Hansi Flick's side controlled 62 per cent of the ball and fired 17 shots, but Madrid struck against the run of play four minutes before half-time, when Gerard Martin's clearance ricocheted off Mbappe and into the net. Raphinha levelled in the 61st minute after a clever pass from Pedri, and Barcelona then pinned the visitors back in search of a winner, only for substitute Gabriel Jesus to lose possession in the 87th minute and Eduardo Camavinga to set up Mbappe for the decisive goal.
GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Clasico...
Goalkeeper & Defence
Joan Garcia (7/10): Could do nothing about either goal, with the second tapped into an almost empty net. Made three saves, the best of them a strong parry from Arda Guler's powerful low effort, and rushed out of his area to clear ahead of Mbappe in the second half.
Xavi Espart (6/10): His night ended after half an hour, having taken a heavy knock from Aurelien Tchouameni earlier on. Had little time to make his mark before Alejandro Balde replaced him.
Pau Cubarsi (6/10): Showed his usual composure on the ball and made a well-timed stop on Mbappe after the break, but was rounded by Camavinga in the build-up to the late winner.
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Gerard Martin (6/10): A moment to forget for the opener, as his bizarre clearance struck Mbappe and flew past Garcia. He almost made amends in the second half, only for Andriy Lunin to keep out his point-blank header with a superb save.
Joao Cancelo (7/10): One of the better performers in the backline. Offered plenty of drive going forward and delivered set-pieces, though Yan Diomande did muscle past him on occasion.
Midfield
Rodri (7/10): Neat and tidy in the double pivot, he cleared his lines well from set-pieces and tested Lunin with a low drive just before half-time.
Pedri (7/10): The architect of the equaliser, dummying a shot before slipping Raphinha in with a disguised pass. That made up for a sloppy first half in which he was caught in possession several times, gifting Madrid chances on the counter.
Fermin Lopez (6/10): Busy in the No.10 role, he forced a deflected effort wide and was repeatedly fouled by Marc Cucurella, but struggled to find the final pass before making way for Frenkie de Jong after 74 minutes.
Attack
Lamine Yamal (7/10): Kept Cucurella busy all night and went close with a curling effort from range late on, but will rue a gilt-edged chance just before half-time, when he scuffed his shot wide with only Lunin to beat.
Anthony Gordon (8/10): A lively Clasico debut. The English winger was a constant threat down the left, forcing Lunin into several saves, including an excellent stop at his near post, and his pass deflected through to Yamal for that big chance before the break. Booked for a challenge on Guler moments before his 85th-minute substitution.
Raphinha (8/10): Barcelona's leading light on the night. The captain led by example with a relentless work rate and took his goal clinically, a left-footed finish for his 13th La Liga goal of the season. Remained the hosts' most dangerous outlet until he made way for Jesus in the 86th minute.
Substitutes & Manager
Alejandro Balde (6/10): Introduced early for Espart, he provided pace on the left and got back well to deny Mbappe early in the second half, though he was booked late on for chopping down the Frenchman.
Frenkie de Jong (6/10): Came on after 74 minutes and helped Barcelona keep Madrid pinned back, seeing a goal-bound shot heroically blocked.
Karim Adeyemi (5/10): Replaced Gordon in the 85th minute but failed to make an impact, and was booked in stoppage time for kicking the ball at a grounded Mbappe.
Gabriel Jesus (5/10): Barely had time to be tested after replacing Raphinha in the 86th minute, but he lost possession in the move that led to Mbappe's winner.
Hansi Flick (6/10): The blueprint was clear: dominate the ball and press high. His side had the statistical upper hand, but lacked the clinical edge shown by their rivals and were left exposed on the break for the winner.