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This proved to be almost a perfect outing from Xabi Alonso's squad, as they beat Barcelona by a 2-1 scoreline in the Clasico to increase the gap at the summit in the domestic championship by five points.

The English midfielder notched his first goal in the league along with key pass this campaign following a challenging period recovering from a shoulder operation.

Kylian Mbappe maintained his deadly touch when scoring, and Alonso's tactics during his debut derby on the sidelines worked like a charm.

However the Vinicius Junior question reared its head once more.

Unhappy at his substitution, the Brazilian winger protested on his way right by his manager and marched to the dressing room, before coming back on the sidelines later.

Tactical Setup Delivers Positive Outcomes for Bellingham

In his first derby, this wasn't a bad one, given that seven of Real's previous eight coaches were defeated in their first La Liga encounter against Barca.

After the laissez-faire approach of Carlo Ancelotti failed to get results last season, the new tactical system produced an important victory.

Spanish football analyst observed, His plan was perfect. The home side were very good, and Barca were off-color due to the home team's approach.”

When not in possession, they pushed up as much as possible, and if they were beaten, they fell back in an organised way, everybody even the forward.”

“They defended with two banks spaced by five to 10 metres. Barcelona struggled to penetrate.”

The tactical change seems beneficial for Jude, as he previously was expected to cover multiple roles in the engine room and beyond.

In the lineup the young star started wide right, but actually he could to drift inward and either link with Mbappe or crash the penalty area.

Balague continued, “By using the French midfielder in central midfield, it brings greater energy and more ways to block the channels.”

This led to them to position Bellingham on the right flank. Undoubtedly he would have been asked to keep an eye on Mbappe's movements when he had the ball with room, and he found him repeatedly.”

He was told to move into the penalty area and position himself near the outskirts of the area, where he is very dangerous. He also came inside to block central spaces and cause Barca's task tough.”

Conflict Issues Laid Bare

Undoubtedly that Madridistas are fond of the Brazilian, his name were sung repeatedly by an enthusiastic Madrid fans.

Yet there have been numerous stories lately that Los Blancos might think about letting him leave if the right offer were to come in.

The winger has one year remaining under his current terms when this term concludes, but talks over a new deal have stalled.

The player's reaction when substituted with 20 minutes left spoke of strained relations. When the match ended, he had to be restrained when he moved toward Lamine Yamal.

Balague said, “Everyone will have a go at him and rightly so, as it demonstrated poor sportsmanship for the substitute who replaced him.”

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

“That mentality is hard to change, especially when you believe close to being number one in the world, then the club redirects attention to Mbappe as the star.”

During this campaign he's felt that the organization is not defending him. Reports suggest, possibly leaked by the club, or not denied by the club, that they might accept an offer worth a quarter-billion euros to sign him and sell him.”

He is aware of this, and after the coach substituted him – reasonably, since he wasn't defending as he should – in his mind he thinks ‘why me, why me again?.”

It may be challenging to reconcile among the parties and the player at the moment.”

Barcelona Style “Falls Apart”

After winning each of the recent Clasicos, this outing represented Barcelona's unconvincing early form.

Absences have robbed the Barcelona coach of important stars including Raphinha, the striker and Olmo, and his system is not effective in their absence.

The analyst stated, “It's like the whole team are slightly off defensively, less hungry to recover it, less aggressive in pressing.”

They are more vulnerable to break them down. When the backline is flawed, like on the first goal as Balde played him onside, they are not helped by teammates not closing down those on the ball as well as they should.”

Yamal, the main threat of Real last season, was neutralized.

“Their stars were below par. The youngster doesn't feel like he is at his best, perhaps he's suffering from a groin issue