Miguel L. Pereira might be discovered on social media right here, and when you’re hungry for extra, Miguel has additionally written a guide delving into the heights and depths of Spanish soccer, and all it’s cultural and social layers. Discover out extra about it right here.
It’s all the time extra about thirst than anything. You might be the most effective aspect on the planet, play most exquisitely, but when your coronary heart will not be in it, then issues in all probability received’t go your means. The best factor about soccer is {that a} sport that’s performed within the thoughts and executed with the foot, however whose soul is within the coronary heart. You should actually need it when you’re ever going to get it, and for what was basically a decaf El Clasico, some needed it way more than others. And that was about it. Not concerning the high quality of gameplay, the person brilliance, or the tactical masterminds behind it. It was pure starvation.
No Clasico begins at kick-off. There’s all the time one thing smirking within the background for the earlier days earlier than a ball is even kicked. In a nation that lives soccer twenty-four-seven, we will even say that the duels between Barcelona and Actual Madrid begin the second the earlier match finishes. That was just about the case with this one. Final season Barcelona performed spectacularly properly, have been completely dominant, had the most effective particular person performances and, above all else, had a teenage thirst for all times that drove them to a outstanding season. They weren’t simply superb; they needed to really feel what superb tasted like. And so they had a feast.
When the earlier El Clasico ended, it turned clear that the most effective aspect received, but in addition that the aspect that needed to win greater than anything did. Actual Madrid gamers could have taken discover. They all the time do. It’s a humorous factor, the Clasicos. To be at your perfect is rarely sufficient. You should wish to beat the opposite man, typically even to humiliate them. Not only for the three factors, however to show a degree. A single level that claims I’m significantly better than you. For those who throw spice into the pot, properly, it solely helps. Lamine Yamal did it innocently. Not as a result of he behaves like an toddler, however as a result of he hasn’t but discovered but that soccer is a sport of feelings, and also you don’t wish to provoke your opponent, whose satisfaction is already damage.
Solar Tzu famously stated that, if you wish to beat somebody, by no means go away them with out an choice to run, as a result of then he’ll combat for his life as an alternative of surrendering or fleeing. Lamine Yamal in all probability believes Tzu is simply one other King’s League participant, and who can blame him? You can not fall in love with a street-smart participant after which count on him to know historic philosophy. He acts like an 18-year-old millionaire the identical means Vinicius, who hasn’t been 18 years outdated for some time now, does.
The 2 children, a minimum of mentally, have been the large attraction earlier than the match and ended up being the information after the match, however throughout it, they have been principally ignored of the grown-ups’ desk, and the standard of the soccer displayed suffered in consequence. There was by no means a touch that Lamine would do the issues Lamine does, and Vinicius all the time appeared extra involved with checking all of the potential TV digicam angles obtainable, than really taking part in the sport
It was in all probability maybe for the most effective, as Actual Madrid had already discovered the freeway to success, that connection between Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, that has every thing in favour to be successful each time opponents are keen to forego a low block. Operating backwards and forwards, placing via balls into house, and searching like he owns the place is what Jude does finest, whereas Mbappe enjoys having that additional mile to run earlier than smashing the ball into the online.
🥳 ¡La ALEGRÍA de los JUGADORES del MADRID tras EL CLÁSICO!
‼️ ‘Bailalo Rocky’ , la canción que suena de fondo en el vestuario, ¿indirecta a Lamine?
Vía Youtube ‘Actual Madrid’. pic.twitter.com/mZVByb1Q61
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) October 27, 2025
The latter scored a superb aim, curiously disallowed, netted a trademark cross shot, and missed a penalty simply to test if everybody was nonetheless awake. The numbers have been there, however his impression far surpasses what he does throughout the remainder of the match, with no mixtures or inventive passes to his identify for the entire time he was on the pitch.
Nonetheless, that impression was much better than what was taking place on the different finish. Lacking Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski was all the time going to be an issue, significantly for a aspect that may’t rely on a Lamine Yamal at his perfect. Neither Marcus Rashford, chopping in from the left, nor Ferran Torres, who was swallowed by Actual Madrid’s defence within the early phases and spat out in the long run in time to get again on the bus house, have been ever a menace. Solely Fermin Lopez, a straight shooter if Barcelona ever had one, who mustered some form of hazard, however he, too, didn’t all the time take the most effective resolution obtainable and doubtless, due to it, Barcelona left the Bernabeu questioning in the event that they must be extra medical, extra hungry, to get the ball within the web.
Maybe what finest outlined the tie was the duel between Pedri and Aurelien Tchouameni. The Canarian wonderboy, who’s, alongside Vitinha, the most effective midfielder on the planet by a mile, by no means had the ball on his ft the best way he ought to have had, significantly when Madrid introduced a low block and invited Barcelona into their house politely. The sport wanted Pedri to ask for the ball and coordinate each single transfer, however nobody was chopping inside like loopy, and none of his midfield teammates appeared bothered to drive the sport ahead.
They have been drained, not essentially bodily however of their hearts and minds. Tchouameni, quite the opposite, chastised final yr for being unable to play properly with the ball on his feat, had a feast by taking part in with out it more often than not, doing what he does finest. Cowl, defend, positioning himself in hurt’s means, providing a stellar efficiency like Chamartin hadn’t seen from a holding midfielder since Casemiro’s golden years. He bossed a midfield the place none of his teammates performed at his degree – Guler was a disappointment and no one actually understands what Camaving does when he’s on the pitch – however even taking part in virtually solo, it proved to be sufficient.
Towards a thirstier aspect that won’t be the case, however Barcelona appeared so happy with final yr’s outcomes that they maybe believed of their unconscious that successful was a given. It by no means is. Pep Guardiola, who is aware of one factor or two about soccer, all the time careworn that his gamers have to run extra with out the ball as a result of they’ll’t dominate video games in the event that they don’t have it, and that was precisely what Flick did final season.
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝟐-𝟏 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐚
Barcelona fail to make it 5 successive Clásico victories as Bellingham and Mbappé encourage Madrid to victory, extending their result in 5 factors.
That is 9 house league wins in a row for the primary time since 2015 for Madrid. pic.twitter.com/PlZ5rO8fbz
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) October 26, 2025
This yr, not a lot. Barcelona spend too many minutes chasing shadows however with out committing to catching them, and that’s often sufficient to beat them. They are often good when uniting high quality play and can to win, but when any of these go lacking, they find yourself being simply one other aspect. Madrid, quite the opposite, had developed through the years a capability to carry out with or with out the ball in the identical means. They only want typically to be woke up from their autumn siestas, because the membership often comes alive when European knock-out soccer is at its most enjoyable hour. Lamine Yamal and reminiscences of final season have been sufficient to awaken them on the proper time earlier than they went to sleep once more.
Maybe, if someday Florentino Perez remembers the place he left the important thing that opens up the Bernabeu ceiling, the attractive Madrid solar wakes them up altogether. In a sauna, with no daylight, the most effective factor individuals can hope for is a minimal wage type of soccer, and that, in October, suits Xabi Alonso’s Actual Madrid way more than anybody else. Not even Bellingham appeared spurred on sufficient to run and open his arms to the adoring crowd. Maybe he’s simply ready for that radiant mild to pop by in just a few months’ time.