Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Jr. during the match
/ DAZN
Vinicius Jr. finished El Clásico as the center of attention, not for his goals, but for his outbursts, frustration, and confrontations with Barcelona players. The Brazilian star produced several moments that will be discussed for weeks, including a massive meltdown directed at his own coach, Xabi Alonso, when he was substituted in the 70th minute.
However, tensions had already boiled over much earlier during the game. At one point, Vinicius approached Lamine Yamal and snapped, “You only pass backward, just backward.” It was a clear dig at the Barcelona No. 10’s playing style, which the Real Madrid winger felt consisted solely of backward passes.
This was the first sign of Vinicius’s personal grudge against the Spanish international, which became even more evident after the final whistle. Interestingly, according to footage captured by DAZN, the two briefly shared a moment of camaraderie mid-game, appearing to make peace with a smile and a hand slap. But that calm didn’t last. At the end of the match, Vinicius once again went after Lamine, accusing him of talking too much and trying to provoke a confrontation, only to be held back by his teammates.
This latest clash marks the eighth meeting between the two players. So far, Lamine Yamal has four wins (all from last season), Vinicius has three with Real Madrid, and they have one draw (the 3-3 between Spain and Brazil). The rivalry between these two rising stars shows no signs of cooling down.
