Mourinho Gets His Knee-Slide Moment as Real Madrid Win at Camp Nou

For a manager who has spent less than 100 days in the job, José Mourinho has already built a reputation for theatre. He has handed out a printout, skipped a press conference and, on Sunday night at Camp Nou, slid across the turf on his knees. It was the last of those that will be remembered longest, because it came after the winner.

Mbappé gave Real Madrid the lead in the clásico, and for most of the evening Mourinho stayed close to the bench, barely reacting. The mood changed when Mbappé struck again with time running out to seal three points. The 63-year-old sprinted onto the pitch, went down on the grass, pumped his fists and stuck out his tongue, his trousers muddied like a schoolboy's. The players and substitutes piled towards the south-west corner, where a small group of Madrid supporters had made the trip and were celebrating among the bottles being thrown from above.

Not everyone was there to share the moment. Thibaut Courtois woke up with flu on the morning of the biggest match of the season and had to watch from home, where he presumably had little to do except wrap up warm and follow the game on his phone. His absence was a reminder of how thin the margins can be in a fixture like this one.

The result will be read as a statement of intent. Madrid went to the home of their greatest rivals and came away with the win, and Mourinho's plan appeared to work from the first whistle to the last. Whether it proves to be a turning point for the season or simply a good night at Camp Nou, the sight of a manager celebrating like a fan on the grass is one that will be hard to forget.