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“Whenever I win they can’t say a word,” the young star once remarked, but on this occasion he came up short and they were coming for him. Comments were made he was overly vocal; they replied that, yeah, they were going to meet him outside; they told him words mean little. And that was just the players: further remarks from commentators in their pulpits, men who never lose.

On the eve the clásico, young Lamine Yamal who says he abandoned nervousness back in his hometown implied that the Madrid side rob and complain, according to reports. He also offered a recollection that on his previous visit he had been the Santiago Bernabéu – a kid with blaugrana braces, a spark in his gaze and a right foot they didn’t know he had – his team triumphed 4-0. Yet that was past and the present differed. Moreover, more mature currently, exactly a year on, he was beaten back. He knew, they told him so.

Bellingham nets clásico winner as Real Madrid open a gap of Barcelona

When the match conclusion sounded on an intense, heated latest Madrid-Barca match that felt a little like past encounters, Lamine Yamal walked towards Madrid’s captain, hand out. Rather than taking it, Madrid’s captain made the old talking gesture. The match was hard enough keeping up with all the action that happened in the 105 minutes that preceded it, an encounter of numerous attempts, multiple scores recorded and additional efforts ruled out; now it was impossible.

Suddenly there were footballers all around, racing in and out of view and piling in, police pulling individuals apart. Amidst the melee, Madrid’s goalkeeper took up the invitation to continue this in the dressing room area. Vinícius was restrained, he saying to someone else they are too vocal. Barcelona’s winger was running to stop his countryman, the defender also present. “It was when we young,” the midfielder said.

Turning Point

In April, Tchouaméni had written: “Opponents celebrate our losses as if our winning days are over. We will return stronger.” Real Madrid had just lost a derby Copa del Rey final 3-2 in extra time, a collective breakdown greeting the end, ice cubes being thrown. Two weeks afterwards, they suffered another loss. In four clásicos, the team were defeated four times, league, cup and Super Cup going to Barcelona. They had conceded 4, five, 3 and 4. However there is always the future and as it happened Tchouaméni proved correct.

Only once had Barcelona previously won five derbies in a row, under Guardiola record-breaking run concluding with that 5-0 against Mourinho’s team, and it wouldn’t happen again. This past weekend, Madrid ended Hansi Flick’s unbeaten start in charge, beating Barcelona 2-1 to move a significant margin clear at the top in La Liga.

Significance

Madrid had needed the victory. Their post-match joy said so, team members dancing together. Likewise, the noise, the Bernabéu more vocal and more edgy compared to on a clásico day for years: “incredible,” the English midfielder called it. Manager Xabi Alonso said so too. Asked if the win represented a relief, or there had been a mental block around important matches, an obsession, Xabi Alonso responded: “That is the media’s narrative.” Yet he acknowledged that the result represented “not just a win, but our recent history and what it means to us; the players needed that feeling of securing a victory in a big game.”

Last season they had not won in such matches. On fourteen occasions they lost: Lille, Italian club, English team, Bilbao, city rivals, Sevilla-based, Atlético, Valencia and Arsenal all beat them. They did not achieve a single win versus a top-tier opponent. The previous manager departed and succeeded by Alonso but it continued. Madrid secured five games at the Club World Cup, indications of a structure emerging, an idea, but then came PSG.

Current Campaign

That defeat is part of the prior year, the coach said. Yet the new campaign, his term, started with a winning streak consecutively before city rivals visited and scored 5 against them. It was all well and good defeating Oviedo, island team and Pamplona side but what about elite opponents? Now at last they defeated one of them as well. Moreover not only that they triumphed, but also the way they won.

Barcelona had players out: backup keeper, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen were all missing. So too the winger, an important player might now be fully recognised by his absence. Several players weren’t fully fit, Jules Koundé and Lamine Yamal included. On the bench they had five players who hadn’t started in La Liga, others who featured only once; two 17-year-olds, four 18-year-olds and a couple who are nineteen. Plus a centre-back, Uruguayan star, who ended it in attack once more. Additionally their manager was absent, Flick suspended and located in a commentary box. Marcus Sorg, Sorg, was on the touchline on three occasions: he suffered defeats in each one.

Tactical Analysis

Much discussion focuses of the team’s defensive setup, yet they did not attack well during the match. Of all the things that were said at the young player on Sunday, maybe the most telling was from the Brazilian during the game, taunting Yamal by saying: “Your play is retreating balls.” Regarding their defense, leakier than before with Iñigo Martínez leaving, the pressure on passers decreasing and coordination off, Levante created six clear chances against them, another team 5, Sevilla five, Catalan club 3. Last year they trapped the French forward in an offside position eight times in an open clásico; however, overshadowed by losses, is the fact in the last meeting he scored a hat-trick, Madrid consistently positioned to create chances now.

Decisive Actions

Playing like this, in particular. The match served as a start and also a significant result. “Going forward we’re going to need much of our performance in this game,” the manager commented. The team had the ball in the net on five occasions – three efforts disallowed for offside – failed to convert {a penalty|a spot-kick