Real Madrid recorded just a second victory in eight games against Barcelona on Sunday night, with the return of Jose Mourinho to the fixture haunting the reigning champions.
In the first Clasico of Mourinho's first spell at Real Madrid, Barcelona ripped his side to shreds in a 5-0 win at Camp Nou. A 2-1 win in the first Clasico of his second spell suggests Mourinho's Real Madrid can challenge Barcelona's recent LaLiga dominance in his first season back in Spain.
Although the chances were shared out evenly, with Barcelona racking up more shots on goal, more possession and more passes throughout the match, those statistics were not an honest reflection of the game. Real Madrid played as if they had the answers to the test Barcelona posed.
"The lads played an extraordinary match," said Mourinho in his press conference afterwards.
"Very organized, focused, and showing the courage to play the ball out from the back against an opponent that applied a lot of pressure."
Time and again, Mourinho's side moved the ball with urgency and precision in their own half to escape Barcelona's pressing.
Fede Valverde was praised for playing through injury by Mourinho, but above all he embodied the presence of mind to identify where the space was whenever the ball was turned over.
The Uruguayan did so from the right-back position, despite stating in September 2025 that he was "not born to play as a full-back."
Valverde later denied he had expressed any unwillingness to play in defense, but a number of Spanish outlets took this as a suggestion he was not pleased about doing so, and perhaps he was not on board with then-manager Xabi Alonso's style of management.
For a third game in a row, the Real Madrid captain started at right-back and delivered a captain's performance. Valverde's impressive showing in his unfavored position demonstrated Mourinho not only is finding tactical solutions to get the best out of his players, but is winning over the Real Madrid dressing room.
Mourinho remarked that leaving Camp Nou just three points behind Barcelona "gives us peace of mind, and it's well deserved."
The victory over Barcelona should help to boost morale and build unity within the Real Madrid squad. More importantly, Mourinho now has evidence his methods can help return Real Madrid to the summit of Spanish football.
"If we win today but lose at El Sardinero, it counts for nothing, because Madrid isn't playing to win at the Camp Nou," Mourinho said.
"They’re playing to win the championship" — a statement that now looks closer to reality after two defeats in September had sown early doubts about Mourinho's plans.
