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Why El Clasico guard of honour provoked fury with Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal in spotlight after Barcelona’s Supercopa victory over Real Madrid

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Watch: Yamal appears to swerve Madrid guard of honour

Video credit: TNT Sports

Kylian Mbappe cut an exasperated figure as Real Madrid’s squad controversially opted not to give Barcelona a guard of honour following Sunday’s Spanish Supercopa clash.
Barcelona beat their Clasico rivals 3-2 in a frenetic affair in Jeddah – extending their period of dominance in the derby with three consecutive wins in cup finals.

As is regular procedure in a major final, Xabi Alonso’s side remained at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium for post-match pleasantries, with an award ceremony seeing both the winners and runners-up collect their respective medals.

Barcelona, the victors, gave Madrid a guard of honour as they went to collect their runners-up medals, but 18-year-old forward Yamal appeared to stand back from the line of his team-mates, drinking from a bottle, rather than applauding his opponents.

Yamal has previously engaged in verbal disapproval of Real Madrid, saying ahead of their Clasico meeting in La Liga in October that they “rob and complain”in reference to refereeing decisions.

And when his side went to collect their silverware, they did so without a guard of honour from Madrid’s squad.

Mbappe – who arrived in Saudi Arabia days before the final and came on as a substitute after recovering from a knee injury – appeared to shape his side’s decision not to honour their rivals, with journalist Alfredo Martinez claiming the France international had led his team-mates away from the area.
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Highlights: Barca retain Supercopa de Espana with rollercoaster win over Real

Video credit: TNT Sports

Footage appeared to support Martinez’s claim, as Mbappe exchanged words and gestures with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, before also appearing to engage in disgruntled complaints with his other team-mates, which ended with Madrid not honouring their opponents.

Alonso’s side missed a series of chances to equalise late on as they fell to another Clasico defeat, winning just once against Barcelona in their last seven meetings.

Raphinha opened the scoring for the Spanish champions on 36 minutes, and in a wild six-minute period before the break, Vinicius Junior, Robert Lewandowski and Gonzalo Garcia scored to send the sides into the break at 2-2.

It was Raphinha, though, who provided the telling contribution in the second half with a deflected strike on 73 minutes, and Mbappe could not inspire his side to a response after being introduced three minutes later.

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‘He changed everything for me’ – Raphinha credits Flick after Supercopa win

Video credit: SNTV

Alonso claimed after the match that the Supercopa is the “least important of the competitions we play”, but Los Blancos’ defeat denied the Spaniard a chance at claiming his first piece of silverware in a spell which has already seen him come under immense pressure, after his side surrendered their lead at the top of La Liga.

Cup action continues for both sides this week, with Barcelona facing Racing Santander and Madrid meeting Albacete in the Copa del Rey last 16, before returning to league action.

Barca hold a four-point lead over their rivals after 19 matches, and they will meet again at Camp Nou on May 10.

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