Real Madrid came away from the Spotify Camp Nou last night with much more than just the three points in the La Liga race.
It was also an important test of the club’s summer recruitment, after several signings from the previous year struggled to meet expectations.
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According to Mundo Deportivo, Sunday’s 2-1 Clasico triumph has strengthened the belief that Jose Mourinho made the right decisions in the transfer market.
Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva and Yan Diomande all delivered convincing performances against Madrid’s biggest rivals.
Cucurella came into the game knowing he had one of the toughest assignments of the evening: defending Lamine Yamal.
The Spain international remained disciplined defensively and prevented Barcelona’s young winger from having his usual influence on proceedings.
Diomande was equally important for Real Madrid, contributing at both ends of the pitch. His delivery into the box helped create Kylian Mbappe’s opening goal.
Bernardo Silva had his best game in a Real Madrid jersey to date. (Picture credit: Real Madrid website)
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What was more impressive was his defensive commitment, which provided Los Blancos with some valuable protection on the flank.
Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva brought experience and composure to midfield. He marked Pedri out of the game, allowing Madrid to compete physically without sacrificing technical quality.
The Portugal international may have had a slow start to life at his new club, but came into his own against Barça.
The biggest encouragement for Real Madrid may be Mourinho’s ability to revive players who previously appeared uncertain about their futures.
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The best example of this is Eduardo Camavinga. The Frenchman was linked with a move away from the Spanish capital all summer.
Eduardo Camavinga set up Kylian Mbappe for Madrid’s winning goal in the Clasico. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
However, he has regained his importance through his performances and produced a decisive contribution against Barcelona, setting up Mbappe’s late winner.
Andriy Lunin also justified Mourinho’s trust. He was a late inclusion in the XI after it emerged on the afternoon of the game that Thibaut Courtois was out with flu.
Making his first appearance of the season, the Ukrainian produced a crucial save to deny Gerard Martin and prevent Barcelona from taking the lead in the second half.
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Slowly but surely, Mourinho has started putting all the pieces of the jigsaw together at Real Madrid, and the performance against Barça is the clearest example of that.
It remains to be seen whether Los Blancos can become more consistent in the coming weeks and further close the gap to Barça.
