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It was practically an ideal performance for Real Madrid, as they beat Barcelona by a 2-1 scoreline in the Clasico to stretch their advantage at the top in the Spanish league with a five-point cushion.

Jude Bellingham got his maiden goal in the league and setup this campaign after a challenging spell recovering from surgery on his shoulder.

Mbappe maintained his deadly touch in attack, and the manager's strategy in his inaugural El Clasico as coach functioned like a charm.

But then the Brazilian's situation emerged again another time.

Frustrated with coming off, Vinicius ranted on his way straight past his manager and headed down the tunnel, before reappearing on the sidelines several minutes.

Tactical Setup Gets Positive Outcomes from Jude Bellingham

As first Clasicos go, it was a solid start, considering the majority of Madrid's previous eight coaches lost their debut league meeting with Barca.

Following the player-focused approach of Carlo Ancelotti fell short earlier, his structured approach produced its first major result.

Spanish football analyst observed, “He got it spot on. The home side were very good, and Barcelona didn't play well because of the home team's approach.”

Defensively, they pressed high as much as possible, and if they were beaten, they fell back with discipline, all players including Vinicius.”

“They defended in two lines separated by five to 10 metres. Barcelona could not find a way through.”

The new system appears to be good news for Jude, as he last season was essentially asked to cover multiple roles in midfield and more.

In the lineup Bellingham was positioned on the right, however he could to drift inward and either link with Mbappe or crash the penalty area.

Balague continued, With Camavinga in the middle, it brings greater energy and more ways to shut down the channels.”

“That forced the team to put Bellingham on the right-hand side. Certainly he would have been asked to keep an eye on Mbappe's movements in possession with room, connecting with him repeatedly.”

“He was asked to move into the penalty area and position himself near the outskirts of the area, where he poses a threat. He also came inside to close the inside channels creating Barcelona's life tough.”

Vinicius Tensions Laid Bare

There's no doubting that the fans love Vinicius, calls for him were sung on several occasions by an enthusiastic Madrid fans.

Yet there have been countless reports in recent months that the club could entertain letting him leave should a suitable bid were to come in.

The winger will have one season to go on his contract at the end of the campaign, yet discussions on a renewal are at a standstill.

The player's reaction to being replaced in the second half indicated tension. When the match ended, he had to be restrained when he moved toward the Barcelona player.

Balague noted, He will face backlash and rightly so, because it showed disrespect for Rodrygo taking his place.”

“But since being a kid, he has existed in a challenging environment, and he feels that everyone is against him.”

“That mentality is tough to overcome, notably when you consider yourself near the top star, and the organization shifts the focus towards Mbappe as the main man.”

“This season he has perceived that the organization has not supported him. Reports suggest, possibly leaked by the club, or unchallenged by officials, that they wouldn't be unhappy a bid of 250m euros for his transfer and let him go.”

This affects him, and after he was taken off – justifiably, because Vinicius stopped dropping back as expected – in Vinicius' head he says ‘why me, why me again?.”

Building bridges will be tough to build a bridge between the club and him currently.”

Their System “Falls Apart”

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

Absences have deprived the manager of key players such as the Brazilian winger, the striker plus others, and his system is failing in their absence.

Balague said, “It's like the whole team is a little bit less sharp defensively, not as eager to regain possession, less aggressive to reclaim the ball.”

“It's easier to break them down. If the defensive line is not perfect, like on the first goal since the defender played him onside, they are not helped from the attack not closing down opponents in possession as expected.”

Yamal, the main threat in previous meetings, was neutralized.

“Their stars weren't at their best. Yamal seems not in top condition, perhaps he's suffering from injury issues