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“Whenever I emerge victorious they are unable to say anything,” the young star previously stated, however on this occasion he came up short and opponents closed in for him. They said he spoke too much; they replied that, indeed, they would see him off the pitch; the message was words mean little. And that was just the players: there was more from the preachers in their pulpits, men who always have opinions.

On the eve this epic clash, young Lamine Yamal who says he abandoned nervousness back in Mataró implied that Real Madrid benefit from decisions and complain, or so it goes. He also provided a recollection that the last time he stepped onto Madrid’s home ground – a kid with blaugrana dental work, a glint in his eye and a right foot they didn’t know he possessed – his team triumphed 4-0. But that was then and this was now. And, more mature now, precisely twelve months later, he was beaten back. It was clear, they told him so.

Jude Bellingham scores clásico winner as the Madrid club pull clear of their rivals

As the final whistle went on an intense, heated 262nd Madrid-Barca match that was a little like past encounters, Lamine Yamal walked towards Madrid’s captain, offering a handshake. Rather than taking it, Madrid’s captain did the classic jibber-jabber motion. The match was challenging keeping up with all the action that unfolded in over an hour and forty-five that preceded it, a match of numerous attempts, multiple scores recorded and additional efforts ruled out; at that moment it became too much.

Suddenly there were footballers all around, running in and out of view and piling in, security separating people apart. In the middle the melee, Thibaut Courtois took up the invitation to continue this in the dressing room area. The Brazilian forward was restrained, him telling someone else they are too vocal. Barcelona’s winger hurried to intervene with his countryman, the defender there too. “The scene resembled when we youth,” the midfielder commented.

Shift in Momentum

Earlier this year, the French star posted: “They celebrate our defeats as if we will never win again. We will return stronger.” Madrid were defeated in a derby Copa del Rey showpiece 3-2 in extra time, emotional scenes greeting the end, projectiles flying. Two weeks afterwards, they suffered another loss. In four encounters, Madrid had lost four times, league, cup and Super Cup going to Barcelona. Their defense allowed 4, 5, three and 4. However there remains the future and as it happened Tchouaméni was right.

Only once had Barcelona ever secured 5 clásicos in a row, Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking run concluding with the famous 5-0 against Mourinho’s team, and it was not repeated. This past weekend, Madrid ended Hansi Flick’s unbeaten start as manager, defeating their arch-rivals 2-1 to move a significant margin ahead in first place of the table.

Significance

The Madrid squad required the victory. Their post-match joy said so, team members dancing in circles. Likewise, the noise, the Bernabéu more vocal and intense compared to for such matches for years: “incredible,” the English midfielder described it. The coach said so too. Asked whether the win represented a weight off his shoulders, if existed a mental block around important matches, a fixation, he shot back: “That’s you lot’s thing.” But he did admit that this was “more than three points, but our recent history and its importance for the squad; the players required that feeling of securing a victory in a big game.”

In the previous campaign Madrid failed to secure a win in such matches. Fourteen times they lost: French side, Milan, English team, Athletic, city rivals, Sevilla-based, city foes, Valencia and London club all beat them. They did not achieve one victory against a truly big side. The previous manager departed and was replaced by Alonso yet the trend persisted. The team won five games at the Club World Cup, indications of tactical organization emerging, a game plan, but then came PSG.

Current Campaign

That is part of the prior year, the coach stated. Yet the new campaign, his season, started with six wins in a row until Atlético came and put five against them. It was positive defeating Oviedo, Mallorca and Pamplona side but what about the big teams? Finally they had beaten one of them too. Moreover it wasn’t just that Madrid triumphed, but also the way they achieved it.

The opposition were missing out: Joan García, young midfielder, attacking midfielder, Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen were all missing. So too the winger, whose significance may at least be appreciated in absentia. Several players were not at 100%, Jules Koundé and young forward included. On the bench were several individuals who not begun a league game, two more who featured only once; teenagers, young talents and a couple who are 19. Plus a centre-back, Ronald Araújo, who finished the match up front again. Even their manager was absent, Hansi Flick banned and stuck in a commentary box. Marcus Sorg, Sorg, was in the dugout three times: he has lost all of them.

Tactical Analysis

Much is made of Barcelona’s vulnerable high line, yet their offense struggled well on Sunday. Of all the things that were said to Lamine Yamal on Sunday, perhaps the most revealing was from the Brazilian mid-match, mocking Yamal by saying: “Your play is backwards passes.” As for that backline, more porous compared to past with Iñigo Martínez departing, the pressure on opponents dropping and the timing off, Levante made multiple opportunities against them, Rayo five, Sevilla 5, Catalan club three. Previously they caught Kylian Mbappé offside eight times in a high-scoring game; yet, overshadowed by losses, is the fact in their most recent match he scored a hat-trick, Madrid always positioned to get opportunities currently.

Decisive Actions

Playing like this, in particular. This was a start and also an end in itself. “In the future we’re going to need a lot of our performance today,” the manager said. The team had shots result in goals five times – three disallowed for offside – failed to convert {a penalty|a spot-kick