Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has described his side’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona as their most deserved win of the 2026/27 season, praising his players for their performance against their fierce rivals.
The victory at Camp Nou, inspired by a brace from Kylian Mbappe, reduced Barcelona’s lead over Madrid to three points in the Spanish La Liga title race.
Mourinho said the significance of the result went beyond the scoreline, pointing to the quality of the opposition and the manner in which his team secured the victory.
The Portuguese manager noted that Barcelona had entered the match with a perfect league record, making the encounter one of Madrid’s toughest tests of the campaign.
“It’s also the most difficult match, against the highest-quality opponent. An opponent who came in with only victories in the league,” Mourinho said after the game.
He added that although Madrid had recorded more emphatic victories against other opponents, beating Barcelona carried greater significance because of the quality of the Catalan side.
“For us, this is the best-earned win. We’ve won by four goals against other teams, but this is Barcelona, and the players played a great game,” he said.
Mbappe was the standout performer, scoring twice to guide Madrid to victory and reach his 100th goal for the club.
The result was particularly significant for Madrid, who secured the win without key players Vinicius Junior and Thibaut Courtois.
Mourinho also emphasised the importance of closing the gap at the top of the table, saying the manner of the victory demonstrated his side’s ability to overcome a major title rival on merit.
“Being three points behind is different, and the way we won is also important because you can win with luck and by defending a lot. We won calmly and with full merit,” he said.
The defeat marked Barcelona’s first loss in La Liga this season and their second in all competitions, following a 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.
Madrid’s victory provides fresh momentum in the title race, with Mourinho’s side now within three points of their rivals as the 2026/27 campaign continues.
