On Sunday, Jude Bellingham’s goal helped Real Madrid defeat Barcelona 2-1 in a tight Clasico, moving them five points clear of their bitter rivals in La Liga.
Champions Barcelona won all four meetings between the teams previous season, but in his debut Clasico as Real Madrid coach, Xabi Alonso ended the streak.
Kylian Mbappe, who subsequently missed a penalty, put Madrid ahead, and while Fermin Lopez equalized for the visitors at the Santiago Bernabeu, Bellingham added a second goal for the hosts before halftime, which proved crucial. According To Cgtn News.
As emotions rose in the Spanish city, Barcelona playmaker Pedri was sent off in the closing stages for a second yellow card.
Madrid has now won nine of their first ten league games, and Alonso’s side demonstrated against Barcelona that they can win on important occasions after being humiliated in the derby by Atletico Madrid last September.
“We didn’t play well against Atletico, but today we had another chance to show what we can do, and we have to keep doing so,” Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni said.
Alonso stated that his team “needed this feeling of being able to win a big game” following previous season’s problems against Barcelona.
The Spaniard was joined on the bench by Hansi Flick’s assistant Marcus Sorg, who was suspended after receiving a red card last weekend in a win over relegation-threatened Girona.
“The season is long; we have 28 more games, and we’re not concerned about the situation right now,” Sorg remarked following the loss.
COMMENTS