{"id":1509051,"date":"2026-10-23T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1509051"},"modified":"2026-10-23T18:01:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T17:01:18","slug":"yan-diomande-real-madrid-barcelona-el-clasico","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/yan-diomande-real-madrid-barcelona-el-clasico\/","title":{"rendered":"Yan Diomande\u2019s rapid Real Madrid rise sets up a defining El Clasico test against Barcelona"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/yan-diomande\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yan Diomande<\/a> took a while to get up and running for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/real-madrid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Real Madrid<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Ivorian was a wanted man over the summer. That\u2019s hardly a surprise. Diomande was one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/competitions\/bundesliga-2026-2027\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bundesliga<\/a>\u2019s star performers last season. Indeed, he scored 12 and provided eight assists in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/germany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Germany<\/a>\u2019s top tier last term. 118 completed takes was more than any other player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/add-squawka-to-your-google-news-feed\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner.webp\" alt=\"Add Squawka to your preferred sources on Google\" class=\"wp-image-1500527\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner.webp 1500w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-300x100.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-1024x341.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-768x256.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-400x133.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-600x200.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-180x60.webp 180w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-150x50.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-222x74.webp 222w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>In this article, we&#8217;ll cover:<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-diomande-s-initial-struggles\" data-level=\"3\">Diomande&#8217;s initial struggles<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-villarreal-win-the-turning-point\" data-level=\"3\">Villarreal win the turning point<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-el-clasico-next-up\" data-level=\"3\">El Clasico next up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As such, interest in his services was hardly a shock. A plethora of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/competitions\/premier-league-2026-2027\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Premier League<\/a> teams showed an interest in the 19-year-old at the turn of the year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/rb-leipzig\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RB Leipzig<\/a> demanded in excess of \u00a3100m in order to sell the teenage wing-wizard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While teams scoffed at the asking price, RB Leipzig stuck to their guns. Real Madrid ended up paying a club-record \u00a3115.7m to lure Diomande to the Bernabeu, beating off competition from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/liverpool\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Liverpool<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/paris-saint-germain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Paris Saint-Germain<\/a> to land the wideman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-diomande-s-initial-struggles\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Diomande&#8217;s initial struggles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diomande, though, initially struggled to force his way into Jose Mourinho\u2019s XI. His opening four league outings all came from the bench. Arda Guler and Vinicius Junior were preferred down the right and left, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI can&#8217;t focus on the \u20ac120m or \u20ac130m\u2026 How much did they charge us? I have to focus on a player who&#8217;s coming off a top-level season at Leipzig,\u201d Mourinho said of Diomande following the 4-0 win over Malaga. \u201cWhen you talk about a huge number like that, you think of someone who arrives and blows everyone away. But that&#8217;s not it, he&#8217;s a young guy. Calm down, take it easy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mourinho was right to temper expectations following Diomande\u2019s arrival. While he enjoyed a whirlwind year in Germany, the Real Madrid star needed time to acclimatise to the pressure that comes with playing for football\u2019s biggest team. With a huge price tag, Mourinho\u2019s decision to keep the player out of the limelight in the opening weeks of his stint in Madrid was perhaps questioned by fans desperate to see the player in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In hindsight, it was a masterstroke. Earlier this month, Mourinho made the decision to drop Vinicius Junior in favour of Diomande on the left flank. The former has endured a stop-star beginning to the campaign, culminating in a second-half red card for a hair pull on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/nathan-saliba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nathan Saliba<\/a> in a 1-0 victory over Villarreal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-villarreal-win-the-turning-point\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Villarreal win the turning point<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the Brazilian underwent a disappointing cameo on home turf, Diomande was Real Madrid\u2019s saviour. He bagged what proved to be the winning goal midway through the second half at the Bernabeu. \u201cI\u2019m happy. I\u2019ve been waiting for that first goal for a long time,\u201d an ecstatic Diomande said at full time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the time since, Diomande has gone from watching Los Blancos on the fringes of the first-team, to establishing himself was a regular under Mourinho. The Ivory Coast star followed up his goal against Villarreal with the assist for Kylian Mbappe\u2019s first-half strike in the entertaining 4-3 Champions League win at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/roma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Roma<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He scored one and assisted another in a 4-1 win over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/sevilla\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sevilla<\/a> last weekend. And in midweek, Diomande came off the bench to score and assist against former side RB Leipzig. That he replaced the ineffective Vinicius Junior for the final 20 minutes speaks volumes. Mourinho was adamant that no player was \u201cuntouchable\u201d in the aftermath of the home success. Diomande is close to that status on current form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-el-clasico-next-up\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">El Clasico next up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And he\u2019s replicating his RB Leipzig showings just in time for El Clasico. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/barcelona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Barcelona<\/a> have won all nine league matches this season, but fell to a 4-2 Champions League defeat to PSG in midweek. Even so, Real Madrid sit six points off Barcelona. The can ill-afford to drop nine points behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/hansi-flick\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hansi Flick<\/a>\u2019s side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite their flying start to the domestic campaign, Barcelona are questionable defensively. They\u2019ve kept just one clean sheet in their last eight competitive matches. The league champions remain suspect when it comes to defending against skilful individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Completed take ons per 90 in La Liga this season\" class=\"wp-image-1509054\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21-214x267.jpg 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21-160x200.jpg 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21-48x60.jpg 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21-120x150.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21-59x74.jpg 59w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/23162832\/season_stat-leader-top-10-no-image-21.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diomande fits that bill, and then some. The Real Madrid star is top for completed take ons per 90 (4.7) in the 2026\/27 La Liga campaign. Regardless of who he comes up against, they\u2019ll have their hands full in their efforts to keep Diomande quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Real Madrid will rely heavily on Diomande\u2019s explosive pace to punch a hole in the Barcelona backline and exploit their high defensive line. Put the ball over the top of the full-backs for Diomande, and he\u2019ll tear Barcelona to shreds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having been forced into a peripheral role in the opening weeks of his time in the capital, Diomande is living up to the billing. A star showing in El Clasico, and the teen will be well on the path to superstardom.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football betting tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yan Diomande took a while to get up and running for Real Madrid. The Ivorian was a wanted man over the summer. That\u2019s hardly a surprise. Diomande was one of the Bundesliga\u2019s star performers last season. Indeed, he scored 12 and provided eight assists in Germany\u2019s top tier last term. 118 completed takes was more&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3564,"featured_media":1509052,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Real Madrid","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Read how Yan Diomande has become a key player for Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho and why his pace could trouble Barcelona in El Clasico.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[27676,27672],"class_list":["post-1509051","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","squawka-category-la-liga","squawka-category-player-analysis"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Yan Diomande\u2019s rapid Real Madrid rise 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Real Madrid CF's Yan Diomande celebrates goal during Champions League 2026\\\/2027, League phase, Matchday 3 match. 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