There is always fierce tumult, drama, frustration, and controversy surrounding another Old Lady derby between the two Spanish capital giants, both on and off the field. The Whites seemed to snatch three points against Atlético Madrid only to be denied in injury time by Ángel Correa’s stoppage-time equaliser for the Radicals. However, ugly scenes in the stands will overshadow what could have been a tactical battle between two of Spain’s most successful clubs.
Mbappé is missing from the pre-match build-up.
Fans left ahead of a game in which Real Madrid would have to function without Kylian Mbappé, who sat out with a muscular injury. That left manager Carlo Ancelotti with some real decisions as to how to reposition his attack. Instead of throwing the baby and the bath water away by substituting Arda Güler or moving Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo Goes up a peg, Ancelotti opted for experience, deploying Luka Modrić as a forward.
Dribbling into his late 30s, Modrić wasn’t the same paceman he once was, but his vision and control of the game were priceless assets. Combined with Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde in midfield, they made things tight at worst, if not exactly explosive, going forward. Vinícius and Rodrygo reverted to their regular positions in a tighter 4-3-3, but without Mbappé’s speed and finishing, Real Madrid never did feel fully capable of breaking the defence of Atlético.
First Half: Courtois vs. the Crowd
As the game began at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, the crowd was charged. Not too much time passed before the discontent at the hands of Atlético focused on Thibaut Courtois, who had once been one of them but was now in a Real Madrid shirt. There had always been a lot of resentment from the home crowd toward Courtois for choosing to move to Real Madrid, and things became dangerous with the objects ranging from lights and bags hitting the pitch. Courtois remained very calm, but the referee had no choice but to suspend the game for 15 minutes to cool the situation.
Such behaviour was not fully expected. The Frente Atlético, a notorious ultra-Nazi group that has been a persistent problem for Atlético Madrid supporters, likely caused the chaos. However, the authorities swiftly responded and temporarily halted play to ensure the game’s restart.
Second Half: Militano Strikes, But Correa Responds
Back in the game in the second half, Real Madrid made good use of the fantastic volley Éder Milito showed to score from a set piece. That put Los Blancos ahead, and in the final stages, it seemed that visitors would leave Old Trafford with three points. For much of the second half, Real Madrid were in possession and looked entirely comfortable managing the game—even if they didn’t really create too many clear-cut opportunities.
But Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to make no change until the 86th minute would prove to be a costly choice, because when Lucas Vázquez, Endrick, and Fran García did arrive, Atlético Madrid were already in cruise control. Simeone thought his opponents were beginning to get a little too loose, so he brought on some fresh faces, and his gamble paid off.
In the 96th minute, in a goalmouth scrum, Ángel Correa made a mess of the ball across the line. The referee signaled his first contact as offside, but VAR intervened to confirm Correa’s position as legal. Thus, it was upheld. Atlético fans went ecstatic, and Real Madrid supporters fumed.
Tired legs, tactical failures?
One of the talking points going into the derby was the 48-hour rest difference between the two teams: Real had played their previous match on Tuesday night, giving them that crucial extra two days of rest compared to Atlético, who played on Thursday. Everybody expected Real Madrid to maul Atlético physically, but that just never quite materialised.
In fact, Real Madrid had greater possession at halftime and created a few chances, but it was Atlético who finished the stronger side. Again, Diego Simeone showed why Atlético Madrid are so difficult to beat: his tactical nous and ability to rally his players when the real action is going on. They weren’t at their best, but they could find a result, even against adversity.
What went wrong for Real Madrid?
Looking back, Real Madrid will regret the missed opportunity. While Milito’s goal was a little bit of brilliance, the rest of the match, the team was really struggling to break down Atlético’s defense. The 0.68 xG they generated reflects their inability to create meaningful scoring opportunities. Of course, without Mbappé, the team didn’t have the cutting edge they needed to put the game to bed early.
Ancelotti will also encounter doubts about his timing, as his late substitutions did not yield the desired results, and some fans may question why they did not attempt more aggressive plays during the game. A defence that had been so solid all game finally began to crumble at the end, which will hurt more because it was a missed opportunity.
Courtois was fired up—literally.
During this game, Thibaut Courtois experienced a level of pressure he had never experienced with Real Madrid, which is what made his attack so unique. The Atlético supporters undoubtedly despised Courtois, ridiculing his every action. While the stands were brutal, Courtois was completely focused and even came up with some crucial saves that kept Real Madrid in the game.
Just when Courtois was cheering on Militão’s goal with teammates, that just fuelled the anger of the faithful. At that moment, objects began to rain from the stands, temporarily suspending the game. While no injuries were sustained, this incident highlights the potential for uncontrollable escalation in the atmosphere during high-stakes Derbys like this one.
Conclusion: A Point Gained or Two Lost?
Ultimately, Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw against Atlético Madrid will be one of those games they could have won but didn’t. And though they remain the only true contender to Barcelona in the league, being just three points behind Barça, this match highlighted some of the problems that Ancelotti still needs to fix—most notably the dependence on a few key players and the inability to finish games when these are of the essence.
Atletico will continue to stay within the reach of the race with this point, but the ugly scenes from the stands by its fans and club may be penalized. La Liga may decide to intervene, potentially prolonging the battle beyond the final whistle.
Undoubtedly, this derby will remain etched in memory for an extended period, albeit with unfavorable connotations.
