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“Whenever I emerge victorious they can’t say a word,” Lamine Yamal previously stated, but this time he didn’t win and opponents closed in for him. Comments were made he spoke too much; they replied that, yeah, they were going to meet him outside; they told him talk is cheap. And that was only the players: there was more from the preachers in their pulpits, men who always have opinions.

Just before the clásico, young Lamine Yamal who says he left fear behind in Mataró suggested that Real Madrid rob and moan, according to reports. Additionally, he offered a recollection that on his previous visit he stepped onto the Santiago Bernabéu – a kid with blaugrana dental work, a spark in his eye and a right foot was unexpected he possessed – his team triumphed 4-0. Yet that was past and this was now. Moreover, an adult now, exactly a year on, he was beaten back. It was clear, as opponents made sure.

Jude Bellingham nets derby decisive goal as the Madrid club open a gap of Barcelona

When the final whistle sounded on an intense, intense latest Madrid-Barca match that felt a little like old times, Lamine Yamal walked towards Madrid’s captain, offering a handshake. Instead of accepting it, Madrid’s captain did the classic talking gesture. The match was hard enough keeping up with all the action that unfolded in the 105 minutes that went before, an encounter of 38 shots, three goals scored and three more ruled out; now it was too much.

Suddenly appeared players all around, racing in and out of view and piling in, police separating individuals apart. Amidst the melee, Thibaut Courtois took up the invitation to resume the dispute in the dressing room area. The Brazilian forward was restrained, him telling someone else they talk to much. Raphinha was running to stop his compatriot, Antonio Rüdiger there too. “The scene resembled our young,” Aurélien Tchouaméni said.

Shift in Momentum

Earlier this year, Tchouaméni posted: “They celebrate our losses as if our winning days are over. We will return stronger.” Real Madrid had just lost a clásico Copa del Rey final 3-2 in extra time, a collective breakdown following the final whistle, projectiles flying. A fortnight later, they suffered another loss. Over four clásicos, Madrid were defeated on each occasion, league, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup won by their rivals. They had conceded four, five, three and four. But there is always the future and it turned out Tchouaméni proved correct.

Only once had Barcelona previously secured 5 clásicos in a row, under Guardiola historic run ending with the famous 5-0 against José Mourinho’s side, and it wouldn’t happen again. On Sunday, Real Madrid ended Hansi Flick’s perfect record as manager, beating their arch-rivals 2-1 to move five points clear in first place of the table.

What It Means

Madrid required this. The celebration said so, team members celebrating in circles. So did the crowd’s roar, the Bernabéu louder and more edgy than for such matches for years: “incredible,” Jude Bellingham described it. Manager Xabi Alonso said so too. Asked if the win represented a relief, if there had been a psychosis regarding important matches, an obsession, he responded: “That is the media’s narrative.” But he acknowledged that the result represented “not just three points, and where we come from and what it means to us; the boys needed the experience of securing a victory in a big game.”

In the previous campaign they had not won in such matches. Fourteen times they lost: French side, Italian club, Liverpool, Athletic, Espanyol, Sevilla-based, Atlético, Valencia and London club each defeated them. There wasn’t one victory versus a top-tier opponent. The previous manager went and was replaced by Xabi Alonso but it continued. Madrid won five games at the Club World Cup, indications of tactical organization emerging, an idea, however then came PSG.

Season Progress

That defeat is part of the prior year, Alonso said. Yet the next season, his season, started with a winning streak consecutively until Atlético visited and scored 5 against them. The results were positive beating newly promoted, island team and Osasuna but what about the big teams? Finally they defeated a major rival too. Moreover it wasn’t just that they triumphed, it was the way they won.

Barcelona had players unavailable: Joan García, young midfielder, Dani Olmo, star striker and Andreas Christensen were all missing. So too the winger, an important player might now be appreciated by his absence. Others were not at 100%, Jules Koundé and young forward included. Among substitutes were several individuals who not begun a league game, others who featured just one time; teenagers, four 18-year-olds and a couple who are nineteen. Plus defender, Uruguayan star, who ended it in attack again. Even their manager was missing, Hansi Flick suspended and stuck in a commentary box. Marcus Sorg, Sorg, has been in the dugout on three occasions: he suffered defeats in all of them.

Game Breakdown

Much discussion focuses of Barcelona’s defensive setup, yet they did not attack well on Sunday. Among the things that were said to Lamine Yamal on Sunday, perhaps the most telling came from Vinícius mid-match, mocking Yamal by saying: “You’re all backwards passes.” As for that backline, more porous compared to past with the defender leaving, the pressure on passers dropping and coordination off, one opponent created six clear chances against them, another team five, Andalusian side 5, Girona 3. Last year they caught the French forward offside on multiple occasions in an open clásico; however, lost amid losses, is the fact in the last meeting he got a hat-trick, Madrid always positioned to get opportunities currently.

Key Moments

Playing like this, especially. This was a start as well as a significant result. “In the future we’re going to need a lot of what we did in this game,” the manager said. They put shots result in goals on five occasions – three efforts ruled out for offside – failed to convert {a penalty|a spot-kick