Real Madrid triumphed, with a final score of 3-2, in the city derby against Atletico Madrid, in a match in which Vinicius Jr. scored a “double” and in which the away team took the lead, thanks to a goal scored by Ademola Lookman. Federico Valverde added his name to the scorers list, but, near the end of the match, the Uruguayan footballer was sent off, following a rough foul committed on Alex Baena. In these conditions, the group “los blancos” remains four lengths behind the ones from Barcelona, ​​while the group “los colchoneros” occupies the fourth position, behind the ones from Villareal.

Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid faced each other in the third episode of the city derby of this season, this time, the confrontation counting for the return of the domestic championship in Spain. In the general classification of LaLiga, before this match, the group “los blancos” was seven points behind the current leader, FC Barcelona, ​​while the band “los colchoneros” was positioned nine lengths behind the rival in the city.

In the previous two matches that took place this season, the students trained by Diego Simeone had achieved a success at the “Estadio Metropolitano”, in the round of the domestic competition, final score 5-2, and the “galactics” managed to get their revenge in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup, in Saudi Arabia, when the goals scored by Federico Valverde and Rodrygo would make the difference. Alvaro Arbeloa could not rely on Thibaut Courtois at the time of this match, with Andriy Lunin being sent off between the home goals, while Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham were restored in time for this game.

Diego Simeone did not have Rodrigo Mendoza, Pablo Barrios and Jan Oblak available for this match, with the Slovenian goalkeeper being replaced by Juan Musso, the visitors’ Argentine goalkeeper. In the most recent stage of the domestic championship, Real Madrid would win the duel that was played in the company of Elche, final score 4-1, while Atletico de Madrid defeated Getafe, at home, at the limit, final score 1-0. At the same time, in the middle of last week, both bands from the Spanish capital would qualify for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in the company of clubs from the Premier League.

If the “los blancos” group would eliminate Manchester City with an overall score of 5-1, the “rojiblancos” group would manage to prevail with an overall score of 7-5 against Tottenham Hotspur. Before the starting whistle of this derby, the most recent victory of Real Madrid, in LaLiga, against the rival from the Spanish capital, was in 2022, when, at the “Estadio Metropolitano”, the “galactics” would secure the three points thanks to the goals scored by Rodrygo and Federico Valverde. In the most recent performance that took place between the two teams at the “Bernabeu”, in all competitions, the “los blancos” group would triumph, by the limit, with a final score of 2-1, against the students trained by Diego Simeone.

The first goal-scoring opportunity came in the third minute of the match, when Vinicius Junior’s cross was volleyed in from inside the box by Federico Valverde, but Juan Musso intervened and kept his team “alive”. Federico Valverde created an exceptional phase in the ninth minute of the match, when he sped past two visitors’ defenders and shot into the right post of the Atletico Madrid goal. Immediately on the counterattack, Diego Simeone’s team could have opened the scoring, when Antoine Griezmann left Marcos Llorente in a favorable position, but the Spaniard’s shot was twice blocked by Andriy Lunin.

Dani Carvajal threw a ball to the edge of the penalty area, and, from the volley, Arda Guler tried to finish with a shot to the far corner, but the ball went past the posts defended by Juan Musso. The next goal-scoring opportunity belonged to the hosts, when Arda Guler sent a ball to the far post, where Antonio Rudiger almost sent it into the net, but his execution was stopped in time by an opposing defender. The scoreboard was unlocked in the 33rd minute, when Ademola Lookman passed to Antoine Griezmann, and the Frenchman’s pass allowed the Nigerian player to finish, calmly, on foot.

Real Madrid came close to equalising near the end of the first half when Dani Carvajal’s cross was headed in by Antonio Rudiger, but the German centre-back’s shot went wide of the goal. Another great opportunity for Real Madrid came in the 45th minute when Arda Guler’s shot was blocked by Juan Musso, but Brahim Diaz missed the target from a few metres. In the 51st minute of the derby, Brahim Diaz fell after a collision with an opposing defender, and the referee awarded a penalty kick for Real Madrid.

From the penalty spot, Vinicius Jr. sent a shot into the far corner of the net, where Juan Musso had dived, and the tie would be tied on aggregate. A huge mistake by the visitors’ defence was capitalised on by Federico Valverde, the Uruguayan taking the ball and finishing with a shot that went past Juan Musso, so the “comeback” was established within a few minutes. Julian Alvarez sent a dangerous shot from inside the box in the 65th minute of the duel at the “Bernabeu”, after receiving a pass from Giuliano Simeone, but his execution went just over the crossbar.

Nahuel Molina “catapulted” a “torpedo” a few minutes after being sent onto the pitch, when he was left free about 25 meters away, and the Argentine footballer did not give Andriy Lunin any chance in this phase. A pass that Vinicius Jr. received on the left flank from Trent Alexander-Arnold was converted into a goal, at the end of a shot that the Brazilian footballer sent to the far corner, Juan Musso having no chance to parry the execution, as a result of the turf that the ball caught near him.

About a quarter of an hour before the final whistle of this game, Federico Valverde received a red card for a foul he committed on Alex Baena, and, despite vehement protests from the home bench, the decision stood. Trent Alexander-Arnold shot from a free kick, from an angle, to the near corner, but Juan Musso intervened decisively and blocked the execution of the English player.

Thanks to this success, Real Madrid remains four points behind Barcelona, ​​while Atletico Madrid is behind Villareal, before the next round in which the “galactics” will play away against Real Mallorca, and the team trained by Diego Simeone will play in the company of Barcelona, ​​at home.