Mbappe's 100th goal stops Barca's perfect start

Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 on Sunday at Camp Nou, snapping the visitors' perfect start to the La Liga season.

The result stopped Barcelona from extending a nine-game winning streak in the top flight. Had the home side won, they would have broken a record set by Real Madrid in 1968-69 for the best start in Spanish top flight history. The loss also marked a second consecutive defeat for Barcelona, following a recent drop to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Kylian Mbappe provided both goals for the visitors. His brace raised his total to 14 goals for the season and marked his 100th career goal for Real Madrid across all competitions. The French forward has been the second-highest scorer in La Liga this term after finishing as the top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League last season. He also won the Golden Boot at the previous World Cup, where he became the tournament's all-time leading scorer.

The win shifted the all-time head-to-head record in the fixture. Real Madrid now holds a 107-106 advantage over Barcelona in their historical meetings. The victory occurred just days before the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, where Mbappe is considered a strong contender for the award.

Jose Mourinho managed the match for his first season back at the club. Real Madrid had not won a trophy in the previous two seasons. The team had struggled earlier in the season with losses to Real Betis and Atletico Madrid. Since those setbacks, the team has won five consecutive matches, including three in La Liga and two in the Champions League.

The standings reflect the narrowing gap between the two clubs. With more than a quarter of the season completed, Real Madrid sits third in the table with 24 points. Barcelona leads with 27 points, while Atletico Madrid sits second with 25 points. The three-point deficit between the leaders and Real Madrid has narrowed from the start of the season.

Mourinho has not won a league title since leading Chelsea to the Premier League crown in 2014-15. His return to Madrid comes 13 years after his first spell ended. During that initial tenure, he guided the club to three trophies, including a La Liga title that set a record at the time. The current squad is looking to restore that level of success under his guidance.

"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 after the match. "They're playing to win the championship."

The manager celebrated the final whistle with a knee slide on the pitch. He is 63 years old and views the result as a step toward challenging Barcelona's recent dominance in the league. The team will now look to maintain their current form in upcoming fixtures to keep pressure on the leaders.