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It was almost an ideal outing from Real Madrid, who beat their arch-rivals 2-1 in El Clasico to extend the gap at the top of La Liga with a five-point cushion.

Jude Bellingham got his first goal in the league along with setup this campaign following a challenging few months healing from a shoulder operation.

Kylian Mbappe continued his lethal touch in attack, while the coach's game plan in his first derby as coach worked like a charm.

But then the Vinicius Junior question emerged again yet again.

Unhappy at being substituted, the Brazilian winger protested as he walked directly past his manager and headed to the dressing room, before reappearing to the substitute area after a short while.

Tactical Setup Gets Results from Bellingham

For a debut Clasico, Alonso did well, given that seven of Madrid's previous eight bosses lost their first league meeting against Barca.

After the relaxed style of Carlo Ancelotti did not deliver last season, his structured approach yielded a significant outcome.

Spanish football analyst commented, The strategy worked brilliantly. The home side performed excellently, and Barcelona struggled because of Madrid's tactics.”

Defensively, they applied pressure as much as possible, and if they were beaten, they tracked back in a structured manner, everybody including Vinicius.”

“They defended with two banks spaced by five to 10 metres. Barca could not find a way through.”

The tactical change looks to be positive for Jude, who previously was essentially asked to cover multiple roles in the engine room and additional duties.

In the lineup Bellingham started wide right, but in practice he had the freedom to drift inward and either assist the attack or crash the penalty area.

Balague added, With the French midfielder in central midfield, it brings greater energy and more ways to close down the spaces.”

“That forced them to deploy Jude wide right. Certainly he was instructed to keep an eye on the runs of Mbappe on the ball and had space, and he located him on several occasions.”

His instructions included to enter the area and operate on the edge of the box, his most effective zone. He also came inside to close the inside channels and make Barca's task tough.”

Strained Relations Laid Bare

Undoubtedly that Madridistas are fond of the Brazilian, calls for him rang out repeatedly by the passionate Madrid fans.

But there have been various accounts over the past period that the club might think about allowing his departure if an attractive proposal arrived.

The winger will have one season to go on his deal when this term concludes, yet talks over a new deal have not progressed.

The player's reaction after coming off with 20 minutes left indicated tension. Post-game, he was held back when he moved toward Yamal.

The expert said, Many will criticize him and justifiably, because it showed disrespect for Rodrygo who replaced him.”

However, from a young age, his life has been in a challenging environment, and perceives that everyone is against him.”

“That mentality is difficult to shake, notably when you believe near number one in the world, but the team drives the axis towards Mbappe as the star.”

Recently he has perceived that the club isn't protecting 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 allow him to leave.”

He is aware of this, and after he was taken off – justifiably, since he wasn't defending as he should – in Vinicius' head he questions ‘why me, why me again?.”

“It will be difficult to build a bridge between the club and the player currently.”

Barcelona Style “Struggles”

Having triumphed in all four of recent matches, this outing highlighted their uncertain beginning of the season.

Fitness issues have robbed Hansi Flick of important stars including the Brazilian winger, the striker plus others, and the approach is failing in their absence.

The analyst commented, Barcelona appear are slightly off when not in possession, less hungry to recover it, less aggressive to get the possession back.”

“It's easier to attack them. If the defensive line is not perfect, like on Mbappe's strike since the defender failed to step up, they are not helped by teammates not challenging the ball-carrier as well as they should.”

The young talent, who troubled Madrid earlier, was neutralized.

“Their stars weren't at their best. The youngster doesn't feel like he is at his best, maybe due to injury issues