Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 in El Clásico at Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday 25 October 2026 (LaLiga matchday 10). Barcelona's perfect league start ends, and Real Madrid cut the gap at the top to three points. Below are the goals, line-ups, key stats and the full timeline. For the build-up, read our key battles preview and the story of Courtois missing the game with flu; more in our La Liga section.
Match report
Goals
- 41' Goal! Barcelona 0, Real Madrid 1. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
- 61' Goal! Barcelona 1, Real Madrid 1. Raphinha (Barcelona) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Pedri following a corner.
- 87' Goal! Barcelona 1, Real Madrid 2. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Eduardo Camavinga following a fast break.
Real Madrid won El Clásico 2-1 at Spotify Camp Nou despite having only 37.8% of the ball, and Kylian Mbappé scored both goals. It was a result built on patience and finishing: Barcelona had 18 shots to Real Madrid's 10, completed 569 accurate passes to 321, and kept the visitors pinned back for long spells, but Real Madrid were sharper in both boxes.
The first half was tight. Barcelona lost Xavi Espart to injury after 30 minutes, with Alejandro Balde coming on at left-back. Four minutes before the break, Mbappé found space in the centre of the box and drove a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner to give Real Madrid a 1-0 half-time lead.
Barcelona came out strongly after the restart and levelled on 61 minutes. From a corner routine, Pedri set up Raphinha, who struck a left-footed shot from the right side of the box into the bottom left corner. A minute later Real Madrid were hit by an injury of their own, as Federico Valverde went off and Denzel Dumfries replaced him.
With Barcelona pushing for a winner, Hansi Flick brought on Frenkie de Jong, Karim Adeyemi and Gabriel Jesus. Real Madrid responded by sending on Eduardo Camavinga, and the substitute made the difference. On 87 minutes Camavinga led a fast break and set up Mbappé, who finished from the centre of the box for his second goal of the night. Andriy Lunin, starting in place of the ill Thibaut Courtois, made five saves to protect the lead through eight minutes of added time.
The game was fierce, with six yellow cards shared equally: Tchouaméni, Cucurella and Mbappé for Real Madrid, and Gordon, Adeyemi and Balde for Barcelona. There were no red cards. Shots on target finished 6-5 to Barcelona and corners 6-6.
What it means: Barcelona's perfect start of nine straight LaLiga wins is over, and Real Madrid move to 24 points, three behind the leaders on 27. The title race is open again, and both teams have injury news to follow this week after Espart and Valverde went off. All facts and statistics on this page come from ESPN match data; we will update the report if official club or LaLiga information adds detail.
Key facts at a glance
| Fixture | FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid, LaLiga 2026-27 matchday 10 |
|---|---|
| Score | Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid (Full time) |
| Kickoff | Sun 25 Oct 2026 · 23:00 Riyadh · 21:00 Spain · 20:00 UK |
| Venue | Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona |
| Table before kickoff | Barcelona 1st (27 pts) · Real Madrid 3rd (21 pts) |
| Barcelona out | Koundé, Olmo, Eric García, Christensen, Bardghji |
| Real Madrid out | Vinícius Jr (ban), Courtois (flu), Rodrygo, Mendy, Asencio |
Line-ups
Barcelona starting XI (4-3-3)
Joan García (1), Gerard Martín (18), Pau Cubarsí (5), João Cancelo (2), Xavi Espart (12), Rodri (16), Pedri (8), Fermín López (7), Raphinha (11), Anthony Gordon (17), Lamine Yamal (10)
Substitutes: Wojciech Szczesny, Gavi, Brian Fariñas, Alejandro Balde, Dominik Livakovic, Gabriel Jesus, Álex Campos, Karim Adeyemi, Frenkie de Jong, Orian Goren, Hamza Abdelkarim, Marc Bernal
Real Madrid starting XI (4-2-3-1)
Andriy Lunin (13), Dean Huijsen (4), Ibrahima Konaté (16), Marc Cucurella (17), Federico Valverde (8), Jude Bellingham (5), Aurélien Tchouaméni (14), Bernardo Silva (20), Kylian Mbappé (10), Yan Diomande (25), Arda Güler (15)
Substitutes: Éder Militão, Álvaro Carreras, Sergio Mestre, Denzel Dumfries, Illia Voloshyn, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Pitarch, Antonio Rüdiger, Carlos Espí, Endrick, Eduardo Camavinga, Brahim Díaz
Source: ESPN match data (official team sheets).
Live timeline (newest first)
- 🏁 90'+8' 01:00 Riyadh (22:00 UK)
Second Half ends, Barcelona 1, Real Madrid 2. (ESPN) - 🟨 90'+6' 00:59 Riyadh (21:59 UK)
Alejandro Balde (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. (ESPN) - 🟨 90'+6' 00:59 Riyadh (21:59 UK)
Karim Adeyemi (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card. (ESPN) - 🔁 90'+4' 00:57 Riyadh (21:57 UK)
Substitution, Real Madrid. Carlos Espí replaces Yan Diomande. (ESPN) - 🔁 90'+4' 00:57 Riyadh (21:57 UK)
Substitution, Real Madrid. Trent Alexander-Arnold replaces Arda Güler. (ESPN) - 🟨 90'+4' 00:56 Riyadh (21:56 UK)
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card. (ESPN) - 🟨 90'+2' 00:54 Riyadh (21:54 UK)
Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card. (ESPN) - ⚽ 87' 00:50 Riyadh (21:50 UK)
Goal! Barcelona 1, Real Madrid 2. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Eduardo Camavinga following a fast break. (ESPN) - 🔁 86' 00:48 Riyadh (21:48 UK)
Substitution, Barcelona. Gabriel Jesus replaces Raphinha. (ESPN) - 🔁 85' 00:48 Riyadh (21:48 UK)
Substitution, Barcelona. Karim Adeyemi replaces Anthony Gordon. (ESPN) - 🟨 84' 00:47 Riyadh (21:47 UK)
Anthony Gordon (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. (ESPN) - 🔁 80' 00:43 Riyadh (21:43 UK)
Substitution, Real Madrid. Eduardo Camavinga replaces Bernardo Silva. (ESPN) - 🔁 74' 00:36 Riyadh (21:36 UK)
Substitution, Barcelona. Frenkie de Jong replaces Fermín López. (ESPN) - 🔁 62' 00:24 Riyadh (21:24 UK)
Substitution, Real Madrid. Denzel Dumfries replaces Federico Valverde because of an injury. (ESPN) - ⚽ 61' 00:23 Riyadh (21:23 UK)
Goal! Barcelona 1, Real Madrid 1. Raphinha (Barcelona) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Pedri following a corner. (ESPN) - 🟨 46' 00:08 Riyadh (21:08 UK)
Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. (ESPN) - • 45' 00:08 Riyadh (21:08 UK)
Start 2nd Half (ESPN) - ⏸️ 45'+3' 23:49 Riyadh (20:49 UK)
Halftime (ESPN) - ⚽ 41' 23:43 Riyadh (20:43 UK)
Goal! Barcelona 0, Real Madrid 1. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. (ESPN) - 🔁 30' 23:31 Riyadh (20:31 UK)
Substitution, Barcelona. Alejandro Balde replaces Xavi Espart because of an injury. (ESPN) - ▶️ 23:02 Riyadh (20:02 UK)
Kickoff (ESPN) - 📋 21:45 Riyadh (18:45 UK)
Line-ups confirmed. Andriy Lunin starts in goal for Real Madrid with Thibaut Courtois out ill; Mbappé leads the line with Bellingham, Güler and Yan Diomande behind him. Barcelona: Fermín López replaces the injured Dani Olmo, Rodri returns, and Raphinha plays through the middle with Lamine Yamal and Anthony Gordon wide. (realmadrid.com, ABC) - ℹ️ 19:55 Riyadh (16:55 UK)
Live coverage opens. Official line-ups are due about an hour before kickoff, around 22:00 Riyadh (19:00 UK). - ℹ️ 15:23 Riyadh (12:23 UK)
ESPN reports Madrid have not completely ruled out Courtois travelling later if his condition improves significantly; Andriy Lunin is expected to start. (ESPN) - ℹ️ 12:55 Riyadh (09:55 UK)
Real Madrid announce Thibaut Courtois is a last-minute withdrawal with flu; Illia Voloshyn is called up in his place. (Real Madrid via ESPN) - ℹ️ 04:00 Riyadh (01:00 UK)
Clocks go back in Spain and the UK as summer time ends. Kickoff is now 21:00 CET in Barcelona, still 23:00 in Riyadh. (FC Barcelona)
Key stats
| Barcelona | Stat | Real Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| 62.2% | Possession | 37.8% |
| 18 | Shots | 10 |
| 6 | On Goal | 5 |
| 6 | Corner Kicks | 6 |
| 15 | Fouls | 11 |
| 3 | Yellow Cards | 3 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 3 | Offsides | 3 |
| 3 | Saves | 5 |
| 569 | Accurate Passes | 321 |
Source: ESPN match data.
Pre-match context: why tonight matters
A record on the line for Barcelona
Barcelona have won all nine LaLiga games this season, and FC Barcelona's official preview points out that a tenth would make them the first team ever to win their first ten games of a league campaign. They currently share the nine-game record with Real Madrid's 1968-69 side, so the record could fall against the very club that holds it with them. Barça's 39 league goals after nine matches is the second-highest tally at this stage in LaLiga history, behind only Sevilla's 41 in 1940, according to the club. Their only defeat in any competition this season came on Tuesday, 4-2 at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Real Madrid's October revival
Real Madrid lost twice in the league before the international break, away at Real Betis and Atlético Madrid, but the club says they have won all four games in October: Villarreal 1-0 and Sevilla 4-1 in LaLiga, plus 4-3 at Roma and 4-1 against RB Leipzig in the Champions League. José Mourinho, back for a second spell at the club, said at his pre-match press conference: "We are in good form, but these matches are different, and what you've done before doesn't matter." Kylian Mbappé is Madrid's top scorer with 12 goals in all competitions, per the club.
The table before kickoff
| Pos | Team | Played | W-D-L | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 9 | 9-0-0 | 27 |
| 2 | Atlético Madrid | 10 | 8-1-1 | 25 |
| 3 | Real Madrid | 9 | 7-0-2 | 21 |
| 4 | Real Betis | 9 | 6-1-2 | 19 |
A Barcelona win puts them nine points clear of Madrid after ten games. A Madrid win cuts the gap to three. A draw leaves the gap at six and keeps Atlético, who have played one game more, two points behind the leaders.
Team news
Barcelona absentees
According to FC Barcelona's official preview, Roony Bardghji, Eric García and Andreas Christensen were already unavailable, Dani Olmo was injured against PSG, and Jules Koundé is being rested with an ankle problem. That leaves Hansi Flick short of defenders, and the club says six members of the squad could make their Clásico debut. ESPN notes Anthony Gordon is among the players preparing for a first Clásico.
Real Madrid absentees
Vinícius Júnior continues his four-match LaLiga ban after his red card against Villarreal (BBC Sport, ESPN). Thibaut Courtois was ruled out on Sunday morning with flu, with Illia Voloshyn called up in his place, and Andriy Lunin expected to start in goal; ESPN reported Madrid had not fully ruled out a late trip for Courtois if he improved significantly. Barcelona's preview also lists Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Raúl Asencio as injured. Read more in our story Courtois out with flu, Lunin starts.
Recent meetings
Barcelona have won six of the last seven Clásicos, all under Hansi Flick, after Real Madrid had won four in a row in 2023 and 2024. The last five, per ESPN's data:
- 10 May 2026, LaLiga: Barcelona 2-0 Real Madrid (Rashford and Ferran Torres scored, per FC Barcelona)
- 11 Jan 2026, Spanish Super Cup final: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid
- 26 Oct 2025, LaLiga: Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
- 11 May 2025, LaLiga: Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid
- 26 Apr 2025, Copa del Rey final: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid
Over the whole history of the fixture, LaLiga's official count is 264 meetings in all competitions, with 106 wins each and 52 draws. In league games only, Real Madrid lead 80 wins to 77, with 35 draws. The first league Clásico was played on 17 February 1929.
Players to watch
Raphinha leads Barcelona's league scoring with 12 goals in eight appearances, according to ESPN, and Lamine Yamal has eight goals and six assists. For Madrid, Mbappé has nine league goals and 49 shots, while Jude Bellingham has three goals and three assists in the league (ESPN). BBC Sport highlights Yan Diomande, who has started Madrid's last three games, as the most likely player to fill Vinícius's place on the left. For a deeper look at the duels, read our key battles preview and prediction.
What time is the match where you are?
Kickoff is 21:00 in Spain (CET, after the clocks went back on Sunday morning), which is 23:00 in Riyadh, 20:00 in London, 00:00 Monday in Dubai, 16:00 in New York, 13:00 in Los Angeles, 01:30 Monday in New Delhi and 05:00 Monday in Tokyo. You can check any other city with our kickoff time converter.
How we checked this
The live score, match events, line-ups and statistics on this page are taken from ESPN's match data feed and checked against the official LaLiga match centre and the clubs' official channels before each update. Pre-match facts come from FC Barcelona's official preview, Real Madrid's official preview and statement, ESPN, BBC Sport and AS, all checked on 25 October 2026. We do not publish line-ups, goals or quotes until a reliable source has reported them. Times are shown in Riyadh time (AST, UTC+3) with UK time (GMT) in brackets.
FAQ
What is the score in Barcelona vs Real Madrid?
See the live score box at the top of this page; it shows the latest score, the match minute and when we last updated it. You can also use our auto-updating El Clásico live score page.
What time does El Clásico kick off?
23:00 Riyadh time on Sunday 25 October 2026, which is 21:00 in Spain and 20:00 in the UK.
When are the line-ups announced?
Clubs normally confirm their starting XIs about an hour before kickoff, around 22:00 Riyadh time (19:00 UK). We add them to the line-ups section as soon as they are official.
Why are Vinícius Júnior and Courtois missing?
Vinícius is suspended (four-match LaLiga ban); Courtois was ruled out with flu on the morning of the match.
Where is the match being played?
Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona. It is LaLiga matchday 10.
Sources
- ESPN match centre: Real Madrid at Barcelona
- LaLiga match centre: FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid
- FC Barcelona: Preview, FC Barcelona v Real Madrid
- Real Madrid: Barcelona-Real Madrid match preview
- ESPN: Courtois out of Clásico with flu
- ESPN: Anthony Gordon prepares for his El Clásico debut
- BBC Sport: Real Madrid's attacking options during Vinícius Jr's ban
- AS USA: Why isn't Thibaut Courtois playing in El Clásico?
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