There is an air of inevitability when a player is in peak form, to the point that their teams develop a very entertaining type of dependence on them. At the team's best, the player is merely the focal point in a harmonious system; otherwise, that player is almost resigned to the reality that they exist in large part to bail their team out of trouble. Barcelona felt like the best-case scenario before El Clasico after both Lamine Yamal and Raphinha got off to strong starts to their seasons, Tuesday's 4-2 loss at Paris Saint-Germain doing little to dampen their spirits.
If anything, it was Real Madrid who have become overly reliant on Kylian Mbappe over the years, Sunday's game slated to be no exception. Over the course of Real Madrid's 2-1 win at the Camp Nou, though, the roles had reversed. Mbappe and Raphina were each on the scoresheet, neither feat much of a surprise considering each of their exploits this season.
Early in his third season with the club, Mbappe notched his 99th and 100th Real Madrid goals on Sunday while Raphina registered his 13th goal in nine LaLiga games this campaign. Both showcased the inherent ability of a dependable superstar, each of them providing a unique snapshot of the teams they represent. The France World Cup winner was the finishing piece of a team whose defensive efforts won them the game, neutralizing a Barcelona team that had won nine games out of nine to start the domestic campaign.
The visitors opted to cede play to the possession-oriented hosts, holding the ball just 37.6% of the time in the process. Los Blancos also let the attack-minded Barcelona roll out Plan A, outshooting the visitors 18 to 10 along the way. Jose Mourinho's side were fully prepared for the challenge, their positional discipline designed to ensure their opponents would be unable to do much with all of their efforts.
Hansi Flick's side registered just 1.19 expected goals from all their attempts, well below their average tally of 3.5 expected goals per game in LaLiga this campaign. Yamal and Raphinha, as well as winger Anthony Gordon, had the ball at their feet on multiple occasions and looked certain to go for goal. They were often restricted to taking shots from sundial positions, Real Madrid's defensive shape holding nicely for much of the game.
In the moments the Barcelona players' individual brilliance came through, a Real Madrid defender would find a way to shut things down before it was too late. Aurelien Tchouameni led the charge at the base of Los Blancos' midfield, excellent as the visitors resisted Barcelona's press and prevented them from racking up opportunities in moments of transition. He was hardly alone – Federico Valverde excelled at right back, while Marc Cucurella came in clutch on the flip side.
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