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“Whenever I win they can’t say anything,” Lamine Yamal once remarked, however on this occasion he didn’t win and opponents were coming for him. They said he spoke too much; they replied that, indeed, they would meet him off the pitch; they told him words mean little. And that was just the players: there was more from the preachers in media platforms, men who always have opinions.

On the eve this epic clash, the teenager who says he abandoned nervousness back in his hometown implied that the Madrid side rob and complain, or so it goes. Additionally, he offered a recollection that on his previous visit he had been Madrid’s home ground – as a youngster with blaugrana braces, a spark in his eye and a right foot they didn’t know he had – his team triumphed 4-0. But that was then and the present differed. And, more mature currently, exactly a year on, his side fell short. It was clear, they told him so.

Bellingham nets clásico decisive goal as Real Madrid pull clear of Barcelona

As the final whistle went on a wild, intense 262nd Madrid-Barca match that felt a little like old times, Lamine Yamal walked in the direction of Madrid’s captain, hand out. Instead of accepting it, Carvajal made the classic talking gesture. It had been challenging following with everything that unfolded in the 105 minutes that went before, a match of 38 shots, three goals scored and additional efforts disallowed; at that moment it became too much.

All at once appeared players everywhere, running in and out of sight and converging, police separating individuals away from each other. In the middle the scuffle, Thibaut Courtois took up the invitation to continue this down the tunnel. Vinícius was being held back, he telling another player as well they are too vocal. Barcelona’s winger was running to intervene with his compatriot, Antonio Rüdiger there too. “The scene resembled our youth,” the midfielder said.

Shift in Momentum

In April, Tchouaméni posted: “They rejoice in our defeats as if our winning days are over. We’ll be back.” Real Madrid were defeated in a clásico Copa del Rey final 3-2 in extra time, emotional scenes greeting the final whistle, ice cubes being thrown. Two weeks afterwards, they were beaten again. Over four clásicos, the team were defeated four times, La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup won by Barcelona. They had conceded four, 5, 3 and four. However there is always tomorrow and as it happened he proved correct.

On just one occasion had Barcelona ever secured 5 clásicos in a row, under Guardiola record-breaking run concluding with the famous 5-0 versus Mourinho’s team, and it was not repeated. This past weekend, Madrid ended the coach’s perfect record in charge, defeating their arch-rivals 2-1 to move five points ahead in first place of the table.

What It Means

The Madrid squad had needed this. The celebration said so, players dancing in circles. Likewise, the noise, the Bernabéu more vocal and intense compared to on a clásico day in recent memory: “incredible,” Jude Bellingham called it. The coach echoed this. Asked if this was a relief, if there had been a psychosis regarding big games, an obsession, he shot back: “That’s you lot’s thing.” Yet he acknowledged that this was “more than three points, but our recent history and what it means to us; the players required that feeling of winning a big game.”

In the previous campaign Madrid failed to secure a win any. Fourteen times they lost: Lille, Italian club, English team, Athletic, Espanyol, Sevilla-based, city foes, Valencia and London club all beat them. There wasn’t one victory versus a truly big side. The previous manager went and was replaced by Xabi Alonso but it continued. The team won five games at the Club World Cup, signs of tactical organization developing, a game plan, however then came PSG.

Season Progress

That is part of the prior year, Alonso said. But the next season, under his guidance term, began with six wins in a row before city rivals visited and scored five against them. The results were positive defeating newly promoted, island team and Pamplona side but what about elite opponents? Finally they had beaten a major rival too. Moreover it wasn’t just that Madrid triumphed, but also the manner they won.

Barcelona had players out: Joan García, young midfielder, attacking midfielder, star striker and defender were absent. So too the winger, an important player may at least be appreciated in absentia. Others were not at 100%, Jules Koundé and young forward included. On the bench were five players who hadn’t started a league game, others who had started just one time; two 17-year-olds, four 18-year-olds and two who are 19. Plus a centre-back, Uruguayan star, who finished the match in attack once more. Additionally their manager was absent, Flick banned and stuck in a commentary box. Marcus Sorg, his assistant, has been in the dugout on three occasions: he suffered defeats in each one.

Game Breakdown

Much discussion focuses of the team’s defensive setup, but their offense struggled effectively on Sunday. Among the things directed at the young player on Sunday, maybe the most revealing was from Vinícius mid-match, mocking Yamal by telling him: “Your play is retreating balls.” Regarding their defense, leakier than before after the defender departing, the pressure on passers dropping and coordination off, one opponent made six clear chances versus Barcelona, Rayo 5, Andalusian side five, Catalan club 3. Previously they caught the French forward in an offside position on multiple occasions in a high-scoring game; however, lost amid the defeats, is the fact in their most recent match he scored three goals, Madrid consistently positioned to get opportunities currently.

Decisive Actions

Playing like this, especially. This was a beginning as well as an end in itself. “Going forward we’re going to need a lot of our performance in this game,” Alonso said. The team had the ball in the net five times – three disallowed due to offside – failed to convert {a penalty|a spot-kick