Matchday 7 of La Liga saw 2 Spanish giants battle it out at the Metropolitano Stadium, and to everyone’s surprise, things did not go as expected.
Atletico Madrid hosted city rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish capital derby. Real was walking into the fixture with an undefeated, winning streak since the league started, while Atletico had lost their first La Liga match against Espanyol and tied 3 others.
Embed from Getty ImagesAll signs pointed to a hotly contested match, which would see 36-time La Liga champions Real Madrid come out on top. Madrid was in better form than Atletico. They had won all their La Liga matches and their Champions League match against Marseille.
Embed from Getty ImagesSo, the 3 points belonged to Real Madrid, right?
Kickoff
The match started as anyone would expect, with both teams trying to keep possession of the ball and find a way to break through the rival’s line of defense and get one behind the net.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt wasn’t until the 11th minute of the match that Atletico would show the first sign of danger, as Barrios lobbed the ball into the middle looking for striker Alexander Sørloth.
Sørloth was not in the best position as he had 2 Madrid defenders barreling towards him. He headed the ball in an arch and called Courtois into action, who tipped the ball over the top bar.
Atletico opened the scoreboard in the 14th minute of the match as they had just won a free kick near midfield. Álvarez played the ball to Koke, who in turn crossed it towards Real’s goal, and a header from González was cleared by Carvajal.
That clearance only went as far as Simeone, who executed a quick first touch control and crossed it back into the six-yard box, where Le Normand rose above 2 Real defenders to deliver a powerful header past Courtois into the back of the net. Making it 1-0 in favor of the home team.
Embed from Getty ImagesDon’t Call It A Comeback
As the minutes passed, Atletico looked the more dangerous of the 2 sides. That is, until the 25th minute, where Mbappe received the ball from the back line to then tap it outward toward Turkish international Güler.
Güler would control and thread forward a beautifully precise through ball that would once again find the feet of Mbappe, who ran it all the way to Oblak’s goal and fired off a low cross past the keeper’s glove and into the corner of the net.
Effectively equalising the match 1-1.
11 minutes later, Güler would once again show up for Real but this time on the scoreboard. As a failed attack from Atletico was cleared by Huijsen to midfield, Le Normand’s attempted header clearance landed at the feet of Mbappe, who was inside the center-circle.
Advancing a few yards forward, Mbappe noticed Vinicius rushing up the left side of the pitch and, with a perfectly placed pass, delivered it to his feet.
Vinicius would drive the ball further up the pitch near the keeper’s outer box, only to cut back in order to clear off 2 Atletico defenders that were right on top of him. Having bought himself a few seconds, he looked into the center where a fast-approaching Güler was arriving into the box. With a precison cross into the middle, Vinicius delivers the ball to Güler, who in turn slap-shots the half volley with his left foot and drives it past Hancko, and Oblok into the back of the net.
Seemingly completing Real Madrid’s comeback to a 2-1 advantage.
Embed from Getty ImagesMinutes later, Atletico striker Álvarez would fire the ball towards Real’s net, beating Courtois, only to be denied by the post.
VAR (Video Assistant Referee) would rule out Atletico’s equalizer at the 43rd minute. As Álvarez takes the corner kick and swings it into the six-yard box, the ball is missed by defender and striker alike, only to be met by Lenglet and pushed into the back of the net.
But a review of the goal from the referee with the help of VAR would show that Lenglet used his forearm to push the ball forward.
All Tied Up
In the 47th minute of extra time for the first half of the match, Atletico would pull one back to equalise and effectively make it 2-2.
Koke is given a bit of space near Real’s outer box after an Atletico throw-in, and is able to deliver a lifted cross to the six-yard box, where Real’s defenders seemingly have it controlled. Only for Sørloth to time his run perfectly and meet the ball in the air, placing it near the far post, where an outstretched Courtois could not reach it in time.
Embed from Getty ImagesAtletico Bring It Back & Álvarez Adds Two
4 minutes into the second half, Atletico are awarded a Penalty, when Álvarez’s initial corner kick would be rejected by Valverde, only to land back at his feet for a second round.
Embed from Getty ImagesÁlvarez would then swing a cross deeper into the back post, where Real’s Güler, in an attempt to clear the ball, would catch the face of González with his boot.
This would mark the beginning of Real Madrid’s nightmare match.
Álvarez would make it 3-2 in Atletico’s favor, after stepping up to the penalty spot and using his right foot to curl one past Courtois into the back of the net.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs the minutes ticked by, Atletico continued their frontal assault on Real’s goal. All the while, Real could not figure out a reply for their current situation.
Although Real had more time on the ball throughout the game, Atletico looked more dangerous when it was in their possession.
At minute 63 of the match clock, Atletico would add to their tally after winning a free kick. Álvarez would make it 2 for his personal scoreboard with a phenomenal strike that would curve over the Real player wall near Courtois’ far post into the back of the net. Though Courtois would get a hand on the ball, it would not be enough to keep it out.
The match was now 4-2 in Atletico’s favor.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut they weren’t done yet. A lazy play in the back by Valverde at the 93rd minute of extra time is picked up by Atletico midfielder Baena, who pushes the ball forward.
He’s closely followed by Griezmann, who makes a run toward Real’s box.
Baena plays the ball to Griezmann, who, surrounded by Real defenders, runs beside it a few steps and fires it home with his right foot. Effectively ending the night and Real Madrid’s unbeaten streak.
Embed from Getty ImagesFinal Thoughts
Atletico were not the favorites coming into this game, but they sure as hell showed that they are contenders for the cup, and they will not lie down for any team. Both teams go into this coming week looking at Champions League matches.
Embed from Getty ImagesAtletico on a high, hoping they can continue this great form as they face off against German side Frankfurt.
Real, on the other hand, hopes to clear their heads and move on to their next match, where they will face Kazakhstan’s Kariat Almaty, hoping for a better outcome.
This Madrid derby had it all controversy, fantastic plays, fouls, and plenty of gols. Thank you for reading and I hope to you see you again soon.
You can watch the full match recap below.
