Hungry Real Madrid eat up Barcelona in El Clasico

Miguel L. Pereira could be discovered on social media right here, and in the event you’re hungry for extra, Miguel has additionally written a e book 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 the rest. You could be the perfect facet on the earth, play most exquisitely, but when your coronary heart just isn’t in it, then issues most likely gained’t go your manner. 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 might want to actually need it in the event you’re ever going to get it, and for what was primarily a decaf El Clasico, some needed it far 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 are able to 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 effectively, had been completely dominant, had the perfect particular person performances and, above all else, had a teenage thirst for all times that drove them to a exceptional season. They weren’t simply excellent; they needed to really feel what excellent tasted like. They usually had a feast.

When the earlier El Clasico ended, it turned clear that the perfect facet gained, but additionally that the facet that needed to win greater than the rest did. Actual Madrid gamers might have taken discover. They all the time do. It’s a humorous factor, the Clasicos. To be at your best is rarely sufficient. You might want to wish to beat the opposite man, generally even to humiliate them. Not only for the three factors, however to show some extent. A single level that claims I’m significantly better than you. When you throw spice into the pot, effectively, 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 recreation of feelings, and also you don’t wish to provoke your opponent, whose delight is already harm.

Solar Tzu famously mentioned 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 most likely 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 anticipate him to know historic philosophy. He acts like an 18-year-old millionaire the identical manner Vinicius, who hasn’t been 18 years outdated for some time now, does.

The 2 children, at the very least mentally, had been the large attraction earlier than the match and ended up being the information after the match, however throughout it, they had been largely omitted 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 seemed extra involved with checking all of the attainable TV digicam angles out there, than truly taking part in the sport

It was most likely maybe for the perfect, as Actual Madrid had already discovered the freeway to success, that connection between Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, that has every little thing in favour to be a hit at any time when opponents are prepared to forego a low block. Operating forwards and backwards, placing via balls into area, and looking out like he owns the place is what Jude does finest, whereas Mbappe enjoys having that further mile to run earlier than smashing the ball into the online.

🥳 The JOY of the MADRID PLAYERS after THE CLASSIC!

‼️ ‘Bailalo Rocky’, the tune that performs within the background within the locker room, does it trace at Lamine?

By way of Youtube ‘Actual Madrid’. pic.twitter.com/mZVByb1Q61

— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) October 27, 2025

The latter scored an excellent objective, curiously disallowed, netted a trademark cross shot, and missed a penalty simply to verify if everybody was nonetheless awake. The numbers had been there, however his impression far surpasses what he does throughout the remainder of the match, with no combos or artistic passes to his title 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, notably for a facet that may’t rely on a Lamine Yamal at his best. Neither Marcus Rashford, slicing in from the left, nor Ferran Torres, who was swallowed by Actual Madrid’s defence within the early levels and spat out in the long run in time to get again on the bus residence, had been ever a risk. Solely Fermin Lopez, a straight shooter if Barcelona ever had one, who mustered some type of hazard, however he, too, didn’t all the time take the perfect choice out there and possibly, due to it, Barcelona left the Bernabeu questioning in the event that they should be extra scientific, 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 perfect midfielder on the earth by a mile, by no means had the ball on his toes the best way he ought to have had, notably when Madrid introduced a low block and invited Barcelona into their residence politely. The sport wanted Pedri to ask for the ball and coordinate each single transfer, however nobody was slicing inside like loopy, and none of his midfield teammates appeared bothered to drive the sport ahead.

They had been drained, not essentially bodily however of their hearts and minds. Tchouameni, quite the opposite, chastised final yr for being unable to play effectively 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 manner, 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 facet that won’t be the case, however Barcelona appeared so glad 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 confused 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.

𝐑𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝟐-𝟏 𝐁𝐫𝐜𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐧

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 residence 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 facet. Madrid, quite the opposite, had developed over time a capability to carry out with or with out the ball in the identical manner. They only want generally to be woke up from their autumn siestas, because the membership often comes alive when European knock-out soccer is at its most fun hour. Lamine Yamal and reminiscences of final season had been sufficient to awaken them on the proper time earlier than they went to sleep once more.

Maybe, if at some point 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 perfect factor folks can hope for is a minimal wage fashion of soccer, and that, in October, suits Xabi Alonso’s Actual Madrid far 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 a couple of months’ time.