Real Madrid Commanding but Vinicius Junior Tensions Escalate – Important El Clasico Takeaways
The match represented nearly a perfect outing for the Madrid side, who overcame their arch-rivals by a 2-1 scoreline during the Clasico to extend their lead in first place in La Liga by five points.
Bellingham scored his inaugural league goal and setup this campaign after a challenging period coming back from surgery on his shoulder.
Mbappe showed his deadly performance in front of goal, and Alonso's tactics in his inaugural Clasico in the dugout functioned like a charm.
But then the Vinicius Junior question came to the forefront once more.
Frustrated at coming off, the star forward ranted on his way right by the coach before headed off the pitch, then returning to the bench after a short while.
Manager's Approach Gets Success from the Midfielder
For a debut Clasico, this wasn't a bad one, considering the majority of Real's previous eight bosses lost their debut league match against their rivals.
Following the player-focused method of Carlo Ancelotti fell short last season, his structured approach produced a significant outcome.
A specialist observed, His plan was perfect. Madrid were impressive, and Barca didn't play well because of what Real Madrid were doing.”
“Without the ball, they pressed high for as long as they could, if overcome, they tracked back in a structured manner, all players even the forward.”
“They defended in two layers with a gap of five to 10 metres. Barca struggled to penetrate.”
The new system looks to be good news for Jude, as he previously was essentially asked to carry the midfield in the center and beyond.
Theoretically Bellingham played on the right, but actually he had the freedom to move centrally and either assist the attack or enter the box.
Balague stated, With the French midfielder in the center, you get more dynamism and better ability to shut down the spaces.”
This led to them to position Bellingham on the right-hand side. Certainly he would have been asked to keep an eye on the runs of Mbappe when he had the ball with room, and he located him a few times.”
“He was asked to move into the penalty area and operate on the outskirts of the area, where he is very dangerous. He also drifted in to block central spaces and make Barca's task tough.”
Strained Relations Laid Bare
There's no doubting that supporters adore Vinicius, his chant was chanted on several occasions by a fervent Madrid fans.
Yet there have been various accounts in recent months that Los Blancos might think about letting him leave if the right offer was made.
Vinicius has a year left on his contract at the end of the campaign, yet talks over a new deal have not progressed.
His response to being replaced late in the game spoke of issues. Post-game, teammates intervened as he tried to approach the Barcelona player.
The analyst commented, He will face backlash for good reason, because it showed a lack of respect for the substitute who came on for him.”
However, from a young age, he has lived in a challenging environment, and he believes that everyone is against him.”
Such thinking is difficult to shake, especially when you believe near number one in the world, then the club drives the axis in favor of Mbappe as the star.”
“This season he's felt that the organization has not supported him. There are stories, possibly leaked by the club, or with the club not denying it, that they wouldn't be unhappy if someone paid 250m euros to sign him and let him go.”
“He feels all that, so when he was taken off – reasonably, since he wasn't defending as expected – in Vinicius' head he questions why single me out?’.”
“It will be difficult to reconcile between the club and Vinicius at the moment.”
Their System “Falls Apart”
Following victories in all four of previous campaign's derbies, Sunday's performance highlighted Barca's shaky early form.
Absences have deprived the manager of important stars such as Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski plus others, and his system isn't working when they are missing.
The expert commented, “It's like the whole team is a little bit less sharp when not in possession, not as eager to regain possession, softer in pressing.”
Opponents find it simpler to break them down. If the defensive line is not perfect, which was the case Mbappe's strike as Balde kept him onside, they are not helped from the attack not challenging the ball-carrier as expected.”
The young talent, who troubled Madrid earlier, was neutralized.
The big names were below par. Lamine doesn't feel like he's in good form, maybe due to injury issues