Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazário has praised Real Madrid following their 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the latest El Clásico clash in La Liga.
Ronaldo described the victory as “exceptionally beautiful” and “exceptionally remarkable” after his former club secured all three points in the Spanish league encounter.
Speaking at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday, the former striker praised Madrid’s performance, particularly their defensive organisation against their fierce rivals.
“Winning against Barcelona at their stadium is not easy. Real Madrid played very well, they defended very well,” Ronaldo said in remarks shared by MadridXtra on X.
He also praised head coach José Mourinho, saying the Portuguese tactician was gradually shaping the team according to his preferred style of play.
“Mourinho is shaping the team to his liking,” he added.
Real Madrid secured the victory through goals from Kylian Mbappé and a second-half strike, while Raphinha scored Barcelona’s only goal.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 41st minute after a deflection from Gerard Martín’s clearance. Raphinha equalised in the 61st minute before Mbappé restored Madrid’s lead in the 87th minute, converting Eduardo Camavinga’s cutback.
The defeat ended Barcelona’s unbeaten start to the league campaign after nine matches, while Madrid reduced the gap between the two sides to three points.
Barcelona would have opened up a nine-point advantage over Madrid with a victory, but the result instead strengthened the visitors’ position in the title race.
Ronaldo, who won the Ballon d’Or in 1997 and 2002, represented both Barcelona and Real Madrid during his illustrious career, making his assessment of the rivalry particularly noteworthy.
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