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It was almost an ideal outing from Xabi Alonso's squad, as they overcame Barca 2-1 in the famous derby and stretch their advantage in first place of the Spanish league by five points.

Jude Bellingham got his first league goal along with assist this campaign after a tough spell coming back from a shoulder operation.

Mbappe continued his lethal form in attack, while the coach's game plan in his inaugural derby on the sidelines worked like a charm.

Yet the Brazilian's situation reared its head yet again.

Unhappy at his substitution, Vinicius ranted on his way directly past Xabi Alonso and headed down the tunnel, before coming back on the sidelines later.

Manager's Approach Gets Results for Bellingham

As first Clasicos go, it was a solid start, considering the majority of Real's last eight managers were defeated in their initial La Liga encounter with Barcelona.

Following the player-focused approach from the previous coach failed to get results earlier, his structured approach delivered a significant outcome.

An expert observed, The strategy worked brilliantly. Madrid performed excellently, while the visitors didn't play well due to the home team's approach.”

When not in possession, they applied pressure for as long as they could, and if they were beaten, they tracked back in an organised way, all players even the forward.”

Their defensive setup with two banks separated by a short distance. The opposition struggled to penetrate.”

The tactical change seems positive for Jude, who previously was expected to cover multiple roles in the engine room and additional duties.

On paper the 22-year-old played on the right, but in practice he had the freedom to move centrally and either assist the attack or get into scoring positions.

Balague added, With Camavinga in the center, you get more dynamism and better ability to close down the passing lanes.”

“That forced the team to position Bellingham on the right-hand side. Undoubtedly his role included to monitor the runs of Mbappe when he had the ball and had space, and he located him a few times.”

He was told to move into the penalty area and position himself near the edge of the box, where he is very dangerous. He also drifted in to close the inside channels and make Barca's task challenging.”

Strained Relations Laid Bare

Undoubtedly that Madridistas are fond of the Brazilian, his name was chanted on several occasions by a fervent Madrid fans.

However recently there were countless reports in recent months that the club would consider allowing his departure if the right offer were to come in.

Vinicius has one year remaining on his contract at the end of the campaign, but discussions on a renewal are at a standstill.

Vinicius' behavior after coming off in the second half suggested issues. When the match ended, he was held back as he attempted to confront the Barcelona player.

The expert said, Many will criticize him and rightly so, as it demonstrated disrespect for Rodrygo who came on for him.”

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

“That mentality is hard to change, especially when you feel on the verge of the top star, but the team drives the axis towards Mbappe as the star.”

“This season he believes that Real Madrid has not supported him. Reports suggest, possibly leaked by the club, or with the club not denying it, that they would be open a bid of €250 million to sign him and allow him to leave.”

He is aware of this, so when he was taken off – justifiably, since he wasn't defending as he should – in his mind he thinks ‘why me, why me again?.”

“It will be difficult to reconcile between the club and him at the moment.”

Barcelona Style “Falls Apart”

Following victories in all four of previous campaign's matches, the latest display was emblematic of Barcelona's unconvincing early form.

Fitness issues have left without Hansi Flick of crucial contributors including the Brazilian winger, the striker plus others, and his system is failing without them.

Balague said, The squad seems are slightly off without the ball, less hungry to recover it, softer to get the possession back.”

Opponents find it simpler to create chances against them. If the defensive line is flawed, as it wasn't Mbappe's strike as Balde failed to step up, the midfield doesn't assist from the attack failing to press the ball-carrier as expected.”

Yamal, the main threat of Real last season, was well contained.

The big names were below par. The youngster appears in top condition, perhaps he's suffering from injury issues