Madrid, Oct 26 — Real Madrid won 2-1 away to FC Barcelona on Sunday night to keep the La Liga title race wide open. It was the first Clasico of the season, and Real seems to have gained ground and earned the bragging rights by winning the match.
The win means Real Madrid have moved closer to defending champions and table toppers Barcelona, just three points behind with 24 points from 10 games. Barcelona have 27 points while Atletico Madrid are in second position with 25 points.
Here are some things we learned in Spain over the weekend.
1. Mbappe vital as Real Madrid snuff out Barcelona
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Real Madrid claimed a vital win at Camp Nou to move within three points of FC Barcelona in La Liga. His first goal came with a stroke of fortune, as Gerard Martin's clearance rebounded off Mbappe before going into the net. His second, and his 100th for Real Madrid, was a more typical finish as he arrived in the right place to collect Eduardo Camavinga's pass and seal the victory.
Mbappe's pace was a constant threat on a night when Real Madrid denied Barcelona the space to play their passing game.
Every time Real Madrid won the ball, they seemed capable of launching a threatening counterattack as Jose Mourinho's game plan worked to perfection. Jude Bellingham, Marc Cucurella, Camavinga and Diomande also played important roles in a memorable victory.
2. Bad week for Barcelona
It has been a difficult week for FC Barcelona, with a 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain followed by Sunday's first La Liga loss of the season. While Barca played reasonably well in Paris, it looked flat at times on Sunday night.
That was partly due to Real Madrid's excellent organisation, but fatigue could also have been a factor. Injuries to Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Dani Olmo have limited Hansi Flick's options to rotate his starting XI.
Barcelona now have a rare week without a midweek match, which will be important for resting and recovering tired players ahead of the next phase of the season.
3. Signs of redemption for Alvarez
Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez not only scored the winning goal in his side's narrow 1-0 home victory over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday night, but also took a significant step toward repairing his relationship with supporters after saying during the 2026 World Cup that he wanted to join Barcelona.
"I want to ask forgiveness from our fans for my words during the World Cup. It was a mistake on my part, both in the way I said it and the timing. Above all, I understand the fans. I would have been angry as well if I were a fan," said Alvarez.
Alvarez also scored Atletico's goal in a 1-1 Champions League draw away to Stuttgart in midweek, and the signs are that the club's star player is gradually winning Atletico supporters back over.
4. Villarreal continue recovery
Georges Mikautadze's late winning goal in Villarreal's 2-1 victory away to Valencia in Saturday's east-coast derby came in stoppage time, ensuring victory for a Villarreal side that had created several chances despite falling behind to Pepelu's first-half penalty.
Inigo Perez's Villarreal proved to be a quick, aggressive side that likes to dominate games. Although poor finishing has let it down at times, the pieces are falling into place as the team climbs the table.
Valencia, meanwhile, remain second from the bottom in La Liga after two draws and a defeat since Javier Aguirre became coach, and their struggles imply the team needs more than just a change in the dugout.