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This proved to be almost a perfect outing from the Madrid side, as they beat Barca 2-1 in the Clasico and stretch the gap at the summit of the Spanish league with a five-point cushion.

Jude Bellingham got his first goal in the league and setup this term following a difficult few months healing from surgery on his shoulder.

Mbappe maintained his deadly touch in attack, while Alonso's tactics in his inaugural Clasico on the sidelines proved brilliantly.

Yet the Vinicius Junior question came to the forefront another time.

Unhappy with coming off, the Brazilian winger protested as he walked straight past the coach before headed down the tunnel, then returning on the sidelines several minutes.

Tactical Setup Yields Results from the Midfielder

As first Clasicos go, it was a solid start, especially since seven of Madrid's last eight bosses lost their first league match against their rivals.

Following the player-focused style from the previous coach did not deliver earlier, Alonso's positional game-model yielded an important victory.

An expert observed, His plan was perfect. The home side were impressive, while Barca were off-color due to Madrid's tactics.”

Defensively, they applied pressure for as long as they could, and when bypassed, they retreated in an organised way, everybody including the forward.”

Their defensive setup in two layers separated by five to 10 metres. The opposition were unable to break through.”

The tactical change seems positive for Jude, who in the past had been tasked to carry the midfield in the engine room and more.

Theoretically the 22-year-old was positioned on the right, but actually he was allowed to move centrally and either link with Mbappe or enter the box.

The expert stated, Employing the French midfielder in the middle, it brings increased movement and additional options to block the channels.”

As a result the team to position Jude on the right-hand side. I'm sure he would have been asked to track the runs of Mbappe on the ball and found openings, and he located him repeatedly.”

He was told to get into the box and be around the outskirts of the area, where he poses a threat. Additionally, he moved centrally to cut off passing options creating Barca's task tough.”

Conflict Issues Exposed

Undoubtedly that Madridistas love Vinicius, his name were sung multiple times by a fervent Bernabeu crowd.

However recently there were numerous stories in recent months that Los Blancos might think about allowing his departure if the right offer was made.

The winger has one season to go under his current terms at the end of the campaign, yet negotiations for an extension have stalled.

Vinicius' behavior to being replaced late in the game indicated strained relations. When the match ended, he had to be restrained as he tried to approach the Barcelona player.

The analyst commented, He will face backlash and rightly so, since it displayed disrespect for the substitute taking his place.”

However, from a young age, he has existed in a hostile world, and he believes that everyone is against him.”

This mindset is tough to overcome, especially when you believe near number one in the world, and the organization shifts the focus in favor of Mbappe as the key figure.”

During this campaign he's felt that the club isn't protecting him. Rumors indicate, perhaps from within, or not denied by the club, that they would be open an offer worth 250m euros for him and let him go.”

He is aware of this, and when he was taken off – justifiably, because Vinicius stopped dropping back as required – in Vinicius' head he thinks why always me?.”

It may be challenging to build a bridge among the parties and Vinicius at the moment.”

Barcelona Style “Falls Apart”

Having triumphed in each of the previous campaign's derbies, this outing was emblematic of Barca's shaky start to the campaign.

Fitness issues have deprived the Barcelona coach of key players including Raphinha, the striker plus others, and the tactical setup is failing without them.

Balague said, The squad seems is a little bit less sharp defensively, not as eager to regain possession, less aggressive in pressing.”

Opponents find it simpler to break them down. If the defensive line is not perfect, as it wasn't the Mbappe goal as Balde failed to step up, the midfield doesn't assist by teammates not closing down those on the ball as well as they should.”

Lamine Yamal, who troubled Madrid in previous meetings, was kept largely in check.

Key players were below par. Lamine appears he's in good form, possibly because of groin problems