Atletico Madrid 1-3 Real Madrid: Talking Points and Observations

#2 Solari stamping his authority

Santiago Solari was thrown straight into the deep end by Real Madrid's hierarchy as he replaced Julen Lopetegui following a Clasico thrashing at the Nou Camp in October. Since coming in, Solari has made several big changes at the club, most importantly, involving Vinicius Jr. more and more in the first team squad.

His predecessor gave the Brazilian teenager next to no opportunities in the first team, and that proved to be his downfall as his side looked devoid of the creative genius that the Brazilian has since gone on to provide for the club under Solari. The Argentine coach has also given significant minutes to younger players such as Marcos Llorente, Ceballos, Regulion, and Odriozola, whilst he also made Thibaut Courtois the outright starting goalkeeper for Real Madrid.

Club Atletico de Madrid v Real Madrid CF - La Liga. Solari has Madrid constantly improving, and he could be given the next season to prove what he can do if he can keep the level of performances up.

Superstars such as Isco, Marcelo, and Bale have lost their place in the starting XI, with Isco, in particular, being almost completely frozen out by Solari who does not seem to have too much trust in the enigmatic Spanish fan favourite. By making these tough choices, he's stamping more and more authority on this team and the dressing room, showing everyone involved with the club that he is the man to lead the club forward.