Real Madrid were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw as they fought it out with Atlético Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in a top of the table clash on Saturday night. Julián Álvarez gave the away team the lead with a Panenka penalty in the first-half after a controversial call conceded a penalty for an Aurélien Tchouameni foul, but Kylian Mbappé equalised early in the second period to set the scoreline level again.
Three answers
1. Could this unbalanced defence handle Atlético Madrid’s attacking power?
When the fixture list was released in the summer, it would’ve been interesting to see the odds on Real Madrid’s line-up including a back line of Lucas Vázquez, Aurélien Tchouameni, Raúl Asencio and Fran García. This is so far from full-strength for Los Blancos, that the second choice XI of a fully-fit squad would probably be better than the four put out at the Bernabéu on Saturday night. In Vázquez and García, there were two offensive full-backs alongside a midfielder playing in defence and a man who had never played higher than the third tier of Spanish football until only a couple of months ago. Atlético looked most dangerous on the counter-attack, but Real Madrid’s defence stood firm for the most part. The commitment of Fede Valverde and Dani Ceballos, who largely stayed very conservative in their positioning, and the sheer amount of ground covered by Jude Bellingham, meant that they were rarely left exposed.
2. Would Carlo Ancelotti be able to outsmart Diego Simeone?
If there has been one chink in Carlo Ancelotti’s armour at Real Madrid, it’s been that while his victories over Atlético Madrid have been unforgettable, he doesn’t have the most impressive record against Diego Simeone. The two have met 24 times in this fixture, with Ancelotti coming out on top eight times, and Simeone winning eight, with eight draws. The perfect balance isn’t so well reflected in La Liga, where Ancelotti has won two compared to Simeone’s five, with four draws. Tactically, this was a real battle of wits, with both coaches looking to exploit the flanks in order to find a weakness in their opponent. The tweaks, with both sides going more direct in the second half, were interesting, with Simeone’s side switching to a back five to shut down the space that was opening up as their initial high line started to tire. Ancelotti’s response, bringing energy into the midfield with Eduardo Camavinga and Luka Modrić kept the game moving without compromising on the defensive commitment that had reduced opportunities for Atlético earlier on.
3. Would Tuesday night’s clash with Manchester City be a distraction?
Even with the team selection, you could argue that one eye was on Manchester. Ferland Mendy has often been preferred ahead of Fran García in the more demanding fixtures, while Luka Modrić was also tipped as a potential surprise in the side but was not risked having played against Leganés on Thursday. If anything, there was more indication of that in the first half, when Real Madrid looked to be playing with a tad less intensity and operating with much more patience, than in the second period where the home team came out all guns blazing. Ancelotti did not turn to his substitutes and options from the bench until the game was into the final 10 minutes, and there was no sign of him having his mind elsewhere. This game was one played with all the commitment and work rate of players knowing the potential importance it could have come the end of the season.
Three questions
1. Were Real Madrid Unfortunate Victims of César Soto Grade?
The build-up this week, from Real Madrid’s letter to the RFEF through to Atlético’s pre-match social media, has all been about referees. Nobody would envy César Soto Grado as the man in neon yellow in the middle. Even less so when he was given some difficult decisions to make and had the Bernabéu on his back. Dani Ceballos was the first, being perhaps a little fortunate to only see a yellow card for a late stamp on Pablo Barrios, while Aurélien Tchouameni then caught Samuel Lino in the box as the ball went past him. It seemed a soft call to give, but even the most dedicated of Madridistas would recognise that the same incident outside the box would regularly be awarded as a foul. Soto Grado himself did not initially award the penalty, only going to review the incident once indicated to by VAR official Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.
2. Is Jude Bellingham the new Joselu?
Much of Real Madrid’s offensive play came through a tactic of looking to exploit Atlético’s flanks and then look to cross into Bellingham aerially in the box, with Kylian Mbappé ready to pounce on any deflections or miscued clearances. It was exactly the tactic which saw Real Madrid score early on in the second half, and then rock the crossbar with a Bellingham header. Bellingham won all three of his headers, two of them in the Atlético Madrid box, and looked a real nuisance and an additional body in the box that Atleti struggled to handle. With a front four of Mbappé, Bellingham emerging late, and Vinícius and Rodrygo mopping up at the far post, it was quite the challenge for Atlético to find a way to stop Real Madrid’s offensive strength in numbers.
3. What does this mean for the title race?
The result here means that Real Madrid stay top of La Liga and maintain their one-point advantage over Atlético Madrid. As such, the title race remains under their control. Barcelona can reduce the gap to two points should they beat Sevilla on Sunday night at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Also worth noting is that there is a strong chance that this won’t be the last derby of the season. Real Madrid’s path in the Champions League means that, should they overcome Manchester City, there’s a 50% chance that they could face Atlético in Europe’s elite competition, while they are also one of three possible opponents left in the Copa del Rey ahead of the semi-final draw on Wednesday. Buckle in.