Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory over Barcelona in an El Clasico fixture at Camp Nou on Monday, October 26, 2026, ending the hosts’ flawless start to the LaLiga season. Two goals from Kylian Mbappe sealed the result for the visitors, while Raphinha provided the lone response for Barcelona.

Toni Kroos Praises Tactical Approach Under Jose Mourinho

Former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos praised the tactical approach implemented by manager Jose Mourinho during the fixture. According to comments reported by Sport Mole, the former Germany international highlighted the bravery shown by Los Blancos in hostile territory. “Real Madrid and Mourinho showed extraordinary courage at Camp Nou, and that was the big difference compared to recent Clasicos,” Kroos said. He noted that the team maintained defensive stability even during testing periods, such as when Barcelona temporarily drew level. Kroos added that Selama dua tahun terakhir, El Clasico berjalan sesuai keinginan Barcelona before noting that the Portuguese coach prepared the team brilliantly to break that dynamic.

Kroos observed that Barcelona held the upper hand in overall possession, recording 67 percent compared to Madrid’s 37 percent, but struggled when their high-pressing strategy failed to disrupt the visitors. Tactical adjustments, including defender Dean Huijsen closely marking Fermin Lopez, forced errors from Barcelona midfielders such as Pedri and Raphinha, according to Kroos’s analysis cited by Sport Mole. Kroos noted that the Madrid players positioned themselves well and won nearly every duel due to higher playing intensity.

Milestone Goals and Goalkeeping Records at Camp Nou

The fixture yielded significant statistical milestones for the visiting squad alongside the tactical shift. Kylian Mbappe reached his 100th career goal for Real Madrid by securing his brace, achieving the landmark in 116 appearances, Kompas reported. The milestone places the French forward fifth on the club’s all-time list for speed to the century mark, surpassing Ronaldo Nazario, who required 163 matches to reach the same figure. Ahead of Mbappe on the list of fastest to 100 goals are Ferenc Puskas in 100 matches, Cristiano Ronaldo in 106 matches, Pahino in 111 matches, and Alfredo Di Stefano in 114 matches. Hugo Sanchez reached the mark in 142 matches. Mbappe, who at age 27 became the 24th player to score 100 goals for the club, reflected on the milestone by stating, Saya sangat senang. Semua orang tahu saya suka mencetak gol dan membantu tim dengan cara itu while adding that tapi saya pikir hari ini itu hanya detail kecil, karena yang terpenting adalah kemenangan tim dan kesuksesan kami sebagai sebuah grup to Real Madrid TV, as quoted by ESPN. Within the squad, Vinicius Junior leads active players with 128 goals, followed by Mbappe, Rodrygo with 71 goals, and Jude Bellingham with 49 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the club’s all-time top scorer with 451 goals in 438 matches.

In goal, Andriy Lunin made his first appearance of the season after Thibaut Courtois suffered a severe flu outbreak hours before kickoff, CNN Indonesia reported. Citing Mister Chip statistics, CNN Indonesia noted that Lunin became the first goalkeeper in the 124-year history of the fixture to win four of his first five El Clasico appearances. Lunin’s previous victories in his opening five matches include a 3-1 win in October 2022 and two wins in 2024 (4-1 in January and 3-2 in April), with his only defeat coming in a 0-4 loss at the Santiago Bernabeu in October 2024. Against Barcelona, the Ukrainian goalkeeper made five saves.

Standings Implications in the LaLiga Title Race

The result reshapes the upper tier of the LaLiga table as the autumn schedule progresses. Barcelona remains at the summit with 27 points, but their advantage has narrowed significantly following the defeat at Camp Nou. Real Madrid sits behind the leaders with 24 points, while Atletico Madrid occupies the intervening position with 25 points, leaving the top teams separated by a margin of just three points.