Mbappé’s late second goal gives Real Madrid 2-1 win over Barcelona
Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 with a late Kylian Mbappé goal, ending Barcelona’s nine-game winning run and keeping the La Liga title race open. The result followed an intense, end-to-end match in which Madrid’s pressing and quick attacks unsettled Barcelona, despite the hosts enjoying long spells of possession.
Mbappé opened the scoring and Raphinha equalised before the decisive move in the closing minutes: Jude Bellingham found Eduardo Camavinga, whose cut-back let Mbappé score his second. The victory came three minutes before the end and denied Barcelona the chance to move nine points clear; the article describes Madrid’s performance as carefully planned and executed.
In short
- Mbappé scored twice in Real Madrid’s 2-1 win.
- A late goal ended Barcelona’s nine-game winning run.
- The result keeps the title race open.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Madrid’s win can be seen as a deserved reward for a carefully executed plan: pressing disrupted Barcelona’s possession, quick attacks created danger, and Mbappé took his late chance. Beating a direct rival also keeps the title race open and shows Madrid’s ability to deliver under pressure.
The case against
Barcelona can point to their long spells of possession and their response after Mbappé’s opener, with Raphinha bringing them level in an intense contest. A late goal settled a close match, but the defeat cost them a chance to move nine points clear and ended a strong winning run.
Explained simply
Real Madrid and Barcelona are two of Spain’s biggest football clubs, and their matches are known as El Clásico. They compete in La Liga, Spain’s top league, where teams collect points across the season to decide the champion.
Kylian Mbappé plays for Real Madrid, while Raphinha plays for Barcelona; Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga are also among Madrid’s key players. Results between the clubs can affect both the title standings and the long-running rivalry between their supporters.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Mbappé double secures Real Madrid late victory at Barcelona after Raphinha leveller”.