Atletico Madrid claimed a statement victory over Real
Madrid in a tense Madrid derby, with Alejandro Grimaldo and Jonathan David on
target to secure a 2-1 win for Diego Simeone’s side.
Real Madrid were reduced to 10 men early in the second
half after Dean Huijsen was sent off, while Antonio Rudiger scored a late
consolation for the visitors.
The result lifted Atletico to second place in La Liga,
five points behind leaders Barcelona and one point ahead of Real Madrid, who
suffered their second defeat of the campaign.
Huijsen Red Card Changes the Game
The decisive moment came shortly after the restart
when Huijsen pulled down Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area as the
Atletico forward raced towards goal.
Following a VAR review, the referee showed the Real
Madrid defender a red card and awarded Atletico a penalty.
Grimaldo stepped up and calmly converted from the spot
to put the hosts ahead.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho was furious over
several first-half challenges involving Cristian Romero and Lee Kang-in, which
he felt should also have resulted in red cards.
“They were two clear red cards,” Mourinho said,
arguing that playing against nine men for much of the second half would have
dramatically changed the contest.
Atletico Double Their Advantage
Atletico capitalised on their numerical advantage and
extended their lead in the 59th minute.
Giuliano Simeone delivered a low cross into the box,
allowing Jonathan David to finish from close range for his third goal in three
matches.
The hosts almost added a third soon afterwards, but
Thibaut Courtois produced a superb save to deny Julian Alvarez.
Ibrahima Konate then made a crucial intervention,
heading Grimaldo’s effort away after the ball rebounded from Courtois' save.
Madrid Struggle to Respond
The first half had been dominated by physical battles
rather than clear-cut chances, with both teams struggling to create meaningful
opportunities.
One of the biggest talking points came when Jude
Bellingham went into a challenge with Romero, who appeared to step on the
England midfielder’s leg.
Bellingham was initially booked, but the referee
overturned the decision after consulting VAR and instead showed the yellow card
to Romero.
Madrid were also unhappy with a strong challenge by
Lee Kang-in on Federico Valverde shortly before the break.
Despite the quality in their attack, Real Madrid
struggled to make an impact, with Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Bellingham
largely kept quiet.
Rudiger Gives Madrid Late Hope
Mourinho responded to Huijsen’s dismissal by making an
immediate double substitution, bringing on Rudiger and club-record signing Yan
Diomande for Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler.
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak later denied Diomande
and Bellingham, while tensions continued to rise as Madrid struggled to find a
way back into the contest.
Real Madrid eventually pulled one goal back late in
the game when Rudiger headed Bernardo Silva’s cross beyond Oblak.
However, Atletico held on to secure all three points
and move above their city rivals in the league table.
Atletico captain Koke said the victory showed that his
team can compete for major honours.
“We can compete against every team if we give 100
percent,” Koke said. “Madrid are one of the best in the world and today we
showed that.”
Oblak also stressed the importance of the result while
acknowledging that the league campaign remains long.
“It was important to win, but La Liga is very long,”
the Atletico goalkeeper said.
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