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“Whenever I win they are unable to say anything,” the young star previously remarked, but this time he didn’t win and opponents were coming for him. They said he spoke too much; came the response that, yeah, they were going to meet him outside; the message was words mean little. And that was only the players: further remarks from commentators in media platforms, men who never lose.

Just before this epic clash, the teenager who says he abandoned nervousness back in Mataró suggested that the Madrid side rob and moan, or so it goes. Additionally, he offered a reminder that on his previous visit he had been Madrid’s home ground – as a youngster with blaugrana dental work, a spark in his gaze and a right foot they didn’t know he had – his team triumphed 4-0. But that was then and this was now. And, an adult currently, precisely twelve months later, he was beaten back. He knew, they told him so.

Bellingham scores clásico winner as the Madrid club pull clear of Barcelona

When the final whistle sounded on an intense, intense 262nd Madrid-Barca match that was somewhat like old times, Lamine Yamal walked in the direction of Madrid’s captain, offering a handshake. Instead of accepting it, Madrid’s captain did the classic talking gesture. The match was hard enough following with everything that happened in over an hour and forty-five that preceded it, a match of numerous attempts, three goals recorded and additional efforts disallowed; now it was impossible.

All at once appeared footballers everywhere, running in and out of sight and converging, security separating individuals away from each other. In the middle the melee, Madrid’s goalkeeper was accepting the invitation to continue the dispute in the dressing room area. The Brazilian forward was restrained, he telling another player else they talk to much. Barcelona’s winger was running to intervene with his countryman, the defender there too. “It was when we young,” Aurélien Tchouaméni said.

Turning Point

In April, the French star had written: “They celebrate our losses like our winning days are over. We’ll be back.” Real Madrid were defeated in a derby Spanish Cup showpiece 3-2 after additional minutes, a collective breakdown greeting the end, ice cubes being thrown. A fortnight afterwards, they suffered another loss. In four encounters, Madrid were defeated on each occasion, league, cup and Spanish Super Cup won by their rivals. Their defense allowed 4, 5, 3 and 4. But there remains the future and as it happened he was right.

On just one occasion have the Catalan side ever secured five derbies in a row, under Guardiola historic run concluding with the famous 5-0 versus José Mourinho’s team, and it wouldn’t happen again. This past weekend, Madrid brought to a close the coach’s perfect record in charge, defeating their arch-rivals 2-1 to go a significant margin clear at the top in La Liga.

What It Means

Madrid had needed the victory. Their post-match joy reflected this, team members celebrating in circles. Likewise, the crowd’s roar, their stadium more vocal and intense than on a clásico day in recent memory: “amazing,” Jude Bellingham described it. Manager Xabi Alonso said so too. When questioned if this was a relief, if existed a mental block regarding important matches, an obsession, he shot back: “That’s you lot’s thing.” Yet he acknowledged that this was “not just three points, but our recent history and its importance to us; the boys needed that feeling of winning a big game.”

Last season Madrid failed to secure a win in such matches. Fourteen times they were defeated: Lille, Italian club, English team, Athletic, Espanyol, Betis, Atlético, eastern side and Arsenal each defeated them. There wasn’t a single win versus a top-tier opponent. The previous manager went and succeeded by Xabi Alonso yet the trend persisted. Madrid won five games at the Club World Cup, indications of a structure emerging, an idea, but they faced Paris Saint Germain.

Season Progress

That is part of the prior year, Alonso stated. But the next season, under his guidance term, began with six wins consecutively before Atlético visited and scored five against them. It was positive defeating Oviedo, island team and Osasuna however, against the big teams? Now at last they had beaten one of them too. Moreover it wasn’t just that Madrid won, it was the way they won.

The opposition had players out: Joan García, young midfielder, Dani Olmo, star striker and Andreas Christensen were absent. Additionally Raphinha, whose significance may at least be fully recognised by his absence. Several players weren’t fully fit, Jules Koundé and Lamine Yamal included. On the bench were several individuals who hadn’t started a league game, others who featured only once; two 17-year-olds, four 18-year-olds and two who are nineteen. And a centre-back, Ronald Araújo, who ended it in attack again. Even head coach was missing, Flick banned and stuck in a commentary box. Marcus Sorg, Sorg, was in the dugout on three occasions: he suffered defeats in each one.

Game Breakdown

Much discussion focuses of the team’s vulnerable high line, yet they did not attack well during the match. Among the things directed to Lamine Yamal that day, maybe the most revealing was from the Brazilian during the game, taunting Yamal by telling him: “Your play is retreating balls.” Regarding their defense, more porous compared to past after Iñigo Martínez departing, the pressure on passers dropping and the timing lacking, one opponent made multiple opportunities versus Barcelona, another team five, Andalusian side 5, Catalan club three. Last year they caught the French forward offside on multiple occasions in an open clásico; yet, overshadowed by losses, was that in the last meeting he scored three goals, Madrid consistently positioned to get opportunities now.

Decisive Actions

With this approach, in particular. The match served as a beginning as well as a significant result. “In the future we will require much of what we did in this game,” Alonso commented. They put shots result in goals five times – three ruled out due to offside – failed to convert {a penalty|a spot-kick