The game was attritional. What happened at the end of it was deplorable. An ugly brawl broke out between Real Madrid and Barcelona players after the El Clásico on Sunday, and Spanish police had to intervene to restore sanity.
Vinicius Jr and Lamine Yamal were at the heart of the whole fracas, but it had a backstory. Before the game, Yamal allegedly accused Real Madrid of cheating and being whingebags. Real Madrid won the game 2-1, and their defender Dani Carvajal was seen having a go at Yamal, the Barcelona winger. The latter didn't have a good game, as he was neutralised by Alvaro Fernandez. The teenager, however, was at the receiving end of Real Madrid players’ ire.
Also Read | 'Scans have revealed...': BCCI releases fresh statement on Shreyas Iyer's injury after ICU report
Eduardo Camavinga stopped Carvajal in his tracks and when Thibaut Courtois tried to approach Yamal, Frenkie de Jong intervened. Things were turning ugly between Vinicius and Yamal, and without Federico Valverde’s intervention, it could have been worse.
Now, the details of what Vinicius said to Yamal in the lead-up to the altercation has emerged. The Brazilian was heard saying: “You only pass backwards.” Vinicius had an angry exchange with Xabi Alonso, the Real Madrid head coach, after being subbed off on 72 minutes. According to Spanish sports paper Marca, Carvajal called out Yamal — the two are teammates in the Spanish national side — for speaking too much.
Alonso, however, played down the whole incident when he was asked about it at the post-match press conference. “The last minute fight? I think it reflected the intensity and the importance of the game. I think it's healthy competition," said the Real Madrid boss.
The precursor to the post-match brawl was Pedri's red card, as the Barcelona midfielder was given his marching orders for a foul on Aurelien Tchouameni.
As regards the match, after Fermin Lopez cancelled out Kylian Mbappe’s 22nd minute opener for Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham sealed the deal for Los Blancos.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
