Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou. This has helped Jose Mourinho’s team change the outlook of the title race.
Los Blancos travelled to the Spotify Camp Nou six points behind their Catalan rivals. They delivered a statement performance to cut that deficit in half.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has now admitted that the result understandably left the team disappointed.
Laporta admits Barcelona are hurting after Clasico defeat
While attending Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, the Catalan club’s president admitted that the defeat had been particularly painful.
“I won’t lie to you, losing the Clasico was very tough,” Laporta said, acknowledging the disappointment of losing to Madrid at home (h/t RM4Arab).
Barcelona had entered Sunday’s encounter with a perfect record in La Liga, winning all nine of their opening matches.
Real Madrid outplayed Barcelona in the Clasico. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Mourinho’s side disrupted that momentum, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice, the second time late in the game, to seal the victory.
Raphinha had briefly restored parity for Barcelona in the second half, but Jose Mourinho’s tactics ensured Los Blancos returned with all three points.
Laporta also acknowledged that Barça had struggled to impose their usual style of play. However, he backed Hansi Flick and the team going forward.
Real Madrid deliver an important psychological blow
For Madrid, Laporta’s words underline that Sunday’s result goes beyond just three points in the league table.
Mourinho’s team approached the contest with a resolute defensive structure. This limited Barça‘s attacking opportunities.
Jose Mourinho will want his team to keep getting more consistent in the coming weeks. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
The performance was arguably Madrid’s best so far under Mourinho, and winning at the Camp Nou against a dominant Barça side is a sign of improvement for Los Blancos.
The victory might also have handed a psychological boost to the Catalan side, who were flying high before the start of the week.
Madrid should look to use this situation to push on and try to close the three-point gap if Barça drop any more points.
Barça clearly did not see what was coming from Jose Mourinho’s men on Sunday, and it remains to be seen how the La Liga title race pans out from here.