'Things happen on & off the pitch' - Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr attempts to explain El Clasico antics after substitution histrionics & role in mass brawl against Barcelona as he targeted Lamine Yamal

Vinicius Jr didn't react well to being withdrawn by coach Xabi Alonso with just under 20 minutes, plus stoppage time, left of the Clasico - being replaced by Rodrygo when it was all still to play for. Instead of taking a place on the bench with his team-mates, the furious 2024 Ballon d'Or runner-up exited altogether and made for the dressing room. Eventually, he did return to watch the rest of the contest unfold. When others went to confront Yamal over his pre-match jibes, Vinicius clashed with Alejandro Balde as pushing and shoving ensued between both sets of players. But the winger later sought to defend his actions, suggesting that "passion" and the heat of the moment were ultimately responsible for his lack of self-control.

Vinicius openly addressed Real Madrid fans in comments made afterwards. "I have a message to all Madridistas, especially those who came to Bernabeu and supported us passionately," he said. "This is how the Clasico is; there are many things happening on and off the pitch. We try to maintain balance, but that's not always possible. We didn't want to offend anyone, neither the young players nor the fans. We know that when we step onto the pitch, we have to play our role, and that's how it was today. Hala Madrid."

During the game, Vinicius is alleged to have goaded Yamal, with whom he was sharing a side of the pitch, about Barcelona's limited creativity, supposedly asking the teenage superstar why so many of his passes were having to go backwards.

When unsurprisingly asked to respond to Vinicius Jr.'s actions, Alonso chose to focus on what the player had done well and showed understanding.

"The only thing Vinicius was missing was a goal," he told reporters. "It's true that he came off the pitch when he was feeling best and I could have waited a bit to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control. Vinicius wanted to stay on because he was feeling good.

"Franco [Mastantuono] wanted to carry on playing too. He said to me, 'Are you taking me off?' And I said, 'Yes'. Something similar happened with Vini. He wasn't very happy, but neither was Franco. It happens to everyone, but I'm very happy with Vinicius's performance. The schedule is demanding and we have to keep going."

The good work that went into beating Barcelona will be undone if Real Madrid don't also follow it up with another victory to further consolidate at the top of the table. Alonso's side put five points between themselves and the reigning champions and are now due to face Valencia next up on November 1. Anything less than three points from that game would be a shock, given that Los Che are struggling in the relegation zone so far this season.

The greater test for Real Madrid will be the subsequent visit to Liverpool in the Champions League on November 4. That match has particular significance for Trent Alexander-Arnold as it means a swift reunion with the club he spent 20 years with until a split in June that saw some Liverpool fans accuse the England international of betraying his boyhood team.

Alexander-Arnold has been in a race against time to be fit after suffering a hamstring injury just five minutes into an earlier Champions League clash with Marseille. Plenty of eyes will also be on Vinicius Junior to see how he handles the intensity of a famously hostile atmosphere at Anfield. It perhaps helps that Liverpool have been a dreadful run of form in recent weeks.