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“Whenever I win they are unable to say anything,” the young star previously stated, however this time he came up short and opponents were coming for him. They said he spoke too much; came the response that, indeed, they would meet him off the pitch; the message was talk is cheap. This included just the players: there was more from the preachers in media platforms, individuals who always have opinions.

Just before the clásico, young Lamine Yamal who claims he left fear behind in Mataró implied that the Madrid side rob and complain, or so it goes. Additionally, he offered a reminder that the last time he stepped onto the Santiago Bernabéu – a kid with blaugrana dental work, a glint in his gaze and a right foot they didn’t know he possessed – he beat them 4-0. But that was then and the present differed. Moreover, an adult now, precisely twelve months later, he was beaten back. He knew, they told him so.

Jude Bellingham scores clásico decisive goal as Real Madrid open a gap of Barcelona

When the final whistle went on an intense, heated 262nd clásico that felt a little like old times, the Barcelona winger approached towards Madrid’s captain, hand out. Rather than accepting it, Madrid’s captain made the classic talking gesture. The match was challenging keeping up with everything that happened in over an hour and forty-five that preceded it, an encounter of 38 shots, three goals recorded and three more disallowed; now it was too much.

All at once there were footballers everywhere, racing back and forth of sight and piling in, police separating individuals away from each other. Amidst the melee, Thibaut Courtois took up the invitation to resume this in the dressing room area. Vinícius was restrained, he telling someone else they talk to much. Barcelona’s winger hurried to stop his compatriot, Antonio Rüdiger also present. “The scene resembled our youth,” the midfielder commented.

Turning Point

In April, Tchouaméni posted: “Opponents rejoice in our defeats as if we will never win again. We’ll be back.” Madrid had just lost a clásico Spanish Cup showpiece 3-2 in extra time, emotional scenes greeting the end, ice cubes being thrown. Two weeks later, they were beaten again. Over four clásicos, Madrid were defeated four times, league, cup and Super Cup going to their rivals. They had conceded 4, five, three and 4. But there is always tomorrow and as it happened he proved correct.

Only once have the Catalan side previously secured five clásicos in a row, under Guardiola record-breaking run concluding with that 5-0 versus José Mourinho’s team, and it wouldn’t happen again. On Sunday, Real Madrid brought to a close Hansi Flick’s perfect record in charge, defeating their arch-rivals 2-1 to go a significant margin ahead in first place in La Liga.

What It Means

The Madrid squad required this. Their post-match joy said so, players dancing together. So did the noise, their stadium louder and more edgy than on a clásico day for years: “incredible,” the English midfielder described it. The coach echoed this. When questioned whether this was a relief, if existed a mental block around important matches, an obsession, he responded: “That’s you lot’s thing.” But he acknowledged that the result represented “not just a win, and where we come from and what it means for the squad; the players required the experience of winning a big game.”

In the previous campaign Madrid had not won any. Fourteen times they were defeated: Lille, Milan, Liverpool, Athletic, Espanyol, Sevilla-based, city foes, eastern side and London club each defeated them. There wasn’t a single win versus a truly big side. The previous manager departed and succeeded by Alonso yet the trend persisted. Madrid secured five games at the Club World Cup, indications of a structure developing, a game plan, however then came Paris Saint Germain.

Current Campaign

That is part of last season, the coach said. Yet the new campaign, his term, started with a winning streak consecutively before Atlético visited and put five past them. The results were all well and good beating Oviedo, Mallorca and Pamplona side but what about elite opponents? Finally they had beaten one of them too. And not only that they won, but also the way they won.

The opposition had players out: backup keeper, Gavi, Dani Olmo, star striker and Andreas Christensen were all missing. So too Raphinha, an important player might now be appreciated by his absence. Others were not at 100%, defender and young forward included. On the bench were several individuals who hadn’t started a league game, others who had started just one time; two 17-year-olds, young talents and a couple who are 19. And a centre-back, Uruguayan star, who ended it in attack once more. Additionally their manager was missing, Flick banned and stuck in a commentary box. His assistant, Sorg, has been in the dugout three times: he suffered defeats in each one.

Tactical Analysis

Much is made of the team’s defensive setup, but their offense struggled well on Sunday. Among comments that were said to Lamine Yamal on Sunday, maybe the most revealing was from the Brazilian during the game, mocking the teenager by saying: “You’re all retreating balls.” Regarding that backline, leakier than before after Iñigo Martínez departing, defensive intensity on opponents decreasing and the timing off, Levante made multiple opportunities against them, another team 5, Andalusian side five, Girona 3. Previously they trapped Kylian Mbappé offside on multiple occasions in a high-scoring game; however, lost amid losses, was that in the last meeting he scored a hat-trick, Madrid consistently likely to get opportunities now.

Decisive Actions

With this approach, especially. The match served as a start as well as a significant result. “Going forward we’re going to need much of what we did today,” Alonso said. The team had the ball result in goals five times – three efforts ruled out for offside – missed {a penalty|a spot-kick