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“Whenever I win they can’t say a word,” the young star previously stated, however this time he didn’t win and they closed in for him. Comments were made he was overly vocal; came the response that, yeah, they were going to meet him off the pitch; the message was words mean little. And that was just the players: further remarks from commentators in their pulpits, men who always have opinions.

Just before this epic clash, the teenager who claims he abandoned nervousness behind in Mataró suggested that the Madrid side benefit from decisions and moan, or so it goes. He also offered a recollection that the last time he stepped onto the Santiago Bernabéu – a kid with blaugrana dental work, a spark in his gaze and his shooting ability they didn’t know he had – he beat them 4-0. But that was then and the present differed. Moreover, an adult currently, precisely twelve months later, his side fell short. He knew, as opponents made sure.

Jude Bellingham nets clásico winner as the Madrid club pull clear of Barcelona

When the final whistle went on a wild, intense 262nd clásico that felt a little like past encounters, Lamine Yamal approached towards Madrid’s captain, hand out. Rather than accepting it, Madrid’s captain did the old talking motion. It had been hard enough keeping up with all the action 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.

Suddenly appeared footballers everywhere, running in and out of view and converging, police separating individuals away from each other. Amidst the melee, Thibaut Courtois took up the offer to continue the dispute down the tunnel. Vinícius was restrained, he saying to another player as well they are too vocal. Barcelona’s winger hurried to stop his countryman, the defender there too. “The scene resembled our youth,” the midfielder commented.

Turning Point

In April, Tchouaméni had written: “They celebrate our losses as if we will never win again. We’ll be back.” Real Madrid were defeated in a derby Spanish Cup final 3-2 in extra time, a collective breakdown following the final whistle, ice cubes flying. A fortnight later, they suffered another loss. In four clásicos, the team were defeated on each occasion, La Liga, cup and Super Cup won by their rivals. They had conceded four, five, 3 and 4. However there remains tomorrow and as it happened Tchouaméni proved correct.

On just one occasion have the Catalan side previously won five derbies in a row, under Guardiola historic run ending with that 5-0 against Mourinho’s side, and it wouldn’t happen again. This past weekend, Real Madrid ended the coach’s perfect record in charge, defeating Barcelona 2-1 to move five points ahead in first place in La Liga.

Significance

The Madrid squad had needed the victory. Their post-match joy said so, players dancing in circles. So did the crowd’s roar, their stadium louder and intense than for such matches in recent memory: “amazing,” Jude Bellingham described it. Manager Xabi Alonso said so too. Asked whether the win represented a relief, if there had been a psychosis regarding big games, a fixation, he shot back: “That’s you lot’s thing.” Yet he did admit that the result represented “more than three points, and where we come from and what it means for the squad; the boys needed the experience of winning a major fixture.”

Last season Madrid had not won any. On fourteen occasions they were defeated: French side, Italian club, English team, Bilbao, city rivals, Betis, Atlético, Valencia and Arsenal all beat them. There wasn’t one victory against a top-tier opponent. Carlo Ancelotti departed and succeeded by Alonso but it continued. Madrid secured several victories at the Club World Cup, indications of a structure emerging, an idea, but they faced PSG.

Season Progress

That defeat belongs to the prior year, the coach said. But the next season, under his guidance term, began with a winning streak consecutively until city rivals visited and put five past them. It was all well and good beating newly promoted, island team and Osasuna however, against elite opponents? Finally they defeated one of them too. Moreover not only that they won, it was the way they achieved it.

Barcelona were missing unavailable: Joan García, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Robert Lewandowski and defender were absent. Additionally the winger, whose significance may at least be appreciated in absentia. Others were not at 100%, Jules Koundé and young forward among them. Among substitutes were five players who not begun a league game, two more who featured only once; teenagers, young talents and a couple who are 19. Plus defender, Uruguayan star, who finished the match up front once more. Additionally their manager was missing, Flick banned and stuck in a commentary box. Marcus Sorg, Sorg, was on the touchline three times: he suffered defeats in each one.

Tactical Analysis

Much is made of Barcelona’s vulnerable high line, but their offense struggled effectively during the match. Among comments that were said to Lamine Yamal that day, perhaps the most revealing was from Vinícius mid-match, mocking Yamal by saying: “Your play is backwards passes.” Regarding their defense, leakier than before with Iñigo Martínez departing, the pressure on passers dropping and coordination off, one opponent made multiple opportunities against them, Rayo 5, Andalusian side five, Girona 3. Previously they caught the French forward offside on multiple occasions in an open clásico; yet, lost amid losses, was that in the last meeting he scored a hat-trick, Real Madrid always positioned to get opportunities currently.

Decisive Actions

With this approach, in particular. The match served as a start and also a significant result. “Going forward we will require a lot of our performance in this game,” the manager commented. The team had shots in the net five times – three ruled out due to offside – failed to convert {a penalty|a spot-kick