Mbappe milestone overshadows Yamal’s difficult night as Real Madrid beat Barcelona

Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona exposed serious concerns about the Catalan side’s performance, with Lamine Yamal enduring a particularly frustrating evening after failing to put any of his five shots on target.

The result was far more than another scoreline in the history of the clasico. While Real Madrid celebrated an important win, Barcelona’s leading young talent left one of the biggest matches of the season facing questions over whether he had done enough when his team needed him most.

Kylian Mbappe was the central figure in a French-inspired Real Madrid display. He opened the scoring early before settling the contest in the 87th minute, finishing after a pass from Eduardo Camavinga.

The late goal also brought up a significant personal landmark. Mbappe scored his 100th goal for Real Madrid in only his 116th appearance for the club, reaching the total in one of the most demanding and high-pressure fixtures of the campaign.

Yamal, by contrast, could not make a decisive contribution. The Spain forward attempted five shots during the match, but none tested the Real Madrid goalkeeper, underlining a difficult performance in attack.

Barcelona criticised for lacking a response

Spanish analyst Marcos Lopez said Barcelona’s biggest disappointment was not simply losing, but failing to reproduce the level expected of them.

“For me, Barcelona’s biggest defeat is that they were not the real Barcelona,” Lopez said on the El Larguero programme on Cadena SER.

He praised Mourinho’s preparation for the match and criticised Barcelona’s lack of a meaningful response from the substitutes’ bench. According to Lopez, Real Madrid controlled the game in the areas that suited them and executed their approach effectively.

“Real Madrid controlled the game in the area that suited them, and they did it brilliantly. Even from a tactical point of view on the touchline, Flick had no options to counter the plan Mourinho had put in place,” he added.

Lopez also highlighted what he described as Barcelona’s continuing difficulty in managing decisive moments. He compared it with the problems the club faced against Paris Saint-Germain, when players including Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz were involved in key phases of the game.

“Barcelona’s first half was bad, very bad, and it is true that they do not know how to manage the match. For me, that is a sign of immaturity,” he said.

His criticism then focused directly on Barcelona’s forwards, including Yamal.

“Neither Gordon, nor Raphinha, nor Lamine rose to the occasion. Lamine played badly, and there is no harm in saying that,” Lopez said.

Barcelona are scheduled to face Deportivo Alaves in La Liga on 31 October 2026. Racing Santander will play Real Madrid in La Liga on 1 November 2026.