Kylian Mbappe scored twice, including a late winner, as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 in El Clasico at Camp Nou and handed the La Liga leaders their second consecutive defeat across competitions.
Barcelona arrived in the match aiming to set a new record for the most consecutive victories at the start of a Spanish top-flight season, surpassing the mark of nine straight wins set by their rivals in 1968-69. Both sides created chances in an entertaining first half, but Mbappe broke the deadlock four minutes before the interval. The Frenchman scored his 10th league goal of the season after Barcelona defender Gerard Martin's attempt to clear a cross sent the ball straight into his path, allowing Mbappe to deflect it into the net.
Barcelona responded 16 minutes into the second half when captain Raphinha collected Pedri's pass and fired through Jude Bellingham's legs into the far corner to level the score. Martin nearly made amends for his role in Madrid's opening goal shortly afterwards, but his header was brilliantly kept out by Andriy Lunin, who was replacing flu-stricken Thibaut Courtois.
With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Bellingham sparked a counter-attack from halfway with a moment of brilliance. Substitute Eduardo Camavinga carried the move forward before squaring the ball for Mbappe, who finished into an unguarded net to seal the win. The result leaves Barcelona two points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid after 10 matches, with Real Madrid a further point behind in third.
"First of all, I think it was a great match. A high-level match. A match that surely the soccer-loving world stopped to watch and wasn't disappointed in," Madrid manager Jose Mourinho said. "The guys played an extraordinary match. Very organised, very focused, with a lot of courage to build out from the back against an opponent that presses very hard."Mourinho returned to Real Madrid this summer, 13 years after his first spell in charge ended. He has now won six and lost six of his 12 El Clasico matches. The defeat was Barcelona's second in succession following their Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
"We missed the freshness. So, it's about this. But it's the first defeat in LaLiga, so we won nine in a row. This is what we have to see, but now it's about that. So, it happens," Flick said. "Defeats also are a part of the game. Now we have to analyse, we have to make things better, and this we will do. Now it's important that we make a reaction," he added.