Flick opened the door for Mourinho: three keys that gave Real Madrid victory in the Clasico
Predictions fall apart against the Clasico
On a night that turned every expectation on its head, Real Madrid stormed the fortress of their traditional rivals at the Camp Nou. A Kylian Mbappé brace sealed a precious and deserved 2-1 win, settling the season's first Clasico and firing Los Blancos back to the front of the title race.
This win owed nothing to chance. It was the sum of three decisive keys identified by the analysis team on the famous "El Larguero" programme on Spain's "Cadena SER" radio: "solidarity, balance, and daring".
Barcelona's fans had been celebrating before kick-off, certain their team were firm favourites. The result came as a shock, as analyst Antonio Romero put it: "Barcelona's fans were celebrating before the match, but beating Real Madrid in October requires a great deal of effort".
He added: "Alongside the quality, the collective work and the decisive finishing touch, Real Madrid produced beautiful football, and even outplayed Barcelona at times. Real Madrid won thanks to their cohesion and their inclusion of technically gifted players in midfield".
The collective: Madrid's lethal weapon
Jesús Gallego agreed, pointing to the team spirit Real Madrid had long lacked: "Real Madrid won the match because they showed balance and solidarity, which the team had been lacking. Everyone defended, and that was clear. Diomande defended more today than Vinícius did in the entire league".
Julio Pulido felt that reducing the win to collective work alone did the team's technical display an injustice. "The secret of the win lies in their producing excellent football and preventing Barcelona from putting in a good performance," he said. "With Bernardo and Güler on the pitch, their performance improves".
He continued: "This team is more cohesive and balanced when Vinícius is not present. Mourinho must make use of this match, because this is the ideal path for the future".
Mourinho's Clasico: superiority through daring
Every analyst agreed this was, above all, José Mourinho's match. The Portuguese completely outclassed Germany's Hansi Flick tactically.
Romero said: "Mourinho outclassed Flick and surprised us all. He completely got the better of him". Antón Meana went further: "Today he won at the Camp Nou by planting the seeds of doubt in the minds of Barcelona's players. The conclusion is that this was Mourinho's own Clasico. He won it thanks to his substitutions, his line-up and his daring".
Flick loses the battle of managing the result
The programme's analysts saved their scathing criticism for Hansi Flick. The Barcelona coach failed to manage the match after the equaliser and opened the door himself to Real Madrid's return to the race.
Jordi Martí said: "Almost everyone considered Barcelona the firm favourite, but they lacked character. Pedri, Rodri and Fermín lost the ball a lot because Real Madrid made a great effort and made the match difficult for them. You have to know how to compete for all ninety minutes".
Luis Flaquer agreed: "It seems that managing the different scenarios of the match better is not part of Flick's plan. This is what has been happening for three years. Not content with leaving Real Madrid six points behind, they have now opened the door for them to return to the title race".
Talavera piled on: "Barcelona were not the Barcelona we know because Real Madrid did not allow them to be. When you see that you cannot win a match, do not lose it. Flick did not learn from his mistakes. He lost the match because he did not know how to hold on to the draw".
Marcos López delivered the verdict: "Flick does not know how to manage the result, and this is proof of his immaturity. Neither Raphinha nor Lamine Yamal were up to the responsibility".
