Fury Towards Lamine: Real Madrid Celebrate Derby Victory After Heated Exchange

“Whenever I win they are unable to say anything,” Lamine Yamal once remarked, but on this occasion he came up short and they closed in for him. They said he spoke too much; came the response that, indeed, they were going to see him off the pitch; the message was words mean little. And that was only the players: further remarks from the preachers in their pulpits, men who always have opinions.

On the eve this epic clash, the teenager who says he abandoned nervousness behind in his hometown suggested that the Madrid side benefit from decisions and complain, according to reports. He also offered a reminder that the last time he had been the Santiago Bernabéu – as a youngster with blaugrana braces, a glint in his eye and a right foot they didn’t know he possessed – his team triumphed 4-0. Yet that was past and the present differed. Moreover, an adult now, exactly a year on, he was beaten back. It was clear, they told him so.

Bellingham nets clásico decisive goal as the Madrid club pull clear of their rivals

When the final whistle sounded on a wild, heated latest clásico that felt a little like past encounters, Lamine Yamal walked in the direction of Madrid’s captain, offering a handshake. Instead of accepting it, Madrid’s captain made the classic talking gesture. It had been challenging keeping up with all the action that unfolded in over an hour and forty-five that preceded it, an encounter of numerous attempts, three goals scored and three more ruled out; now it was too much.

Suddenly there were footballers everywhere, racing in and out of sight and converging, police pulling individuals away from each other. In the middle the scuffle, Thibaut Courtois took up the offer to resume the dispute down the tunnel. The Brazilian forward was restrained, he saying to someone else they talk to much. Barcelona’s winger hurried to stop his countryman, the defender there too. “The scene resembled our youth,” Aurélien Tchouaméni commented.

Turning Point

In April, Tchouaméni had written: “They rejoice in our defeats as if we will never win again. We will return stronger.” Madrid had just lost the derby Spanish Cup showpiece 3-2 in extra time, a collective breakdown following the final whistle, projectiles flying. A fortnight afterwards, they were beaten again. Over four encounters, Madrid had lost four times, league, cup and Spanish Super Cup going to Barcelona. Their defense allowed four, five, 3 and four. However there remains tomorrow and it turned out Tchouaméni was right.

Only once have the Catalan side ever won 5 clásicos in a row, Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking streak ending with the famous 5-0 against José Mourinho’s side, and it was not repeated. This past weekend, Madrid brought to a close the coach’s unbeaten start in charge, beating their arch-rivals 2-1 to go a significant margin clear at the top in La Liga.

Significance

The Madrid squad had needed the victory. Their post-match joy said so, team members dancing in circles. So did the noise, their stadium more vocal and intense compared to on a clásico day for years: “amazing,” the English midfielder called it. Manager Xabi Alonso echoed this. Asked if the win represented a weight off his shoulders, or there had been a mental block around important matches, an obsession, he 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 what it means to us; the players needed the experience of securing a victory in a major fixture.”

In the previous campaign they failed to secure a win in such matches. Fourteen times they were defeated: French side, Italian club, English team, Bilbao, Espanyol, Sevilla-based, city foes, eastern side and London club all beat them. There wasn’t a single win versus a top-tier opponent. The previous manager went and succeeded by Alonso but it continued. The team secured several victories in the global tournament, signs of a structure emerging, a game plan, but they faced PSG.

Season Progress

That is part of last season, Alonso said. But the next season, his term, started with a winning streak consecutively before Atlético came and put five past them. The results were all well and good beating newly promoted, Mallorca and Pamplona side but what about the big teams? Finally they defeated one of them as well. And not only that they triumphed, it was the manner they won.

The opposition were missing out: Joan García, Gavi, attacking midfielder, Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen were all missing. So too Raphinha, an important player might now be fully recognised in absentia. Others were not at 100%, defender and young forward included. On the bench were several individuals who not begun a league game, others who had started just one time; two 17-year-olds, four 18-year-olds and a couple who are 19. Plus a centre-back, Ronald Araújo, who ended it in attack once more. Additionally head coach was absent, Flick banned and located in a commentary box. Marcus Sorg, his assistant, was in the dugout three times: he suffered defeats in all of them.

Game Breakdown

Much discussion focuses of Barcelona’s vulnerable high line, yet they did not attack effectively on Sunday. Among the things that were said at the young player that day, maybe the most revealing came from the Brazilian during the game, mocking Yamal by saying: “You’re all retreating balls.” As for that backline, leakier compared to past with the defender departing, defensive intensity on passers decreasing and coordination off, one opponent created six clear chances versus Barcelona, another team 5, Andalusian side five, Catalan club three. Previously they trapped the French forward in an offside position on multiple occasions in an open clásico; however, lost amid the defeats, is the fact in their most recent match he got three goals, 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’re going to need a lot of our performance in this game,” Alonso commented. The team had shots in the net five times – three ruled out due to offside – missed {a penalty|a spot-kick