Los Blancos Impressive however Vinicius Junior Issues Intensify – Key Clasico Takeaways
It was practically a perfect outing for the Madrid side, as they beat Barcelona by a 2-1 scoreline during the Clasico and stretch their advantage in first place in the domestic championship by five points.
Jude Bellingham got his inaugural domestic strike and key pass this campaign following a tough period coming back from shoulder surgery.
The French forward maintained his clinical performance in front of goal, and Alonso's tactics in his first Clasico in the dugout proved like a charm.
But then the Vinicius Junior question came to the forefront yet again.
Dissatisfied with being substituted, the star forward ranted as he walked straight past Xabi Alonso and headed to the dressing room, before coming back to the bench after a short while.
Tactical Setup Gets Positive Outcomes for the Midfielder
In his first derby, Alonso did well, given that the majority of Madrid's last eight coaches were defeated in their first league meeting with Barcelona.
After the laissez-faire method of Carlo Ancelotti failed to get results in the previous campaign, the new tactical system delivered its first major result.
An expert noted, “He got it spot on. Real Madrid were impressive, and the visitors were off-color because of Madrid's tactics.”
“Without the ball, they applied pressure as much as possible, and if they were beaten, they retreated in an organised way, all players even Vinicius.”
The team's shape with two banks with a gap of 5-10 meters. The opposition were unable to break through.”
The tactical change seems positive for Bellingham, as he in the past had been tasked to do everything in the engine room and more.
In the lineup Bellingham was positioned on the right, but in practice he had the freedom to drift inward and support Mbappe or crash the penalty area.
The analyst continued, Employing Eduardo Camavinga in the middle, this provides more dynamism and additional options to shut down the spaces.”
“That forced them to position Jude wide right. I'm sure he was instructed to monitor Mbappe's movements when he had the ball and had space, and he found him repeatedly.”
“He was asked to get into the box and be around the outskirts of the area, his most effective zone. He also came inside to close the inside channels and make Barca's task tough.”
Strained Relations Exposed
It's clear that supporters are fond of the Brazilian, calls for him rang out multiple times by the passionate Bernabeu crowd.
Yet recently there were various accounts in recent months that Real Madrid would consider letting him leave if an attractive proposal were to come in.
The winger will have one year remaining on his contract at the end of the campaign, but talks over a new deal are at a standstill.
Vinicius' behavior to being replaced in the second half suggested issues. When the match ended, he was held back when he moved toward Lamine Yamal.
The expert said, Many will criticize him and justifiably, because it showed a lack of respect toward his replacement who came on for him.”
However, from a young age, his life has been in a challenging environment, and he feels that he faces opposition.”
“That mentality is hard to change, particularly since you believe close to being the best player, but the team shifts the focus in favor of Mbappe as the main man.”
“This season he's felt that the organization has not supported him. There are stories, perhaps from within, or not denied by the club, that they wouldn't be unhappy if someone paid a quarter-billion euros for his transfer and allow him to leave.”
This affects him, and when Alonso subbed him – reasonably, because Vinicius stopped dropping back as required – in Vinicius' head he says why always me?.”
“It will be difficult to build a bridge among the parties and him currently.”
Barca's Approach “Crumbles”
Following victories in all four of recent derbies, this outing represented Barcelona's unconvincing beginning of the season.
Injuries have deprived the manager of crucial contributors including Raphinha, the striker and Olmo, and the tactical setup is not effective when they are missing.
The analyst commented, “It's like the whole team are slightly off when not in possession, less hungry to recover it, less aggressive in pressing.”
“It's easier to create chances against them. Should the defense is not perfect, which was the case Mbappe's strike since the defender failed to step up, the midfield doesn't assist by teammates failing to press opponents in possession as expected.”
Yamal, tormentor-in-chief of Real last season, was kept largely in check.
The big names did not perform well. The youngster seems not he is at his best, perhaps he's suffering from injury issues