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“As long as I emerge victorious they are unable to say anything,” Lamine Yamal previously stated, but this time he didn’t win and they closed in for him. Comments were made he spoke too much; they replied that, indeed, they would meet him outside; the message was words mean little. And that was only the players: further remarks from the preachers in their pulpits, men who always have opinions.

On the eve this epic clash, young Lamine Yamal who claims he left fear back in his hometown suggested that the Madrid side rob and moan, or so it goes. Additionally, he offered a recollection that on his previous visit he stepped onto the Santiago Bernabéu – as a youngster with blaugrana dental work, a glint in his eye and his shooting ability was unexpected he possessed – his team triumphed 4-0. But that was then and this was now. Moreover, an adult currently, precisely twelve months later, he was beaten back. It was clear, as opponents made sure.

Bellingham nets derby winner as the Madrid club pull clear of their rivals

When the final whistle sounded on an intense, intense latest clásico that was a little like past encounters, the Barcelona winger walked in the direction of Dani Carvajal, offering a handshake. Instead of accepting it, Madrid’s captain made the classic jibber-jabber gesture. The match was challenging keeping up with all the action that unfolded in the 105 minutes that went before, an encounter of numerous attempts, multiple scores recorded and three more ruled out; now it was too much.

Suddenly there were players all around, running back and forth of sight and piling in, police separating people away from each other. In the middle the scuffle, Thibaut Courtois took up the offer to resume this in the dressing room area. The Brazilian forward was being held back, him telling another player as well they are too vocal. Raphinha hurried to intervene with his compatriot, the defender also present. “It was our youth,” Aurélien Tchouaméni commented.

Shift in Momentum

In April, Tchouaméni had written: “Opponents rejoice in our defeats as if we will never win again. We will return stronger.” Real Madrid were defeated in the clásico Spanish Cup showpiece 3-2 after additional minutes, emotional scenes greeting the final whistle, projectiles being thrown. Two weeks later, they suffered another loss. Over four encounters, Madrid had lost four times, La Liga, Copa del Rey and Super Cup won by Barcelona. Their defense allowed four, 5, 3 and four. But there remains the future and it turned out he was right.

On just one occasion had Barcelona previously secured 5 clásicos in a row, Pep Guardiola’s historic streak concluding with that 5-0 versus Mourinho’s team, and it was not repeated. This past weekend, Real Madrid brought to a close the coach’s perfect record in charge, beating their arch-rivals 2-1 to go a significant margin clear at the top of the table.

What It Means

The Madrid squad had needed the victory. Their post-match joy said so, players celebrating in circles. So did the crowd’s roar, their stadium louder and more edgy than on a clásico day in recent memory: “incredible,” Jude Bellingham called it. The coach echoed this. Asked if the win represented a weight off his shoulders, or there had been a mental block regarding big games, a fixation, he responded: “That’s you lot’s thing.” Yet he acknowledged that the result represented “not just three points, but our recent history and its importance for the squad; the boys required the experience of securing a victory in a major fixture.”

Last season they failed to secure a win any. On fourteen occasions they lost: French side, Italian club, English team, Athletic, city rivals, Betis, Atlético, Valencia and Arsenal each defeated them. They did not achieve a single win versus a top-tier opponent. Carlo Ancelotti departed and succeeded by Xabi Alonso yet the trend persisted. Madrid secured five games at the Club World Cup, indications of a structure emerging, a game plan, but then came PSG.

Season Progress

That defeat belongs to the prior year, Alonso said. Yet the next season, under his guidance season, started with a winning streak consecutively before Atlético came and put five past them. It was all well and good defeating newly promoted, Mallorca and Pamplona side but what about the big teams? Finally they defeated one of them as well. And not only that they won, it was the way they won.

The opposition had players out: Joan García, Gavi, attacking midfielder, star striker and defender were absent. Additionally the winger, whose significance might now be fully recognised by his absence. Several players were not at 100%, defender and Lamine Yamal included. On the bench they had several individuals who hadn’t started a league game, others who had started just one time; teenagers, four 18-year-olds and two who are nineteen. Plus a centre-back, Uruguayan star, who ended it up front again. Even their manager was absent, Flick banned and stuck in a radio cabin. Marcus Sorg, Sorg, was on the touchline on three occasions: he suffered defeats in all of them.

Tactical Analysis

Much is made of the team’s defensive setup, yet their offense struggled effectively on Sunday. Of all comments directed at the young player that day, perhaps the most revealing came from Vinícius during the game, taunting the teenager by saying: “You’re all backwards passes.” As for that backline, more porous than before with Iñigo Martínez departing, the pressure on opponents decreasing and the timing off, one opponent made six clear chances versus Barcelona, Rayo 5, Sevilla five, Catalan club 3. Previously they caught Kylian Mbappé in an offside position on multiple occasions in a high-scoring game; yet, lost amid losses, was that in their most recent match he scored three goals, Real Madrid consistently likely to get opportunities now.

Key Moments

With this approach, in particular. The match served as a start as well as an end in itself. “Going forward we will require a lot of what we did today,” Alonso said. They put the ball in the net on five occasions – three disallowed due to offside – failed to convert {a penalty|a spot-kick