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“Whenever I win they can’t say anything,” Lamine Yamal once stated, but this time he didn’t win and opponents closed in for him. They said he was overly vocal; they replied that, yeah, they would meet him outside; they told him talk is cheap. This included just the players: further remarks from commentators in their pulpits, men who never lose.

On the eve this epic clash, the teenager who says he left fear behind in his hometown implied that Real Madrid benefit from decisions and complain, according to reports. He also offered a reminder that the last time he had been Madrid’s home ground – a kid with blaugrana braces, a glint in his eye and his shooting ability was unexpected he had – he beat them 4-0. Yet that was past and this was now. And, an adult now, exactly a year on, he was beaten back. He knew, as opponents made sure.

Bellingham nets clásico winner as Real Madrid open a gap of Barcelona

As the final whistle went on a wild, intense 262nd clásico that felt somewhat like past encounters, Lamine Yamal approached in the direction of Dani Carvajal, hand out. Rather than accepting it, Madrid’s captain made the old talking gesture. The match was hard enough keeping up with all the action that happened in over an hour and forty-five that preceded it, an encounter of 38 shots, three goals recorded and three more disallowed; at that moment it became too much.

Suddenly appeared footballers all around, running back and forth of view and piling in, police pulling individuals apart. Amidst the melee, Madrid’s goalkeeper took up the offer to resume the dispute in the dressing room area. Vinícius was restrained, he telling another player else they are too vocal. Raphinha was running to intervene with his countryman, the defender also present. “The scene resembled when we young,” the midfielder said.

Shift in Momentum

In April, the French star had written: “Opponents rejoice in our losses like our winning days are over. We will return stronger.” Madrid had just lost a derby Copa del Rey final 3-2 in extra time, emotional scenes greeting the end, projectiles flying. Two weeks afterwards, they suffered another loss. In four encounters, Madrid were defeated on each occasion, league, cup and Spanish Super Cup going to their rivals. They had conceded four, 5, 3 and 4. But there remains tomorrow and it turned out he was right.

Only once have the Catalan side ever won 5 derbies in a row, Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking run ending with that 5-0 versus Mourinho’s team, and it was not repeated. This past weekend, Madrid ended Hansi Flick’s unbeaten start as manager, beating Barcelona 2-1 to move a significant margin ahead at the top in La Liga.

Significance

Madrid required this. The celebration reflected this, players celebrating together. Likewise, the crowd’s roar, their stadium more vocal and more edgy compared to for such matches for years: “amazing,” the English midfielder called it. Manager Xabi Alonso echoed this. When questioned whether this was a relief, or there had been a psychosis around big games, a fixation, Xabi Alonso shot back: “That is the media’s narrative.” Yet he acknowledged that the result represented “not just a win, and where we come from and its importance for the squad; the boys needed the experience of winning a major fixture.”

In the previous campaign they had not won in such matches. Fourteen times they were defeated: French side, Italian club, Liverpool, Bilbao, city rivals, Betis, city foes, Valencia and Arsenal all beat them. There wasn’t a single win versus a top-tier opponent. The previous manager departed and succeeded by Xabi Alonso yet the trend persisted. Madrid secured several victories at the Club World Cup, indications of a structure emerging, an idea, however they faced PSG.

Current Campaign

That is part of the prior year, Alonso said. Yet the next season, his term, began with six wins in a row until Atlético came and scored five against them. It was all well and good beating newly promoted, Mallorca and Osasuna but what about elite opponents? Now at last they had beaten a major rival as well. And it wasn’t just that they won, but also the manner they won.

The opposition were missing out: backup keeper, young midfielder, Dani Olmo, Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen were all missing. So too Raphinha, whose significance may at least be fully recognised by his absence. Others were not at 100%, defender and Lamine Yamal included. Among substitutes they had five players who not begun in La Liga, two more who featured just one time; two 17-year-olds, young talents and two who are 19. Plus a centre-back, Uruguayan star, who finished the match up front once more. Even their manager was absent, Hansi Flick suspended and stuck in a radio cabin. Marcus Sorg, Sorg, was on the touchline on three occasions: he suffered defeats in all of them.

Game Breakdown

Much is made of Barcelona’s defensive setup, yet they did not attack well on Sunday. Among the things directed to Lamine Yamal that day, perhaps the most revealing came from the Brazilian during the game, mocking Yamal by saying: “Your play is backwards passes.” Regarding that backline, more porous than before after the defender departing, the pressure on passers decreasing and coordination lacking, Levante made six clear chances versus Barcelona, Rayo five, Sevilla five, Girona 3. Last year they caught the French forward in an offside position on multiple occasions in an open clásico; however, lost amid the defeats, is the fact in the last meeting he scored a hat-trick, Madrid consistently likely to create chances now.

Decisive Actions

With this approach, in particular. This was a beginning and also an end in itself. “In the future we will require much of what we did today,” the manager said. The team had shots result in goals on five occasions – three ruled out due to offside – missed {a penalty|a spot-kick