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“Whenever I win they can’t say anything,” Lamine Yamal once remarked, but on this occasion he didn’t win and opponents were coming for him. They said he spoke too much; they replied that, yeah, they were going to meet him outside; the message was words mean little. This included only the players: there was more from commentators in their pulpits, men who always have opinions.

On the eve this epic clash, the teenager who says he abandoned nervousness back in his hometown implied that Real Madrid benefit from decisions and moan, according to reports. He also provided a recollection that the last time he stepped onto the Santiago Bernabéu – as a youngster with blaugrana braces, a spark in his eye and a right foot was unexpected he possessed – his team triumphed 4-0. But that was then and the present differed. Moreover, more mature now, exactly a year on, his side fell short. He knew, as opponents made sure.

Jude Bellingham scores derby decisive goal as Real Madrid pull clear of Barcelona

As the final whistle sounded on a wild, intense 262nd clásico that felt somewhat 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 motion. It had been challenging keeping up with everything that happened in over an hour and forty-five that preceded it, an encounter of 38 shots, multiple scores recorded and additional efforts ruled out; at that moment it became impossible.

Suddenly there were footballers all around, running back and forth of sight and converging, police pulling individuals apart. In the middle the scuffle, Madrid’s goalkeeper took up the offer to continue this in the dressing room area. The Brazilian forward was restrained, he saying to someone else they are too vocal. Barcelona’s winger was running to intervene with his countryman, the defender also present. “The scene resembled when we young,” the midfielder said.

Shift in Momentum

Earlier this year, the French star had written: “Opponents celebrate our defeats like our winning days are over. We will return stronger.” Real Madrid were defeated in the clásico Spanish Cup showpiece 3-2 after additional minutes, emotional scenes greeting the end, ice cubes being thrown. Two weeks afterwards, they suffered another loss. In four clásicos, the team were defeated on each occasion, La Liga, cup and Super Cup going to their rivals. Their defense allowed 4, 5, three and 4. However there is always tomorrow and it turned out Tchouaméni proved correct.

On just one occasion had Barcelona ever won 5 derbies in a row, Pep Guardiola’s historic streak concluding with the famous 5-0 against Mourinho’s team, and it was not repeated. This past weekend, Real Madrid brought to a close the coach’s unbeaten start as manager, defeating Barcelona 2-1 to go a significant margin clear in first place of the table.

What It Means

The Madrid squad had needed the victory. Their post-match joy reflected this, players dancing together. Likewise, the noise, their stadium more vocal and more edgy than on a clásico day for years: “amazing,” the English midfielder called it. The coach said so too. Asked if this was a weight off his shoulders, or existed a psychosis around big games, a fixation, he responded: “That’s you lot’s thing.” But he acknowledged that this was “more than a win, and our recent history and what it means to us; the boys needed that feeling of winning a major fixture.”

In the previous campaign Madrid had not won any. Fourteen times they were defeated: Lille, Italian club, English team, Bilbao, Espanyol, Betis, city foes, eastern side and Arsenal all beat 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 won several victories at the Club World Cup, indications of tactical organization developing, an idea, however then came Paris Saint Germain.

Season Progress

That is part of the prior year, the coach stated. Yet the new campaign, his season, started with six wins consecutively before city rivals came and put 5 against them. The results were all well and good defeating Oviedo, Mallorca and Pamplona side but what about elite opponents? Now at last they had beaten one of them too. And it wasn’t just that they won, but also the manner they won.

Barcelona were missing out: Joan García, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Robert Lewandowski and defender were all missing. Additionally Raphinha, whose significance might now be fully recognised in absentia. Others weren’t fully fit, Jules Koundé and young forward included. Among substitutes they had five players who not begun in La Liga, two more who featured just one time; teenagers, four 18-year-olds and a couple who are nineteen. And defender, Ronald Araújo, who finished the match in attack once more. Additionally head coach was missing, Hansi Flick suspended and stuck in a commentary box. Marcus Sorg, Sorg, was on the touchline three times: he has lost all of them.

Game Breakdown

Much is made of the team’s defensive setup, yet their offense struggled effectively on Sunday. Of all the things that were said to Lamine Yamal on Sunday, maybe the most revealing was from the Brazilian mid-match, taunting the teenager by telling him: “You’re all backwards passes.” As for that backline, more porous compared to past after Iñigo Martínez leaving, defensive intensity on passers decreasing and the timing off, one opponent created six clear chances against them, Rayo five, Andalusian side 5, Girona 3. Last year they caught the French forward offside on multiple occasions in a high-scoring game; yet, lost amid losses, was that in the last meeting he scored three goals, Real Madrid always likely to create chances now.

Decisive Actions

With this approach, especially. This was a start as well as an end in itself. “In the future we’re going to need much of what we did in this game,” the manager said. They put the ball result in goals five times – three efforts disallowed for offside – missed {a penalty|a spot-kick