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“As long as I win they are unable to say anything,” Lamine Yamal once remarked, however this time he didn’t win and opponents were coming for him. They said he was overly vocal; came the response that, indeed, they would see him off the pitch; the message was talk is cheap. And that was only the players: further remarks from the preachers in media platforms, individuals who never lose.

On the eve the clásico, the teenager who says he left fear behind in his hometown implied that the Madrid side benefit from decisions and complain, or so it goes. Additionally, he provided a reminder that on his previous visit he had been the Santiago Bernabéu – as a youngster with blaugrana dental work, a glint in his gaze and his shooting ability was unexpected he had – he beat them 4-0. Yet that was past and this was now. Moreover, an adult currently, precisely twelve months later, he was beaten back. It was clear, as opponents made sure.

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

As the match conclusion sounded on an intense, heated 262nd Madrid-Barca match that was somewhat like past encounters, the Barcelona winger walked towards Madrid’s captain, hand out. Rather than taking it, Madrid’s captain made the old jibber-jabber gesture. It had been hard enough following with everything that unfolded in over an hour and forty-five that preceded it, an encounter of numerous attempts, multiple scores recorded and three more ruled out; at that moment it became too much.

Suddenly there were footballers all around, running in and out of sight and converging, security pulling people away from each other. In the middle the scuffle, Thibaut Courtois took up the invitation to continue the dispute down the tunnel. The Brazilian forward was restrained, he saying to another player as well they talk to much. Raphinha hurried to stop his countryman, the defender there too. “It was our young,” the midfielder said.

Turning Point

Earlier this year, the French star had written: “Opponents rejoice in our defeats like we will never win again. We’ll be back.” Real Madrid were defeated in the derby Copa del Rey final 3-2 after additional minutes, a collective breakdown greeting the end, projectiles flying. Two weeks afterwards, they were beaten again. In four clásicos, Madrid had lost on each occasion, league, cup and Super Cup won by their rivals. Their defense allowed four, five, 3 and 4. But there remains the future and it turned out Tchouaméni was right.

On just one occasion have the Catalan side ever won 5 clásicos consecutively, Pep Guardiola’s historic streak concluding with that 5-0 versus José Mourinho’s team, and it was not repeated. On Sunday, Madrid brought to a close Hansi Flick’s perfect record as manager, defeating their arch-rivals 2-1 to go a significant margin clear at the top of the table.

Significance

Madrid required this. The celebration reflected this, players celebrating together. So did the crowd’s roar, their stadium louder and more edgy compared to on a clásico day for years: “incredible,” Jude Bellingham called it. The coach said so too. Asked whether this was a weight off his shoulders, or existed a mental block around important matches, a fixation, he shot back: “That is the media’s narrative.” Yet he acknowledged that the result represented “not just a win, and our recent history and what it means for the squad; the players required the experience of securing a victory in a major fixture.”

In the previous campaign Madrid had not won in such matches. On fourteen occasions they lost: Lille, Italian club, Liverpool, Bilbao, Espanyol, Sevilla-based, Atlético, Valencia and London club each defeated them. They did not achieve a single win against a top-tier opponent. The previous manager departed and was replaced by Alonso but it continued. Madrid secured several victories in the global tournament, indications of tactical organization emerging, a game plan, however they faced Paris Saint Germain.

Season Progress

That belongs to last season, the coach stated. But the next season, his season, started with a winning streak consecutively before city rivals visited and scored 5 past them. It was all well and good defeating newly promoted, Mallorca and Pamplona side however, against elite opponents? Now at last they defeated one of them as well. And it wasn’t just that they triumphed, it was the manner they won.

Barcelona had players unavailable: backup keeper, young midfielder, attacking midfielder, star striker and defender were absent. So too Raphinha, whose significance might now be fully recognised in absentia. Others were not at 100%, defender and young forward among them. On the bench they had five players who hadn’t started in La Liga, others who featured just one time; two 17-year-olds, young talents and a couple who are 19. Plus defender, Uruguayan star, who ended it in attack again. Even their manager was absent, Flick suspended and stuck in a commentary box. Marcus Sorg, Sorg, has been on the touchline on three occasions: he suffered defeats in each one.

Game Breakdown

Much discussion focuses of the team’s defensive setup, but they did not attack well during the match. Among the things directed to Lamine Yamal on Sunday, perhaps the most telling was from the Brazilian mid-match, taunting the teenager by telling him: “Your play is backwards passes.” As for that backline, leakier than before with Iñigo Martínez departing, defensive intensity on passers decreasing and coordination off, Levante made multiple opportunities versus Barcelona, another team 5, Sevilla five, Girona three. Previously they trapped the French forward offside on multiple occasions in an open clásico; however, lost amid the defeats, was that in the last meeting he got three goals, Real Madrid always likely to get opportunities now.

Key Moments

Playing like this, especially. The match served as a beginning and also an end in itself. “In the future we will require a lot of what we did in this game,” the manager said. The team had the ball result in goals on five occasions – three disallowed due to offside – missed {a penalty|a spot-kick