda - Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1; Mourinho celebrated with a knee slide and joked at the home fans who had gathered around his team’s hotel.

BBC - Kylian Mbappé scored twice, including the late winner, in Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory.

BBC - Mourinho became the third Real Madrid manager to go six consecutive El Clasicos without defeat, joining Miguel Muñoz (1962 to 1965) and Vicente del Bosque (2001 to 2003).

BBC - Mourinho’s record in his last six El Clasicos in charge of Real was four wins and two draws. Across his career, he had six wins and six losses in the fixture.

BBC - The victory was Real’s second in eight games against Barcelona and ended Barcelona’s nine-game unbeaten domestic run.

BBC - Mourinho said: “In my view, Real Madrid do not play to win at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid play to win La Liga.”

BBC - Mourinho said Real won “with calmness and with all merit,” praised the players’ work and readiness, and said: “When you win, the credit goes to the players. But when you lose, the blame falls on you.”

BBC - Mourinho praised his midfield’s mix of talents for providing defensive balance and attacking quality. He said the team had beaten several sides by four or more goals, but urged players not to “go over the moon” after beating Barcelona.

BBC - Flick said: “We missed the freshness,” and said Barcelona needed to recover, train, and respond to the defeat. He added that small details decide big games and “today, it wasn’t on our side.”

WHERE:

Sportskeeda - Barcelona fans gathered near Real Madrid’s team hotel before kickoff.

BBC - The match was played at Camp Nou in Barcelona.

WHEN:

Sportskeeda - The match and Mourinho’s celebration took place on Sunday.

BBC - Mourinho’s return to the El Clasico fixture came 13 years after he last led Real Madrid against Barcelona.

WHY:

The Guardian - Mourinho said he learned that a midfield combination of different qualities worked better than pairing players with similar characteristics.

BBC - Real’s win prevented Barcelona from establishing a nine-point lead; the result instead left Mourinho’s side three points behind Barcelona in La Liga.

BBC - Flick attributed Barcelona’s defeat in part to a lack of freshness after a demanding few weeks.

HOW:

The Guardian - Mourinho said Real won through organization, concentration, and courage to build from the back.

Sportskeeda - Mourinho responded to Barcelona fans who had gathered around Real Madrid’s hotel before kickoff with a joke about their keeping him awake.

BBC - Real secured the victory through Mbappé’s two goals, including the late winner.

Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice, including the late winner, to end Barcelona’s nine-game unbeaten domestic run and leave Real three points behind in La Liga. Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois missed the match with flu, Andriy Lunin started in his place, and Barcelona had more possession and shots but could not make their chances count. Real manager José Mourinho praised his team’s organization and calmness, while Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said his side lacked freshness after a demanding few weeks.