Los Blancos Strong but Vinicius Strains Escalate β Major Spanish Derby Takeaways
It was almost an ideal outing for Real Madrid, who defeated Barcelona 2-1 during the Clasico to extend their advantage in first place of La Liga with a five-point cushion.
Jude Bellingham notched his maiden domestic strike and setup this term following a tough few months healing from a shoulder operation.
The French forward showed his clinical form in front of goal, and the manager's strategy in his inaugural derby on the sidelines proved perfectly.
Yet the Brazilian's situation emerged again once more.
Dissatisfied with being substituted, Vinicius ranted as he walked straight past the coach before marched to the dressing room, before reappearing to the substitute area after a short while.
Tactical Setup Yields Positive Outcomes for the Midfielder
In his first derby, Alonso did well, considering the majority of Madrid's recent coaches lost their first La Liga meeting against Barca.
After the relaxed approach of Carlo Ancelotti failed to get results in the previous campaign, the new tactical system delivered an important victory.
A specialist commented, βHe got it spot on. Madrid performed excellently, while Barcelona were off-color due to what Real Madrid were doing.β
When not in possession, they applied pressure as much as possible, if overcome, they tracked back in an organised way, everybody even Vinicius.β
βThey defended in two layers with a gap of 5-10 meters. The opposition struggled to penetrate.β
This approach seems beneficial for the midfielder, who in the past was essentially asked to do everything in midfield and more.
In the lineup Bellingham played on the right, but actually he was allowed to move centrally and support Mbappe or crash the penalty area.
The expert added, Employing Eduardo Camavinga in the center, it brings more dynamism and better ability to shut down the channels.β
βThat forced them to position Bellingham on the right-hand side. I'm sure his role included to track the forward's positioning when he had the ball and had space, and he found him on several occasions.β
His instructions included to move into the penalty area and position himself near the edge of the box, where he poses a threat. He also drifted in to close the inside channels and make Barcelona's life challenging.β
Strained Relations Revealed
Undoubtedly that supporters are fond of the Brazilian, his name were sung on several occasions by the passionate Bernabeu crowd.
But there have been numerous stories over the past period that Los Blancos would consider allowing his departure if the right offer was made.
Vinicius will have one year remaining on his deal when this term concludes, but talks over a new deal are at a standstill.
The player's reaction when substituted late in the game spoke of strained relations. When the match ended, he had to be restrained when he moved toward Yamal.
The expert noted, He will face backlash for good reason, since it displayed a lack of respect for Rodrygo who came on for him.β
βBut since being a kid, his life has been in a hostile world, and he feels that he faces opposition.β
This mindset is hard to change, particularly since you feel close to being number one in the world, but the team shifts the focus in favor of Mbappe as the star.β
Recently he's felt that Real Madrid isn't protecting him. There are stories, perhaps from within, or unchallenged by officials, that they might accept if someone paid β¬250 million for his transfer and let him go.β
This affects him, and after the coach substituted him β justifiably, as he ceased tracking back as he should β in his mind he thinks why always me?.β
Building bridges will be tough to reconcile between the club and Vinicius currently.β
Barcelona Style βCrumblesβ
Following victories in each of the previous campaign's matches, the latest display represented their uncertain beginning of the season.
Absences have deprived the Barcelona coach of key players including Raphinha, the striker and Olmo, and his system is failing when they are missing.
The analyst commented, βIt's like the whole team lack sharpness when not in possession, not as eager to regain possession, less aggressive to reclaim the ball.β
They are more vulnerable to attack them. When the backline is not perfect, like on the first goal because Alejandro Balde failed to step up, the midfield doesn't assist by the midfield and forwards failing to press those on the ball as well as they should.β
Lamine Yamal, the main threat in previous meetings, was kept largely in check.
Key players did not perform well. Yamal appears he's in good form, maybe due to groin problems