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This proved to be practically a flawless day for Real Madrid, who beat their arch-rivals 2-1 in the Clasico and stretch their lead in first place in La Liga with a five-point cushion.

The English midfielder got his first league goal along with assist this term following a difficult few months coming back from surgery on his shoulder.

The French forward showed his deadly touch in attack, and the manager's strategy in his first derby in the dugout worked like a charm.

But then the Brazilian's situation reared its head yet again.

Dissatisfied at being substituted, the star forward ranted as he walked directly past his manager and marched down the tunnel, then coming back to the bench later.

Manager's Approach Gets Success from Jude Bellingham

As first Clasicos go, Alonso did well, especially since the majority of Real's last eight managers were defeated in their debut league encounter with Barcelona.

After the player-focused approach from the previous coach failed to get results in the previous campaign, his structured approach produced a significant outcome.

A specialist commented, The strategy worked brilliantly. Madrid were very good, while Barcelona didn't play well due to what Real Madrid were doing.”

Defensively, they pushed up consistently, and if they were beaten, they retreated with discipline, all players even the forward.”

Their defensive setup in two layers spaced by a short distance. The opposition struggled to penetrate.”

The tactical change appears to be beneficial for the midfielder, as he in the past was essentially asked to cover multiple roles in the engine room and beyond.

On paper the young star was positioned on the right, however he had the freedom to come inside and either support Mbappe or get into scoring positions.

The expert continued, With Eduardo Camavinga in the center, it brings more dynamism and additional options to close down the spaces.”

“That forced them to position Jude on the right flank. I'm sure he was instructed to monitor Mbappe's movements in possession with room, and he found him a few times.”

“He was asked to move into the penalty area and position himself near just outside the box, where he poses a threat. He also drifted in to cut off passing options creating Barca's task very difficult.”

Strained Relations Revealed

There's no doubting that the fans adore Vinicius, calls for him rang out repeatedly by a fervent Madrid fans.

Yet there have been various accounts in recent months that Los Blancos would consider letting him leave if the right offer was made.

The winger has one season to go on his contract come the end of the season, yet discussions on a renewal have not progressed.

His response after coming off in the second half suggested tension. After the full-time whistle, he was held back as he attempted to confront Yamal.

Balague noted, “Everyone will have a go at him for good reason, because it showed a lack of respect toward his replacement who replaced him.”

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

“That mentality is tough to overcome, especially when you feel close to being number one in the world, and the organization redirects attention to Mbappe as the key figure.”

Recently he's felt that the organization isn't protecting him. Reports suggest, possibly leaked by the club, or unchallenged by officials, that they would be open an offer worth €250 million for him and allow him to leave.”

He is aware of this, and after the coach substituted him – justifiably, as he ceased tracking back as he should – to him he thinks ‘why me, why me again?.”

“It will be difficult to reconcile with the club and Vinicius now.”

Barca's Approach “Struggles”

Having triumphed in all four of last season's matches, Sunday's performance was emblematic of Barcelona's unconvincing early form.

Absences have robbed Hansi Flick of crucial contributors such as Raphinha, Lewandowski and Olmo, and the approach isn't working in their absence.

The analyst commented, “It's like the whole team lack sharpness without the ball, with less desire to win it back, less aggressive in pressing.”

Opponents find it simpler to break them down. When the backline is not organized, as it wasn't Mbappe's strike since the defender kept him onside, they are not helped by teammates failing to press those on the ball as well as they should.”

Lamine Yamal, tormentor-in-chief earlier, was kept largely in check.

“Their stars were below par. Lamine seems not in top condition, perhaps he's suffering from a groin issue