This Clasico felt significant. Sure, it is a fixture that is prone to weird results and lopsided scorelines – see Barcelona’s 4-0 win at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in March 2022 – that ultimately exist in a vacuum, an isolated context without real bearing on the eventual course of a season in La Liga.
But I think Saturday night at the Bernabeu was different. In this, the 189th league Clasico, Barcelona didn’t just repeat that 2022 scoreline – the Blaugrana appeared to be playing a different sport than Real Madrid entirely. Head coach Hansi Flick outfoxed Carlo Ancelotti, his ‘risky’ high line paying off and bottling up Kylian Mbappe in his first Clasico. What’s more, as Endrick and Arda Guler looked on from the Madrid bench, the defending champions were dismantled by a bunch of kids, La Masia graduates growing up before our eyes as Barca – somehow – have taken control of La Liga’s title race already. Even at this early stage of the season (and it is still early), Flick’s Barca has the look of a juggernaut, and if Madrid do not fix their issues, Los Blancos’ teetering title defense will collapse in the coming weeks.
No pressure!
Lamine Yamal shines – and endures
The newest winner of the Kopa Trophy punctuated that candidacy by scoring Barcelona’s third goal on Saturday. Lamine Yamal took up Raphinha’s pass from a passage of play that originated from an Inaki Pena goal kick; the casual yet confident finish, lasered into the roof of the net, put the result beyond doubt and made Lamine the youngest scorer in this fixture’s 95-year history.
Lamine Yamal is the most exciting Spanish prospect in years, a brace-faced winger whose joy and sumptuous skill brought the nation together as it conquered the field at UEFA Euro 2024. So it was especially disappointing to see and hear Madridistas racially abuse him – as well as teammate Alex Balde – following the goal. They would have been well within their right to walk off the pitch.
Real Madrid and La Liga are set to investigate the incident, which has received considerably less fanfare than the events at last month’s Madrid Derby – which led to a fine for Atletico Madrid and a partial closure of the Riyadh Air Metropolitano’s south stand. Time will tell if football’s authorities will dare to enact a similar punishment at the holy ground of the Bernabeu.
Still, as special players do, Lamine stood tall and made sure the Madrid fans would remember his name, his face. He has already equalled his goal tally from the 2023/24 league season; one more assist will equal that tally from a season ago, too. May the football gods watch over this kid and keep him healthy for the battles ahead in the years to come.
@lavanguardia Graves y lamentables insultos racistas contra Lamine Yamal en el Santiago Bernabéu. Los aficionados del equipo blanco la tomaron con el joven extremo de 17 años después de que marcase el tercer gol de su equipo, el primero que hacía en su corta carrera en el feudo del eterno rival. El Real Madrid asegura que ya ha abierto una investigación para localizar a los autores de estos insultos para sancionarlos y llevarlos ante la justicia. También LaLiga ha emitido un comunicado en el que “condena y denunciará los insultos. #lamineyamal #fcbarcelona #racismo #bernabeu #realmadrid #insultosracistas
A bad weekend for Mbappe and Vinicius
Spanish TV claimed that he almost scored eight goals, and such fine margins are an interesting way to portray Mbappe’s first Clasico following his long-awaited move to Madrid. Some would call him “unlucky”; I would opt for “subpar”. Come on, he strayed offside eight times!
The Clasico dud was a disappointing new low for Mbappe, who has scored six goals in La Liga but just three from open play as Madrid – despite entering the weekend unbeaten – have struggled to build a cohesive attack that includes the Frenchman, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham. More than shoehorning Mbappe into a central position when he is really a winger who likes to cut in from his left foot, many of Madrid’s problems this season really can be traced to Toni Kroos’ surprise retirement; no other midfielder in white can quite replicate the German’s vision, tempo control, or trademark “Kroos shuffle” that made him impervious to a press.
In addition, Monday’s revelation that Vinicius would not win the Ballon d’Or after all (as Spanish media reports had repeatedly indicated), the Brazilian, his entourage, and indeed the entire traveling Madrid contingent canceled their plans to travel to France for the ceremony. It is a self-inflicted PR black eye for Madrid, which feels “disrespected” has opted to blame UEFA for Vinicius not winning this popularity contest.
(Congrats to Rodri, an actual Spanish player!)
Arguably the only “win” Ancelotti will claim from Saturday is lecturing Flick on celebrating Barcelona’s fourth goal too demonstratively – a “lesson” that rings hollow when Ancelotti’s team is six points behind the leaders and when Los Blancos’ “señorio” took a big hit given the Ballon d’Or nonsense.
How has Barca made this work?!
Barcelona’s complex financial problems – exacerbated by president Joan Laporta’s infamous “lever-pulling” in 2022 – led to scant investment in the first team this summer as well as last. After years of ruinous deals, Barca finally returned to its roots, as Xavi Hernandez began to bed in talent from the Blaugrana’s famed La Masia academy. Lamine Yamal emerged as a global superstar before his 17th birthday; Pau Cubarsi, also 17, became an overnight sensation last spring and is poised to lead Barca’s backline for years to come.
But beyond those two, Balde is healthy again and reminding everyone of his huge potential as Jordi Alba’s long-term replacement — he assisted Lewandowski’s second goal at the Bernabeu. Pedri has been fit so far this season and is producing 0.6 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, a career-best figure. Gavi is slowly being re-introduced following his ACL injury; few in Spain doubt the future captain, at the tender age of 20, will find his way back. There is 21-year-old midfielder Marc Casado, whose genius line-breaking pass for Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring on Saturday. Fermin Lopez, also 21, has become a useful and versatile player – under two managers – who could have a long career at the club.
In all, Barcelona on Saturday fielded six players aged 22 or younger – a first in the Clasico’s long history. It must all be a bit strange for the Barcelona dressing room’s veterans, like Lewandowski and Inigo Martinez – the latter has even said he felt “out of place” with all the youth around him, but in Ronaldo Araujo’s absence, he is right now the rugged veteran presence that Barca’s defense needs.
And Lewandowski – who, let’s face it, appeared to be out of fuel under Xavi last season – has been reborn under his former Bayern boss Flick. The Polish marksman’s 14 goals already are double Ayoze Perez’s total at Villarreal; even a strong second half of the season from Mbappe probably won’t be enough to deny Lewandowski his second Pichichi in three years.
The atmosphere at Barcelona right now is as good as it has been in years – even during Xavi’s league-winning campaign two seasons ago. The Catalan club is not facing the identity crises that Atletico and Real Madrid are facing; the Blaugrana are playing, maturing, and winning on their terms. The exuberance found in rediscovering their identity has Barcelona on course for an unlikely title after a summer that saw Madrid reel in the biggest fish on the market.
Image via EFE