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It was practically an ideal performance for the Madrid side, as they beat Barcelona two goals to one in the Clasico and stretch their advantage in first place of the Spanish league by five points.

Bellingham notched his first goal in the league and key pass of the season after a difficult period coming back from shoulder surgery.

Kylian Mbappe showed his clinical touch in attack, and the coach's game plan in his first derby on the sidelines proved brilliantly.

Yet the Vinicius Junior question came to the forefront once more.

Unhappy with his substitution, the Brazilian winger protested as he walked directly past Xabi Alonso before headed to the dressing room, then coming back to the bench after a short while.

Manager's Approach Delivers Success from Jude Bellingham

As first Clasicos go, this wasn't a bad one, given that the majority of Real's previous eight coaches lost their initial league encounter against Barcelona.

Following the relaxed approach under Ancelotti fell short in the previous campaign, Alonso's positional game-model yielded a significant outcome.

An expert observed, His plan was perfect. The home side were impressive, and Barca struggled because of the home team's approach.”

Defensively, they applied pressure as much as possible, if overcome, they tracked back in an organised way, everybody including Vinicius.”

Their defensive setup with two banks spaced by 5-10 meters. Barcelona could not find a way through.”

The tactical change seems good news for the midfielder, as he last season was expected to do everything in the center and additional duties.

Theoretically the 22-year-old was positioned on the right, however he could to drift inward and link with Mbappe or crash the penalty area.

The analyst stated, With the French midfielder in central midfield, it brings increased movement and more ways to block the passing lanes.”

“That forced them to deploy Jude on the right flank. Certainly he would have been asked to keep an eye on the runs of Mbappe on the ball and had space, and he located him a few times.”

His instructions included to get into the box and be around the edge of the box, where he poses a threat. He also came inside to block central spaces and cause Barcelona's life tough.”

Conflict Issues Laid Bare

It's clear that the fans love Vinicius, his name were sung repeatedly by a fervent home supporters.

Yet recently there were various accounts over the past period that Los Blancos could entertain allowing his departure should a suitable bid was made.

He has a year left on his contract come the end of the season, yet discussions on a renewal have stalled.

The player's reaction when substituted late in the game spoke of tension. When the match ended, he was held back as he tried to approach Yamal.

The expert noted, He will face backlash for good reason, because it showed a lack of respect toward his replacement taking his place.”

Yet, growing up, his life has been amid adversity, and perceives that everyone is against him.”

Such thinking is difficult to shake, notably when you believe near number one in the world, but the team redirects attention to Mbappe as the star.”

“This season he's felt that Real Madrid has not supported him. Rumors indicate, potentially club-sourced, or not denied by the club, that they would be open a bid of €250 million to sign him and let him go.”

He is aware of this, and when he was taken off – reasonably, as he ceased tracking back as expected – in his mind he thinks why single me out?’.”

It may be challenging to reconcile among the parties and him now.”

Barcelona Style “Falls Apart”

Having triumphed in all four of recent matches, Sunday's performance highlighted Barca's shaky start to the campaign.

Injuries have robbed Hansi Flick of key players such as Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo, and the approach is not effective without them.

Balague said, “It's like the whole team lack sharpness without the ball, less hungry to recover it, less aggressive to reclaim the ball.”

“It's easier to break them down. Should the defense is not organized, as it wasn't Mbappe's strike as Balde kept him onside, they receive little support by the midfield and forwards not challenging opponents in possession as expected.”

Lamine Yamal, who troubled Madrid earlier, was well contained.

The big names weren't at their best. Lamine doesn't feel like he is at his best, maybe due to groin problems