Mourinho outmanoeuvres Flick as Real Madrid seize El Clasico advantage

Real Madrid overturned the expectations at Camp Nou to beat Barcelona 2-1 in the first El Clasico of the season, with Kylian Mbappe scoring both goals. The victory was deserved and moved Real Madrid firmly back into contention for the La Liga title.

The result was built on three qualities identified by the analysis team on Spanish radio station Cadena SER’s El Larguero programme: solidarity, balance and courage.

Barcelona supporters had been celebrating before kick-off and regarded their side as strong favourites, making the defeat particularly striking. Analyst Antonio Romero said: “Barcelona fans were celebrating before the match, but beating Real Madrid in October requires a great deal of effort.”

He added: “Alongside quality, teamwork and decisive finishing, Real Madrid played attractive football and at times even outplayed Barcelona. Real Madrid won because of their cohesion and because they used technically gifted players in midfield.”

Real Madrid’s collective strength

Analyst Jesus Gallego also focused on the togetherness Real Madrid had lacked for a long time.

“Real Madrid won the match because they showed balance and solidarity, something the team had been missing,” he said. “Everyone defended, and that was clear. Diomande defended more today than Vinicius has defended in the entire league.”

Julio Pulido argued that reducing the victory solely to collective effort would overlook the team’s technical performance.

“The key to the victory was that they played excellent football and stopped Barcelona from producing a good performance,” he said. “With Bernardo and Guler on the pitch, their performances improve.”

Pulido added: “This team is more cohesive and balanced when Vinicius is not there. Mourinho must learn from this match because that is the best path for the future.”

Mourinho wins the tactical battle

The analysts agreed that the match belonged to Real Madrid’s Portuguese manager, Jose Mourinho, who they felt had comprehensively outthought Barcelona boss Hansi Flick.

“Mourinho outdid Flick and surprised us all. He completely got the better of him,” said Romero.

Analyst Anton Meana added: “He won at Camp Nou by planting seeds of doubt in the minds of Barcelona’s players. In conclusion, this was Mourinho’s El Clasico. He won it through his substitutions, his team selection and his courage.”

Criticism of Flick’s game management

Flick was strongly criticised for failing to manage the match after Barcelona drew level, with the programme’s analysts saying he had allowed Real Madrid to return to the title race.

“Almost everyone considered Barcelona the favourites, but they lacked character,” said Jordi Marti. “Pedri, Rodri and Fermin lost the ball often because Real Madrid worked extremely hard and made the game difficult for them. You have to know how to compete for the full 90 minutes.”

Luis Flaquer agreed: “Managing the different scenarios in a match better does not appear to be part of Flick’s plan. This has been happening for three years. They were not content with leaving Real Madrid six points behind, and now they have opened the door for them to return to the title race.”

Talavera said Barcelona were unable to play their usual football because Real Madrid prevented them from doing so.

“When you realise you cannot win a match, do not lose it,” he said. “Flick has not learned from his mistakes. He lost the match because he did not know how to protect the draw.”

Marcos Lopez concluded: “Flick does not know how to manage a result, and that shows a lack of maturity. Neither Raphinha nor Lamine Yamal took responsibility.”