Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has praised his players following their impressive 2-1 victory over Barcelona in Sunday’s El Clásico at the Camp Nou.

Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring before Raphinha equalised for Barcelona in the second half. However, Mbappé struck again late in the game to secure all three points for the visitors.

Reacting after the match, Mourinho described the performance as extraordinary, praising his players for their organisation, composure and courage against Barcelona’s aggressive pressing. He also highlighted the team’s response after Barcelona equalised, insisting that Real Madrid never lost their calm or organisation.

He said,

"In my view, Real Madrid do not play to win at the Camp Nou. Real Madrid play to win La Liga. This must be the mentality. We need to continue like this and don’t go over the moon after this win”.

Mourinho further emphasised that the victory was fully deserved, but warned his players against complacency, stressing that Real Madrid’s ultimate objective is to win the league title, not just defeat Barcelona.

He also spoke about his tactics for defeating Barcelona.

He said,

“I told Camavinga: go and attack the space. It's difficult for any attackers to attack space against Barcelona; the only solution is to do it with your midfielders. When your attackers do it, Barca's defense is prepared and coached for that, and your attackers end up being offside, or the pass ends up being cut by Joan Garcia. The solution is to use midfielders like Camavinga and Bellingham to break that line, and it worked”.

The victory moves Real Madrid to within three points of Barcelona in the La Liga standings, providing a significant boost to their title ambitions.