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Bellingham shines as Madrid defeat Barcelona
Real Madrid enjoyed a successful outing as Xabi Alonso’s team secured a 2-1 victory over Barcelona in El Clasico, extending their lead at the top of La Liga to five points.
Jude Bellingham marked his return from shoulder surgery with a goal and an assist.
Kylian Mbappe maintained his impressive scoring record, while Alonso’s tactical approach in his inaugural Clasico proved effective.
However, the focus shifted once again to Vinicius Junior.
Visibly displeased with being substituted in the 72nd minute, the Brazilian winger expressed his discontent as he bypassed his manager and headed towards the tunnel, later returning to the bench.
BBC Sport sought insights from Spanish football expert Guillem Balague regarding the heated Clasico at the Bernabeu and the potential for reconciliation between Vinicius and his club.
Alonso’s first Clasico experience proved fruitful, contrasting with the fact that seven of Real’s previous eight managers lost their first La Liga encounter with Barcelona.
In contrast to Carlo Ancelotti’s player-centric approach, which yielded inconsistent results last season, Alonso’s structured positional strategy achieved a significant victory.
“He got it spot on. Real Madrid were very good, and Barcelona didn’t play well because of what Real Madrid were doing,” Balague told BBC Sport.
“Without the ball they pressed high for as long as they could, and if they were beaten, they tracked back in an organised way, everybody including Vinicius.
“They defended in two lines separated by five to 10 metres. Barcelona could not find a way through.”
The new system appears to benefit Bellingham, who last season was often tasked with fulfilling multiple roles in midfield.
While nominally positioned on the right of midfield, the 22-year-old had the freedom to move centrally, supporting Mbappe or entering the penalty area.
“By using Eduardo Camavinga in central midfield, you get more dynamism and more ways to close down the channels,” said Balague.
“That forced them to put Bellingham on the right-hand side. I’m sure he would have been asked to keep an eye on the runs of Mbappe when he had the ball and had space, and he found him a few times.
“He was asked to get into the box and be around the edge of the box, where he is very dangerous. He also came inside to close the inside channels and make Barcelona’s life very difficult.”
Vinicius remains a popular figure among Madrid supporters, as evidenced by the repeated chants of his name during the match.
However, recent reports suggest that Real Madrid would consider offers for the player if a suitable bid is made.
With one year remaining on his contract at the end of the season, discussions regarding a new deal have reportedly stalled.
Vinicius’ reaction to being substituted hinted at underlying tensions. Following the final whistle, he required restraint as he attempted to confront Lamine Yamal.
“Everyone will have a go at him and rightly so, because it showed a lack of respect for Rodrygo who replaced him,” said Balague.
“But since being a kid he has lived in a hostile world, and he feels that everyone is against him.
“That mentality is difficult to shake, especially when you feel close to being number one in the world, then the club drives the axis towards Mbappe [as the star].
“This season he’s felt that the club isn’t protecting him. There are stories out there, possible leaked by the club, or with the club not denying it, that they wouldn’t be unhappy if someone paid 250m euros for him and let him go.
“He feels all that, and when Alonso subbed him – fairly, because Vinicius stopped dropping back as he should – in Vinicius’ head he says ‘why me, why me again?’.
“It will be difficult to build a bridge between the club and Vinicius at the moment.”
Lamine Yamal failed to register a shot on target against Real Madrid
Having won all four of last season’s Clasicos, Barcelona’s performance on Sunday reflected their inconsistent start to the current campaign.
Injuries to key players, including Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo, have hampered Hansi Flick’s efforts, and his system appears less effective without them.
“It’s like the whole team is a little bit less sharp without the ball, less hungry to recover it, less aggressive to get the possession back,” Balague said.
“It’s easier to attack them. If the defensive line is not perfect, as it wasn’t on the Mbappe goal because Alejandro Balde played him onside, they are not helped by the midfield and forwards not closing down those on the ball as well as they should.
Lamine Yamal, who proved a significant threat to Real Madrid last season, was largely contained.
“Their stars weren’t at their best. Lamine doesn’t feel like he’s in good form, perhaps he’s suffering from groin problems that don’t allow him to display his talent.
“The Barcelona of a year ago that caught Mbappe offside eight times, with Lewandowski, Raphinha and Lamine playing together, is gone at the moment.
“They miss Raphinha in attack but defence as well, the intensity that he adds.”
Marcus Rashford, a standout performer for Barcelona since his loan move from Manchester United, appeared subdued on Sunday.
“He was trying to create danger on the left-hand side, but he found himself too often on his own and he could not beat the Madrid defence.
“Barcelona attacked too quickly which meant he had to beat one, two, three defenders.
“He felt a little bit isolated and he lost possession a lot in the second half. He couldn’t create a lot of danger, but he assisted for the goal. That came on the back of Barcelona stealing possession for the second time in 40 minutes. They don’t do that often enough, so their style falls apart.”
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