Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Santiago Cañizares believes that Real Madrid's main problem is not with the coaching staff or tactical approach, but with the pairing of Mbappé and Vinicius. According to him, these two forwards cannot play together in big matches because their defensive passivity would "infect" the entire team.
While Real Madrid had been on a downward trend and Barcelona were on a roll, this Clásico reversed the fortunes of both sides. Experts are now focusing on the short-term consequences, with only 3 points separating the two teams in the league standings.
One such expert is Santiago Cañizares, the former goalkeeper who played for Real Madrid and other LaLiga teams and now comments on football for COPE radio. Last night, he assessed the result from a perspective beyond the match itself.
"Real Madrid's victory completely changed how we've viewed the league until now," he stated, dismissing the pre-match sentiment that Barcelona were "in great form" while their biggest rival was "performing poorly."
Vinicius and Mbappé: a partnership that doesn't work at the Bernabéu
"This would halve Bellingham's workload and also remove both players from defensive duties," he said. A team can tolerate one forward doing less defensive work, but when a second forward does the same, the team becomes disorganized and imbalanced.
This situation, coupled with the "privilege" afforded to the two star players, creates a dynamic where "one looks at the other, and the other looks back, saying 'if you don't run, I won't run either'." He asserted that only one of them could play in key matches: "Vinicius can only come in as a replacement for Mbappé."
The commentator also praised the team that seemed unshakable just days ago but has now defeated Barcelona: "When Real Madrid plays like this, running, fighting, dropping back, staying compact, pressing—the team becomes very competitive." He specifically praised the performances of Hüjsén, Cucurella, Valverde, and Konate.
He pointed out that the key to the team's resurgence is their effort without the ball, which is also why they can compete with any opponent. Only then can the team be capable of competing for the Champions League and the league title; if they cannot maintain this level, they will easily collapse again.