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This proved to be nearly an ideal performance for the Madrid side, as they defeated Barcelona 2-1 during the famous derby to extend the gap at the summit of the domestic championship with a five-point cushion.

The English midfielder notched his maiden goal in the league and assist this campaign following a difficult period recovering from a shoulder operation.

Kylian Mbappe showed his lethal performance in front of goal, and Alonso's tactics in his inaugural Clasico in the dugout proved like a charm.

Yet the Vinicius Junior question reared its head another time.

Frustrated with coming off, Vinicius complained as he walked straight past his manager and stormed to the dressing room, before coming back on the sidelines after a short while.

Tactical Setup Yields Results for the Midfielder

In his first derby, it was a solid start, given that seven of Real's previous eight coaches were defeated in their first league meeting against Barcelona.

After the relaxed approach from the previous coach fell short in the previous campaign, Alonso's positional game-model delivered an important victory.

Spanish football analyst noted, His plan was perfect. The home side performed excellently, and Barcelona were off-color because of what Real Madrid were doing.”

Defensively, they applied pressure as much as possible, if overcome, they tracked back in a structured manner, everybody including the forward.”

“They defended in two layers with a gap of 5-10 meters. Barca were unable to break through.”

The tactical change seems beneficial for Bellingham, as he last season was expected to cover multiple roles in the center and beyond.

Theoretically Bellingham was positioned on the right, however he could to drift inward and either link with Mbappe or crash the penalty area.

The analyst continued, Employing Eduardo Camavinga in the center, it brings more dynamism and more ways to block the channels.”

“That forced them to deploy Bellingham on the right-hand side. I'm sure his role included to monitor the forward's positioning in possession and found openings, and he found him a few times.”

His instructions included to get into the box and position himself near the edge of the box, his most effective zone. He also drifted in to close the inside channels and make Barcelona's life very difficult.”

Vinicius Tensions Exposed

It's clear that supporters love Vinicius, his name rang out on several occasions by an enthusiastic home supporters.

Yet there have been various accounts lately that the club could entertain selling him if an attractive proposal arrived.

Vinicius has one season to go under his current terms come the end of the season, but discussions on a renewal have not progressed.

The player's reaction after coming off late in the game indicated tension. Post-game, he was held back as he attempted to confront Yamal.

Balague said, He will face backlash and rightly so, as it demonstrated poor sportsmanship for Rodrygo taking his place.”

“But since being a kid, his life has been amid adversity, and perceives that he faces opposition.”

Such thinking is tough to overcome, notably when you consider yourself on the verge of the best player, but the team drives the axis to Mbappe as the star.”

During this campaign he believes that the club has not supported him. Rumors indicate, possibly leaked by the club, or with the club not denying it, that they would be open an offer worth €250 million for him and sell him.”

This affects him, and after he was taken off – reasonably, since he wasn't defending as expected – in Vinicius' head he thinks why single me out?’.”

Building bridges will be tough to reconcile among the parties and Vinicius now.”

Barcelona Style “Falls Apart”

Having triumphed in all four of recent derbies, Sunday's performance represented Barca's shaky beginning of the season.

Absences have left without the manager of important stars such as the Brazilian winger, the striker plus others, and the tactical setup isn't working in their absence.

The analyst said, Barcelona appear are slightly off when not in possession, not as eager to regain possession, with reduced intensity to reclaim the ball.”

They are more vulnerable to create chances against them. If the defensive line is not perfect, as it wasn't Mbappe's strike because Alejandro Balde played him onside, they are not helped by the midfield and forwards not closing down opponents in possession as well as they should.”

Yamal, who troubled Madrid earlier, was kept largely in check.

“Their stars were below par. Yamal doesn't feel like in top condition, possibly because of a groin issue