“As long as I emerge victorious they are unable to say anything,” Lamine Yamal once remarked, however this time he didn’t win and they were coming for him. Comments were made he spoke too much; came the response that, yeah, they would meet him outside; the message was words mean little. This included only the players: there was more from commentators in media platforms, individuals who never lose.
On the eve the clásico, the teenager who says he left fear back in his hometown suggested that Real Madrid rob and moan, or so it goes. He also offered a reminder that on his previous visit he had been Madrid’s home ground – a kid with blaugrana dental work, a glint in his eye and his shooting ability they didn’t know he possessed – he beat them 4-0. But that was then and this was now. Moreover, an adult currently, exactly a year on, he was beaten back. He knew, they told him so.
Jude Bellingham scores clásico winner as Real Madrid pull clear of Barcelona
As the final whistle went on an intense, heated latest clásico that felt a little like past encounters, Lamine Yamal approached in the direction of Dani Carvajal, hand out. Instead of accepting it, Madrid’s captain did the classic jibber-jabber motion. It had been challenging keeping up with everything that unfolded in over an hour and forty-five that went before, a match of 38 shots, multiple scores recorded and additional efforts ruled out; at that moment it became impossible.
All at once appeared footballers all around, racing back and forth of sight and converging, security separating individuals apart. Amidst the scuffle, Madrid’s goalkeeper took up the invitation to resume the dispute in the dressing room area. The Brazilian forward was being held back, him saying to another player as well they are too vocal. Raphinha hurried to intervene with his countryman, the defender there too. “It was our youth,” Aurélien Tchouaméni commented.
Earlier this year, Tchouaméni posted: “Opponents rejoice in our losses like our winning days are over. We will return stronger.” Real Madrid were defeated in the derby Copa del Rey final 3-2 after additional minutes, emotional scenes following the end, projectiles flying. Two weeks afterwards, they were beaten again. Over four encounters, Madrid had lost four times, league, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup going to their rivals. They had conceded four, five, 3 and 4. However there remains the future and as it happened Tchouaméni proved correct.
On just one occasion have the Catalan side previously secured 5 derbies consecutively, under Guardiola record-breaking run concluding with that 5-0 against José Mourinho’s team, and it was not repeated. This past weekend, Madrid ended the coach’s perfect record as manager, defeating their arch-rivals 2-1 to move a significant margin ahead in first place of the table.
Madrid had needed this. The celebration said so, players celebrating in circles. Likewise, the noise, their stadium more vocal and intense compared to on a clásico day in recent memory: “incredible,” the English midfielder described it. Manager Xabi Alonso said so too. When questioned whether this was a weight off his shoulders, or existed a mental block regarding important matches, a fixation, Xabi Alonso shot back: “That is the media’s narrative.” But he did admit that this was “more than three points, but our recent history and what it means for the squad; the boys required that feeling of winning a big game.”
Last season they had not won any. Fourteen times they were defeated: Lille, Italian club, English team, Bilbao, Espanyol, Sevilla-based, Atlético, Valencia and London club all beat them. There wasn’t a single win against a top-tier opponent. Carlo Ancelotti departed and was replaced by Xabi Alonso yet the trend persisted. The team secured five games in the global tournament, signs of a structure developing, a game plan, however they faced PSG.
That belongs to last season, the coach stated. But the next season, his season, began with a winning streak in a row before city rivals visited and put 5 against them. The results were positive beating newly promoted, island team and Pamplona side however, against elite opponents? Finally they defeated one of them as well. And not only that they won, it was the way they achieved it.
Barcelona were missing out: Joan García, Gavi, attacking midfielder, Robert Lewandowski and defender were all missing. So too Raphinha, whose significance might now be fully recognised by his absence. Others weren’t fully fit, defender and Lamine Yamal included. On the bench were five players who hadn’t started a league game, two more who featured only once; teenagers, young talents and two who are 19. Plus a centre-back, Ronald Araújo, who ended it in attack again. Additionally their manager was absent, Flick banned and located in a commentary box. His assistant, Sorg, has been in the dugout three times: he suffered defeats in all of them.
Much is made of Barcelona’s vulnerable high line, but their offense struggled effectively on Sunday. Of all the things directed to Lamine Yamal that day, maybe the most telling was from the Brazilian mid-match, mocking the teenager by saying: “Your play is retreating balls.” As for their defense, leakier compared to past with Iñigo Martínez departing, defensive intensity on opponents decreasing and the timing off, Levante created multiple opportunities versus Barcelona, another team 5, Sevilla five, Girona 3. Last year they caught the French forward offside on multiple occasions in an open clásico; yet, overshadowed by losses, was that in the last meeting he got three goals, Madrid consistently positioned to get opportunities currently.
Playing like this, especially. The match served as a beginning and also a significant result. “In the future we’re going to need a lot of our performance in this game,” Alonso said. They put the ball in the net five times – three efforts disallowed due to offside – missed {a penalty|a spot-kick
A seasoned financial analyst with over a decade of experience in global markets and trading strategies.
