Real Madrid 1 – 1 Atlético Madrid
A fiercely contested Madrid Derby ended in a draw, but the biggest talking point might be the controversial penalty decision that went in Atlético’s favor.
With ongoing disputes over refereeing decisions involving Real Madrid, this match added more fuel to the fire. In an otherwise quiet first half, a highly debatable penalty call allowed Atlético Madrid to take the lead. After the break, Real Madrid, led by Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr., dominated proceedings but could only salvage a point.
The La Liga showdown at Santiago Bernabéu ended 1-1 on Saturday night. Julián Álvarez’s penalty gave Atlético the lead, but Kylian Mbappé equalized in the second half.
Real Madrid were forced to field a makeshift defense due to injuries to key players like Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Éder Militão, and Antonio Rüdiger. Despite this, Atlético struggled to truly test Real’s patched-up backline.
Real dominated the second half, finishing the match with 60% possession and 23 shots, nine of which were on target. In contrast, Atlético managed only 10 shots, with just their penalty attempt hitting the target.
This result means Real Madrid have now gone two league matches without a win. Last week, they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Espanyol.
Despite the draw, Real Madrid remain at the top of the table with 50 points from 23 matches (15 wins, 5 draws). Atlético Madrid sit second with 49 points from the same number of games (14 wins, 7 draws). Barcelona, currently in third place with 45 points and a game in hand, now have an opportunity to close the gap.
Before kickoff, former Real Madrid star Marcelo—one of the club’s most decorated players—was honored at the Bernabéu. Having recently retired, the Brazilian was presented with a special jersey by Luka Modrić.
Once the match began, both teams started cautiously, with little attacking intensity. In the opening 30 minutes, Real Madrid managed four shots, while Atlético had two, though none were on target.
The controversy erupted in the 31st minute when a cross into the Real Madrid box saw Samuel Lino stretch to control the ball. At the same time, Aurélien Tchouaméni’s foot made contact with Lino’s, though the ball had already passed between them. The referee, after a VAR review, awarded a penalty—much to the disbelief of Real Madrid’s players and staff. Ancelotti was visibly frustrated, covering his face in disbelief. Even commentators insisted it was never a penalty. Nonetheless, Álvarez stepped up and converted from the spot to give Atlético the lead.
That was the only shot on target in the entire first half.
Real Madrid came out firing in the second half, pressing hard for an equalizer. Their efforts paid off quickly. In the 50th minute, Rodrygo found Jude Bellingham inside the box, whose shot was blocked. The rebound fell to Mbappé, who calmly slotted it home to level the score.
Just two minutes later, Real almost took the lead. Vinícius Jr. delivered a pinpoint cross to Bellingham, whose header struck the crossbar.
Atlético had a rare chance in the 60th minute when Giuliano Simeone, son of coach Diego Simeone, found himself in a good position but failed to get a clean shot away.
Real Madrid continued to push forward. In the 71st minute, Rodrygo forced Jan Oblak into a diving save with a powerful shot from a tight angle. Just three minutes later, his curling free kick nearly caught everyone off guard, but Oblak managed to parry it away at the last moment.
Despite Real’s relentless pressure, no more goals came, and Atlético held on for a valuable point.
This draw extends Real Madrid’s winless run against Atlético in La Liga to five matches. Their last league victory over their city rivals came on September 18, 2022, in a 2-1 away win. Their only other victory in that span was in the Copa del Rey four months later.
Since then, Ancelotti’s team has struggled to get the better of their cross-town rivals.
