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“As long as I emerge victorious they can’t say a word,” the young star once remarked, but on this occasion he came up short and opponents closed in for him. Comments were made he was overly vocal; they replied that, indeed, they would see him off the pitch; the message was talk is cheap. And that was just the players: there was more from the preachers in their pulpits, men who never lose.

Just before this epic clash, the teenager who claims he left fear back in Mataró suggested that the Madrid side rob and moan, or so it goes. He also provided a recollection that the last time he stepped onto Madrid’s home ground – as a youngster with blaugrana braces, a glint in his eye and a right foot was unexpected he had – he beat them 4-0. Yet that was past and the present differed. Moreover, more mature currently, exactly a year on, he was beaten back. It was clear, they told him so.

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When the match conclusion sounded on a wild, heated 262nd Madrid-Barca match that was somewhat like past encounters, the Barcelona winger approached in the direction of Dani Carvajal, hand out. Instead of accepting it, Carvajal made the classic talking gesture. It had been challenging following with all the action that happened in over an hour and forty-five that went before, a match of 38 shots, three goals scored and additional efforts disallowed; at that moment it became too much.

All at once there were players all around, racing back and forth of sight and converging, security separating individuals apart. Amidst the melee, Thibaut Courtois was accepting the offer to resume this in the dressing room area. The Brazilian forward was restrained, he telling another player as well they talk to much. Raphinha hurried to stop his compatriot, the defender there too. “The scene resembled when we youth,” Aurélien Tchouaméni said.

Turning Point

In April, Tchouaméni posted: “They celebrate our losses like our winning days are over. We’ll be back.” Real Madrid were defeated in a clásico Spanish Cup final 3-2 in extra time, emotional scenes greeting the end, projectiles being thrown. Two weeks afterwards, they suffered another loss. Over four encounters, the team were defeated four times, La Liga, cup and Spanish Super Cup won by Barcelona. They had conceded four, five, three and four. But there is always the future and it turned out he was right.

On just one occasion have the Catalan side ever secured five clásicos in a row, under Guardiola record-breaking streak concluding with that 5-0 against Mourinho’s side, and it wouldn’t happen again. This past weekend, Madrid ended Hansi Flick’s unbeaten start as manager, defeating their arch-rivals 2-1 to move five points ahead at the top in La Liga.

What It Means

Madrid required this. Their post-match joy said so, team members dancing in circles. Likewise, the noise, their stadium more vocal and more edgy than for such matches for years: “amazing,” the English midfielder described it. The coach echoed this. When questioned whether this was a weight off his shoulders, if existed a mental block regarding important matches, an obsession, he responded: “That’s you lot’s thing.” But he acknowledged that this was “not just three points, and where we come from and its importance for the squad; the players required that feeling of securing a victory in a big game.”

In the previous campaign Madrid had not won in such matches. On fourteen occasions they were defeated: Lille, Italian club, Liverpool, Bilbao, city rivals, Sevilla-based, Atlético, eastern side and Arsenal all beat them. There wasn’t one victory versus a truly big side. The previous manager went and was replaced by Xabi Alonso yet the trend persisted. The team secured five games in the global tournament, signs of a structure emerging, a game plan, but then came Paris Saint Germain.

Current Campaign

That defeat is part of last season, the coach said. Yet the next season, his term, began with six wins consecutively before Atlético came and scored 5 past them. The results were all well and good beating newly promoted, Mallorca and Osasuna but what about the big teams? Now at last they defeated a major rival too. And not only that Madrid triumphed, but also the way they won.

The opposition were missing out: Joan García, Gavi, attacking midfielder, Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen were all missing. So too Raphinha, whose significance might now be fully recognised in absentia. Several players were not at 100%, Jules Koundé and Lamine Yamal included. Among substitutes were several individuals who hadn’t started a league game, others who had started just one time; teenagers, young talents and a couple who are nineteen. Plus a centre-back, Ronald Araújo, who ended it up front once more. Even head coach was missing, Flick suspended and stuck in a commentary box. Marcus Sorg, his assistant, has been on the touchline on three occasions: he suffered defeats in all of them.

Game Breakdown

Much discussion focuses of the team’s vulnerable high line, but their offense struggled effectively during the match. Among comments directed at the young player that day, perhaps the most revealing was from Vinícius during the game, taunting Yamal by telling him: “Your play is retreating balls.” Regarding that backline, more porous than before with Iñigo Martínez leaving, the pressure on opponents dropping and coordination off, Levante made six clear chances against them, another team five, Sevilla five, Girona three. Previously they caught Kylian Mbappé offside on multiple occasions in a high-scoring game; however, overshadowed by the defeats, was that in the last meeting he scored three goals, Madrid consistently positioned to get opportunities currently.

Key Moments

With this approach, especially. This was a beginning as well as an end in itself. “Going forward we’re going to need a lot of our performance in this game,” Alonso said. They put shots in the net on five occasions – three disallowed for offside – failed to convert {a penalty|a spot-kick