Real Madrid flew home from Barcelona on Sunday with three points and the La Liga gap down to three. Minutes after the final whistle, the squad’s suspended winger took over the post-match conversation from his phone.
Vinícius Júnior posted the final scoreline on Instagram and captioned it with three laughing emojis, nothing else. The post, published once his teammates had sealed a 2-1 win at the Spotify Camp Nou, was widely read as a jab at the pundits who had tipped Barcelona to extend their lead at the top before kick-off.
He had reason to react from a distance. The 26-year-old is serving a four-match domestic ban after aggressive conduct toward Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba on October 10. Two games of the suspension remain, so Barcelona was the second of four fixtures he will miss before returning to José Mourinho’s lineup.
Mbappé’s century arrives late at Camp Nou
The player Real Madrid did have on the pitch delivered a milestone. Mbappé opened the scoring in the 41st minute when a Gerard Martín clearance ricocheted off the France captain and past Joan García. Raphinha equalized in the 61st with a snap finish from a Pedri reverse pass. Then, in the 87th, Mbappé slotted home from an Eduardo Camavinga cutback after a run from Jude Bellingham, according to Sky Sports.
It was Mbappé’s 100th goal in a Real Madrid shirt. He played the moment down afterward.
“The hero of today’s match is the team and the group, because we knew we had to play like men and as one team,” he said to Goal.
The win was Real Madrid’s first in Barcelona in three years.
The title picture tightens
Barcelona’s lead at the top of La Liga is now three points, with Atlético Madrid still two points further back. Barcelona had already lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League earlier in the week, a defeat that ended their 11-game winning run across competitions, and the Clásico loss was their second in seven days.
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Two more matches of Vinícius’s suspension remain before he is available for Real Madrid again.
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