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“Whenever I emerge victorious they are unable to say anything,” the young star once stated, but on this occasion he didn’t win and opponents closed in for him. They said he spoke too much; came the response that, yeah, they were going to meet him off the pitch; the message was talk is cheap. This included only the players: there was more from the preachers in their pulpits, men who always have opinions.

Just before the clásico, the teenager who says he left fear back in his hometown implied that Real Madrid benefit from decisions and moan, according to reports. He also provided a recollection that on his previous visit he stepped onto the Santiago Bernabéu – a kid with blaugrana dental work, a glint in his eye and a right foot was unexpected he had – he beat them 4-0. But that was then and the present differed. Moreover, more mature now, exactly a year on, his side fell short. He knew, they told him so.

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

When the match conclusion went on a wild, intense latest clásico that felt a little like past encounters, the Barcelona winger walked towards Dani Carvajal, offering a handshake. Rather than accepting it, Madrid’s captain did the old talking gesture. It had been challenging following with all the action that unfolded in over an hour and forty-five that went before, an encounter of numerous attempts, three goals recorded and three more disallowed; now it was impossible.

All at once appeared players everywhere, racing back and forth of sight and converging, police pulling people apart. In the middle the scuffle, Madrid’s goalkeeper took up the invitation to continue this down the tunnel. Vinícius was restrained, him saying to someone as well they are too vocal. Barcelona’s winger was running to intervene with his countryman, the defender also present. “The scene resembled our youth,” Aurélien Tchouaméni commented.

Turning Point

In April, Tchouaméni had written: “They celebrate our defeats as if we will never win again. We’ll be back.” Real Madrid had just lost a derby Copa del Rey final 3-2 in extra time, a collective breakdown greeting the final whistle, projectiles being thrown. A fortnight afterwards, they were beaten again. In four clásicos, the team had lost four times, La Liga, cup and Super Cup won by Barcelona. Their defense allowed four, five, three and 4. However there remains tomorrow and it turned out he proved correct.

Only once had Barcelona ever secured five clásicos consecutively, Pep Guardiola’s historic run ending with that 5-0 against José 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 move a significant margin clear at the top of the table.

What It Means

The Madrid squad had needed the victory. Their post-match joy said so, players celebrating in circles. So did the noise, the Bernabéu louder and more edgy compared to on a clásico day in recent memory: “amazing,” the English midfielder described it. The coach said so too. Asked if the win represented a relief, if there had been a mental block around important matches, a fixation, Xabi Alonso responded: “That’s you lot’s thing.” Yet he acknowledged that the result represented “more than a win, but where we come from and what it means to us; the boys needed that feeling of winning a major fixture.”

Last season Madrid failed to secure a win any. On fourteen occasions they were defeated: French side, Italian club, Liverpool, Athletic, city rivals, Betis, city foes, Valencia and Arsenal each defeated them. There wasn’t one victory against a top-tier opponent. Carlo Ancelotti went and was replaced by Xabi Alonso but it continued. Madrid secured several victories in the global tournament, signs of tactical organization developing, an idea, however they faced PSG.

Season Progress

That belongs to the prior year, the coach said. But the next season, under his guidance season, started with six wins in a row until city rivals visited and put five past them. It was all well and good beating Oviedo, island team and Pamplona side however, against elite opponents? Now at last they defeated a major rival as well. Moreover not only that Madrid won, but also the way they achieved it.

The opposition had players out: Joan García, young midfielder, attacking midfielder, Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen were absent. So too Raphinha, whose significance might now be fully recognised in absentia. Others weren’t fully fit, defender and Lamine Yamal included. On the bench were 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. Plus defender, Uruguayan star, who ended it up front again. Additionally head coach was missing, Flick banned and stuck in a commentary box. His assistant, his assistant, has been on the touchline on three occasions: he has lost all of them.

Tactical Analysis

Much discussion focuses of Barcelona’s defensive setup, yet they did not attack effectively on Sunday. Among comments directed at the young player on Sunday, perhaps the most revealing came from Vinícius during the game, taunting Yamal by saying: “You’re all backwards passes.” Regarding that backline, leakier than before with Iñigo Martínez departing, defensive intensity on opponents decreasing and the timing lacking, Levante made multiple opportunities against them, Rayo five, Andalusian side 5, Catalan club 3. Previously they trapped the French forward in an offside position eight times in a high-scoring game; however, overshadowed by the defeats, is the fact in their most recent match he scored a hat-trick, Madrid always positioned to create chances now.

Decisive Actions

Playing like this, in particular. The match served as a start as well as an end in itself. “In the future we will require much of what we did in this game,” Alonso commented. The team had shots in the net five times – three efforts disallowed for offside – missed {a penalty|a spot-kick