Brazilian forward Raphinha found the back of the net in the second half to pull Barcelona level at 1-1 against rival Real Madrid on Sunday (25) at the Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona. The Matchday 10 contest of the 2026-27 LaLiga season (Spain’s top-flight soccer division) saw French striker Kylian Mbappé put the visiting capital club ahead in the 41st minute before the home side answered after the intermission.
With the contest still underway in the closing stages of the second half and the final result undecided, the equalizing strike arrived in the 61st minute when Raphinha drove a left-footed shot from the right side of the penalty box into the bottom-left corner. The goal was set up by midfielder Pedri following a corner kick conceded by defender Marc Cucurella. Earlier, the opening goal of the first half materialized after a low cross from the left wing by attacker Yan Diomande led to an attempted clearance by defender Gerard Martín that deflected off Mbappé and crossed the goal line.
First-half statistics and minute-by-minute highlights at Spotify Camp Nou
The opening 45 minutes of regulation and two minutes of stoppage time concluded with a 1-0 advantage for the team from Spain’s capital, even though the Catalan hosts generated higher offensive volume throughout the period. Barcelona controlled 59% of ball possession compared to 41% for Real Madrid, recorded 9 total shots (with 4 on target) against 6 attempts by the visitors (2 on target), and completed 287 accurate passes next to 180 completed passes by the opposing lineup.
🚨Raphinha scores for Barca 🇪🇸 Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid https://t.co/yMXkoZ8V8y
— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) October 25, 2026
High-tempo play generated shot attempts, physical fouls, offside calls, and lineup adjustments from the opening whistle at the Spotify Camp Nou. As the match progressed past the 80th minute with the score tied at 1-1, both coaching staffs also turned to their benches to refresh their squads:
- 7th minute (1st half) — Anthony Gordon receives a pass from João Cancelo and fires a right-footed shot from the left side of the box, forcing a save in the center of the goal.
- 18th minute (1st half) — Arda Güler takes an assist from Aurélien Tchouaméni and strikes with his left foot from outside the penalty area, requiring a central stop.
- 29th minute (1st half) — Officials halt play to allow medical staff to treat Barcelona full-back Xavi Espart for an injury.
- 30th minute (1st half) — Full-back Alejandro Balde replaces the injured Xavi Espart in the first substitution of the night.
- 34th minute (1st half) — Set up by Raphinha, Anthony Gordon shoots with his left foot from inside the box, drawing another save in the bottom-left corner.
- 41st minute (1st half) — Kylian Mbappé finishes from the center of the box to score the opening goal for Real Madrid.
- 46th minute (1st half) — Jude Bellingham plays a through ball to Mbappé in space, but the officiating crew flags the visiting attacker for offside.
- 46th minute (2nd half) — Aurélien Tchouaméni commits a hard foul on Pau Cubarsí immediately after the restart and receives a yellow card.
- 55th minute (2nd half) — Raphinha collects a pass from Fermín López in the middle of the area and shoots with his left foot, only for the defense to block the attempt.
- 61st minute (2nd half) — Marc Cucurella concedes the corner kick that leads to Pedri’s assist and Raphinha’s equalizing goal.
- 62nd minute (2nd half) — Denzel Dumfries enters the match for Real Madrid, replacing an injured Federico Valverde.
- 70th minute (2nd half) — Kylian Mbappé appeals for a handball penalty against Alejandro Balde following a corner kick, but play continues.
- 74th minute (2nd half) — Midfielder Frenkie de Jong comes off the bench to replace Fermín López for Barcelona.
- 78th minute (2nd half) — Lamine Yamal unleashes a long-range effort that travels just wide of the right post defended by goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.
- 80th minute (2nd half) — Real Madrid makes another midfield change as Eduardo Camavinga comes on in place of Bernardo Silva.
Starting lineups, injury absences, and suspensions for both squads
Both head coaches assembled their matchday squads while dealing with multiple absences across their primary rosters due to medical issues and disciplinary rulings. On the Real Madrid side, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was left off the roster after developing flu symptoms, while Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior is serving a four-match suspension. The visiting team also traveled without Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy, and Raúl Asencio. For Barcelona, the club’s medical staff ruled out Dani Olmo, Eric García, Jules Koundé, and Andreas Christensen due to injuries.
Ahead of kickoff on October 25, 2026, Raphinha addressed the effect of Vinícius Júnior‘s suspension on the opposing lineup. “I cannot say that his absence will be a good thing for us, because in the end Real Madrid has many players capable of deciding matches,” the Barcelona forward said.
The coaching staffs confirmed the 22 starters and the official kickoff schedule for the Matchday 10 fixture with the following setup:
- Barcelona (4-2-3-1 formation): Joan García; Xavi Espart, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, and João Cancelo; Rodri and Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, and Anthony Gordon; Raphinha. Head coach: Hansi Flick.
- Real Madrid (4-2-3-1 formation): Andriy Lunin; Federico Valverde, Ibrahima Konaté, Dean Huijsen, and Marc Cucurella; Bernardo Silva and Aurélien Tchouaméni; Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham, and Yan Diomande; Kylian Mbappé. Head coach: José Mourinho.
- Kickoff time: 9:00 p.m. local time in Spain (8:00 p.m. GMT / 4:00 p.m. ET).
Standings in LaLiga and José Mourinho’s return to the rivalry
The Sunday night encounter marks the first El Clásico (the traditional name for matches between the two Spanish clubs) managed by Portuguese tactician José Mourinho since 2013, as he leads Real Madrid in his second stint in charge. The Madrid club entered Matchday 10 sitting in third place in the LaLiga standings with 21 points from seven wins and two losses, trailing the Catalan leader by six points. Across 192 previous official LaLiga meetings between the two clubs prior to this fixture, Real Madrid held a narrow historical edge with 80 wins to Barcelona’s 77 victories and 35 draws, while Barcelona held a 51-31 lead with 15 draws in league matches hosted in Catalonia.
Barcelona kicked off the round atop the domestic table with a 100% record of 27 points, having recorded 9 wins in 9 matches while scoring 39 goals and conceding 9. The only defeat suffered by Hansi Flick’s squad in any competition this season occurred on October 20, 2026, in a 4-2 road loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League, whereas Real Madrid arrived following a 4-1 midweek Champions League win over RB Leipzig. In the individual race for the LaLiga scoring title prior to Sunday’s kickoff, Raphinha led the league with 12 goals, followed by runner-up Kylian Mbappé with 9 goals in 9 games (reaching 10 across the campaign with his first-half strike) and forward Lamine Yamal in third place with 8 goals.
Following Sunday’s (25) clash against Real Madrid, Barcelona’s next official LaLiga fixture is scheduled for Saturday (31) at 9:00 p.m. local time in Spain. The Catalan club will remain at home at the Spotify Camp Nou to host Alavés.
