Those who tipped Real Madrid to win La Liga at the start of the season now owe a small debt of appreciation to midfielder Eduardo Camavinga. With Barcelona threatening to open up a nine-point advantage at the top after only 10 matches, Camavinga's impact from the bench in Sunday's Camp Nou Clásico cut Madrid's deficit to just three points.
Camavinga came on in the 80th minute for the excellent but flagging Bernardo Silva and, within seven minutes, sprinted onto Arda Güler's pass before cutting an assist back to Kylian Mbappé for the winning goal. Madrid won 2-1, ending Barcelona's record of 19 straight La Liga victories at Camp Nou since May 2023.
It was the 13th time in José Mourinho's second spell that his side scored in the final 10 minutes, and the 13th time this season a Madrid substitute produced a goal or an assist. The result reflects well on the club's fitness and medical staff and on the players' collective hunger, whether starting or on the bench.
Mourinho was praised for his deployment of resources and his reading of a tied match. Yet earlier in the season he had looked short of trust in his bench and hesitant in his substitutions, and the author notes that his pre-game analysis and team selection have at times been questionable. His assessment, once flawed, now looks fabulous.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing