Jose Mourinho has done it again. The Real Madrid manager celebrated Kylian Mbappe's late winner at Barcelona on Sunday with a trademark knee slide, maintaining his midas touch over their bitter rivals. Mourinho has become just the third Real boss to go six El Clasicos in a row without defeat, 13 years after he last led Los Blancos in this fixture. Four wins and two draws in his past six matches in charge put him alongside Miguel Munoz (1962 to 1965) and Vicente del Bosque (2001 to 2003) in that exclusive group.
Mbappe's double in Real's 2-1 win also ended Barcelona's nine-game unbeaten domestic run with a crucial Clasico victory at the Camp Nou. A Real defeat would have allowed Barcelona to establish a commanding nine-point advantage, but the result has transformed the top of La Liga, bringing Mourinho's side to within three points of their rivals.
"In my view, Real Madrid do not play to win at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid play to win La Liga," he said. "We could win with luck, but we won with calmness and with all merit. It's a very strong group. Everyone works very hard." He added that the credit belongs to the players, and that the Portuguese has now won six and lost six El Clasicos.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick did not want to offer excuses but admitted his team lacked fresh legs after a demanding few weeks. "We missed the freshness," he said. "In big games, small things are important and they decide the games, and today it wasn't on our side."
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing