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“As long as I emerge victorious they are unable to say anything,” Lamine Yamal once remarked, however on this occasion he came up short and opponents were coming for him. Comments were made he spoke too much; came the response that, indeed, they were going to see him off the pitch; they told him talk is cheap. This included only the players: further remarks from commentators in their pulpits, individuals who always have opinions.

On the eve the clásico, the teenager who says he abandoned nervousness back in Mataró implied that the Madrid side rob and moan, or so it goes. He also offered a recollection that the last time he had been Madrid’s home ground – a kid with blaugrana braces, a glint in his gaze and a right foot they didn’t know he possessed – his team triumphed 4-0. But that was then and this was now. Moreover, more mature currently, exactly a year on, his side fell short. He knew, they told him so.

Bellingham nets clásico decisive goal as Real Madrid pull clear of their rivals

As the match conclusion went on a wild, heated 262nd Madrid-Barca match that was a little like past encounters, Lamine Yamal approached in the direction of Madrid’s captain, offering a handshake. Rather than accepting it, Madrid’s captain did the old talking motion. The match was challenging following with all the action that unfolded in the 105 minutes that went before, an encounter of 38 shots, multiple scores scored and three more ruled out; now it was too much.

All at once appeared footballers everywhere, racing in and out of view and piling in, police separating individuals away from each other. In the middle the melee, Thibaut Courtois took up the offer to continue this down the tunnel. The Brazilian forward was being held back, he saying to another player as well they are too vocal. Raphinha was running to stop his countryman, the defender also present. “It was our youth,” Aurélien Tchouaméni commented.

Shift in Momentum

In April, Tchouaméni had written: “They rejoice in our defeats like our winning days are over. We’ll be back.” Madrid were defeated in a derby Copa del Rey final 3-2 in extra time, emotional scenes greeting the final whistle, projectiles being thrown. Two weeks afterwards, they were beaten again. In four clásicos, the team were defeated four times, La Liga, cup and Super Cup won by Barcelona. Their defense allowed 4, 5, three and 4. However there is always the future and it turned out Tchouaméni was right.

Only once have the Catalan side ever secured 5 derbies consecutively, under Guardiola historic streak ending with that 5-0 against José Mourinho’s team, and it was not repeated. This past weekend, Madrid ended the coach’s unbeaten start as manager, defeating Barcelona 2-1 to go a significant margin clear in first place of the table.

What It Means

The Madrid squad required this. The celebration said so, team members celebrating in circles. So did the noise, the Bernabéu louder and more edgy compared to for such matches in recent memory: “amazing,” Jude Bellingham called it. The coach echoed this. When questioned if this was a weight off his shoulders, or there had been a mental block regarding important matches, an obsession, he responded: “That is the media’s narrative.” But he did admit that the result represented “not just a win, but our recent history and what it means for the squad; the boys required that feeling of securing a victory in a major fixture.”

In the previous campaign they had not won any. Fourteen times they lost: French side, Milan, Liverpool, Athletic, city rivals, Betis, city foes, eastern side and Arsenal all beat them. There wasn’t a single win versus a top-tier opponent. The previous manager went and was replaced by Alonso but it continued. Madrid secured five games in the global tournament, signs of a structure emerging, a game plan, but they faced Paris Saint Germain.

Season Progress

That is part of the prior year, the coach stated. But the next season, his season, began with six wins consecutively before Atlético visited and put 5 past them. It was positive beating Oviedo, island team and Osasuna but what about the big teams? Finally they had beaten one of them too. And not only that they triumphed, but also the way they won.

Barcelona were missing out: Joan García, Gavi, Dani Olmo, star striker and defender were absent. So too the winger, whose significance may at least be appreciated in absentia. Several players weren’t fully fit, defender and Lamine Yamal among them. Among substitutes they had several individuals who hadn’t started in La Liga, two more who featured only once; two 17-year-olds, four 18-year-olds and a couple who are nineteen. And a centre-back, Uruguayan star, who ended it up front again. Even head coach was absent, Flick suspended and located in a radio cabin. Marcus Sorg, his assistant, was on the touchline on three occasions: he suffered defeats in each one.

Tactical Analysis

Much is made of Barcelona’s vulnerable high line, yet they did not attack effectively on Sunday. Among comments that were said at the young player on Sunday, maybe the most telling came from the Brazilian mid-match, taunting the teenager by saying: “You’re all retreating balls.” Regarding that backline, more porous than before with Iñigo Martínez leaving, the pressure on opponents dropping and the timing off, one opponent created six clear chances versus Barcelona, Rayo 5, Sevilla five, Girona three. Previously they caught Kylian Mbappé in an offside position on multiple occasions in an open clásico; yet, lost amid losses, is the fact in their most recent match he scored a hat-trick, Real Madrid consistently likely to get opportunities now.

Decisive Actions

With this approach, especially. The match served as a start and also a significant result. “Going forward we’re going to need a lot of our performance in this game,” the manager said. They put the ball in the net five times – three ruled out for offside – missed {a penalty|a spot-kick