10-man Atletico stymie Real, leaving Barca 7 points clear in LaLiga title race

Despite being a man down, Simeone’s side held on to deny their city rivals a win and grabbed a spot in the top 4

Yaser Muhammad Faisal Jubayer
Published : 26 Feb 2023, 01:31 PM
Updated : 26 Feb 2023, 01:31 PM

High off a decisive thrashing of Liverpool in the Champions League, Real Madrid hoped the momentum would carry over into their more mixed LaLiga campaign. It wasn’t to be. It was derby day after all, and no other game fills fans with more exhilaration and dread. Since winning the league in 2021, Diego Simeone’s side has been far from their best. But they showed their grit and determination on Saturday.

On paper, Real Madrid started in a 4-3-3 formation with Toni Kroos, Dani Ceballos, and Federico Valverde in the midfield and Vinicius Jr, Karim Benzema, and Marco Asensio forming the attack line. On the field, it was a lopsided 4-4-2, with Asensio wider right of midfield, Benzema up front in the middle, and Vinicius staying high on the left wing.

Atletico maintained a 4-5-1 spread with Antoine Griezmann as the sole centre-forward and a staunch midfield of Yannick Carrasco on the left, Saul Niguez, Koke, and Pablo Barrios in the centre midfield, and Marcos Llorente on the right midfielder.

In practice, the game started pragmatically. Asensio dropped into the midfield to form a 4-4-2 and make space for Dani Carvajal’s overlapping runs. Simeone had to switch Saul to left wingback to reinforce their backline. In typical Atleti fashion, they defended very deep, absorbing Real’s attacks and keeping little space between their lines to prevent attacks through the middle.

It worked, and Benzema was kept isolated for the entire first half of the game, with only eight touches of the ball at the break. Vinicius had a few chances to shoot on goal, but Atletico centre-back Savic stayed on him, closing him down whenever the Brazilian tried to open up the backline. In the scant chances Real did get, Asensio and Benzema failed to beat Oblak.

As Real circled hungrily, looking for an opening, Atleti fell back and waited to pounce on the counterattack. Carrasco and Llorente’s quick feet and Griezmann dropping deep to join in the build-up kept them quick on the counter. But, playing deep, there were few bodies in the box, and Atleti seemed reluctant to cross it into Griezmann without support. It was a cautious first half, with the city rivals sizing each other up.

The game grew in intensity after the break. Simeone changed Angel Correa for Pablo Barrios and Thomas Lemar for Llorente to add firepower, and Ancelotti subbed on Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, and Aurelien Tchouameni for Kroos, Asensio, and Ceballos. Both sides seemed ready to take hold of the game and go for it.

And then, it blew up in the 19th minute of the second half. Correa elbowed Antonio Rudiger off the ball right in front of the referee and got a deserved red card. The gloves were off, and there was blood in the water. Atleti, who thrive under adversity and pressure, refused to stay down and hand over control. Simeone brought Alvaro Morata on for Saul and Axel Witsel on for Koke to give the midfield more physicality.

The aggression paid off. With 12 minutes of regulation time on the clock, a free kick fell to Griezmann who delivered a precise, swerving ball into the box. Jose Giminez overpowered Eder Militao, who failed to track the run, and headed it in. Even down by a man, Atletico were somehow in the lead to silence the home crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But Real had their own moment of magic coming. Modric, whose delivery remains brilliant at 37, placed a corner just outside Atleti’s box in the 85th minute. Alvaro Rodriguez ran in from the edge of the box, fired in a textbook header to equalise, and became the youngest player to score in a Madrid derby.

The last few minutes were a scramble as Madrid peppered Atleti with crosses and shots from outside the box. But Atleti stayed solid and composed, seeing out the draw.

Atletico now sit fourth with 42 points, just behind Real Sociedad. They hope to bolster their place in the top four when they host a floundering Sevilla on Mar 5. Real, with 52 points from 23 games, are 7 points adrift of Barca, who played a game less. However, Los Blancos will get a chance to swipe at the leaders when they meet Xavi’s team in the Copa Del Rey semi-final on Mar 3.

This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.