Atletico and Real Madrid Draw in First Derby of the Season
Atletico and Real Madrid played to a draw at Estadio Civitas Metropolitano, with Angel Correa’s late strike helping Atletico secure the result against their arch-rivals. The match was full of drama and even suspended for a few minutes due to some actions by the home crowd. This 1-1 draw keeps these two sides second and third in the La Liga 2024-25 season.
Alvarez & Sorloth start in the first derby
Diego Simeone started a strong team. New signings Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez led the attack along with Antoine Griezmann. Conor Gallagher started in the midfield along with Rodrigo De Paul and Marcos Llorente. Nahuel Molina, Robin Le Normand, Jose Gimenez and Reinildo sat in front of Jan Oblak in goal. Four Atleti players were featured in their first-ever Derby match.
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Kylian Mbappe ruled out ahead of big match
Real Madrid received a huge blow as their star player Kylian Mbappe was ruled out due to an injury. He is set to be out of action for a few games. Thibaut Courtois started in goal. Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and Dani Carvajal were the back four. Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Federico Valverde boosted the midfield. The Brazilian duo of Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior led the line for Ancelotti’s side.
Atletico and Real Madrid had a Goalless first-half
Both teams came up with a plan in the first half. None of the teams were pressing high and were happy to rotate the ball. There were moments when both keepers had to work. Both teams had a couple of shots on target. Real Madrid has been an expert in the second half. They usually catch the teams on the counter. The pace of their forwards is a big trouble for any opposition. The first half ended goalless.
Militao gives the lead
Atletico Madrid shifted to their 5-3-2 formation. Koke came in for Molina and Lino replaced Sorloth. Real Madrid scored the goal from an unlikely source. Vinicius Junior dribbled past the opposition defenders to deliver a cross into the box. Atletico Madrid players missed the ball and Eder Militao was unmarked on the far post. He slotted in a half-volley to give Real Madrid the lead in the 64th minute.
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Match suspension & late goal
Thibaut Courtois celebrated the goal in front of Atletico supporters. The fans were unhappy with the actions of their former keeper. They started throwing objects towards him around the 70th-minute mark. Due to these actions, the referee had to stop the game and instructed the players to walk off the field. The play resumed after 15-20 minutes. Atleti players and manager had to calm down the crowd.
Angel Correa was introduced off the bench. Real Madrid was heading towards three points. In the 90+5 minutes mark, Javi Galan found Angel Correa. The Argentine held his run and clumsily scored the goal. It was ruled as an offside but VAR changed the decision. The match was tied at 1-1. Towards the end, Marcos Llorente received a red card for a foul on Fran Garcia. This match had everything it deserved and both teams deserved this point.
