Kylian Mbappé scored twice in the first El Clasico of the season, a 41st-minute opener and an 87th-minute winner, with Raphinha’s second-half equaliser briefly putting Barcelona level before Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga combined for the decisive counter-attack.

For Pedri, the problem started well before the final 10 minutes.

“Overall, we didn’t play a great match. We weren’t ourselves in the first half, and there were things we could have done better,” he said to ESPN. “We equalised in the second half and played better, but their second goal came from a transition that we didn’t defend well.”

The 23-year-old pointed to a flat opening and a defensive lapse on the winning goal rather than fitness or tactics.

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Second straight defeat for Flick’s side

The Clasico was Barcelona’s second consecutive defeat against a top opponent. Hansi Flick’s team lost 4-2 away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on 20 October, a result that left them chasing the game late at the Parc des Princes.

The two losses have narrowed what had been a comfortable gap in La Liga. Barcelona’s lead over Real Madrid, who climbed into second with Sunday’s win, is now three points after ten rounds.

Flick had been without several first-team players going into the Clasico. Dani Olmo was ruled out after picking up an injury against PSG, and Jules Koundé was not risked, the Barcelona manager told reporters at his pre-match press conference the day before the game.

Cubarsí: ‘We need to make this a turning point’

Pau Cubarsí echoed Pedri’s assessment in the mixed zone, saying Barcelona had fallen short of what the fixture demanded and refusing to use the compressed schedule as cover. He told Barça Universal the squad needed to use the defeat as a reset point rather than drift into a worse run.

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“We need to make this a turning point and go for more,” the defender said.

Pedri made the same case, pointing out that it is still October and the title race will not be decided in a single weekend.

“It’s three points. We wanted to win El Clasico in front of our fans, but the season is a long one,” he told ESPN. “It’s a match we all wanted to win and dedicate to the fans. It wasn’t to be, and we’re leaving feeling sad, but we have to focus on the next game. There’s a long way to go, and the league isn’t won here.”

Next up for Barcelona

Barcelona return to La Liga action next weekend before Champions League matchday four. The next Clasico, at the Santiago Bernabéu, is scheduled for the second half of the season.

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