Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 to close La Liga gap to three points

Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou in Sunday’s Clásico, moving within three points of their rivals in La Liga, ESPN reported. A Barcelona win would have extended the gap to nine points; instead, Madrid left the match within one victory of the leaders after 10 league games each.

The Guardian’s league table put Barcelona on 27 points and Real Madrid on 24 after the match. The result tightened the race between the two clubs, although Barcelona remained top.

How Real Madrid won at Camp Nou

Madrid also created openings. ESPN noted that both teams could have scored more and that the match could have taken a different course. Its account pointed to an early chance for Yamal and a missed opportunity for Raphinha among the moments that shaped the result.

Madrid manager José Mourinho said his team had won through organisation, concentration and the courage to play out from the back. ‘The way we won is important,’ he said, according to the Guardian. He described the victory as deserved, despite Barcelona’s advantage in possession and shots.

Why the three-point gap matters

Mourinho framed the result in terms of pressure on his side. ‘If you leave here nine points behind, it’s very heavy psychologically; if it’s six, it’s more balanced; if it’s three, that’s different,’ he said, according to the Guardian. His comparison showed how much the head-to-head result changed Madrid’s immediate position in the table.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said his players had lacked freshness and needed to recover, train and respond after the defeat, The National reported. ‘In big games, small things are important and they decide the games,’ he said. The loss left Barcelona with a three-point lead over the team that had just beaten them.