Real Madrid's Underrated Players Outshine Kylian Mbappe: Takeaways From 2–1 Victory vs. Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

A thrilling Champions League night at the Santiago Bernabéu ended with Real Madrid securing a 2–1 victory over Atlético Madrid.

Just three days ago, Real Madrid fell to third in the La Liga standings after a poor defeat against Real Betis. Now, they are celebrating a hard-fought win in the first leg of their round of 16 tie against Atlético Madrid.

Rodrygo opened the scoring for Los Blancos inside of four minutes with a brilliant piece of individual skill, but Julián Alvarez responded with one of the best Champions League goals of the season so far. Brahim Díaz, who started in place of the suspended Jude Bellingham, found the winner for the hosts in the 55th minute and gave Real Madrid a one-goal advantage heading into the second leg at the Metropolitano.

Here's three takeaways from Real Madrid's victory over Atlético Madrid.

Real Madrid's Makeshift Backline Is Finding its Form

Real Madrid's defense is stepping up when it matters most. / IMAGO/Alexandra Fechete

So much attention has centered around Real Madrid's backline this season. A seemingly never-ending string of injuries has left Ancelotti with no choice but to play Fede Valverde as a right back and bring 21-year-old Real Madrid Castilla product Raúl Asencio into the lineup. What started as a makeshift defense is slowly developing into a solid unit that can stand tall against some of the best teams in Europe.

After all, Atlético Madrid just put four goals past Barcelona last week. At the Santiago Bernabéu, though, their only goal came from an individual piece of magic from Alvarez.

There are still questions marks surrounding a defense that struggles to keep clean sheets. Still, ever since Ancelotti benched Lucas Vázquez in favor of Valverde and put his trust in Asencio, Los Blancos have looked like a cohesive unit capable of delivering shutdown performances when it matters most. Expect the same back four to get the nod in the second leg, even if Valverde is not fully fit.

Eduardo Camavinga Is a Liability in the Midfield

Eduardo Camavinga was arguably the worst player on the pitch for Real Madrid on Tuesday night. The Frenchman got the nod alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni for the first time in 2025 and only lasted 62 minutes before Ancelotti replaced him with 39-year-old Luka Modrić.

Although his passing was as precise as ever, Camavinga left no real positive impact on the game. In fact, he was in the position to prevent Atlético Madrid's sole goal, but he was outclassed by Alvarez. Perhaps Camavinga did not want to pick up a yellow card and then miss out on the second leg through suspension, but he simply cannot let Atlético Madrid's best goalscorer get past him and into the box.

Camavinga also only won 33% of his ground duels and struggled to keep up with the pace, physicality and precision of Atlético Madrid. With Jude Bellingham returning for the second leg, Camavinga just might find himself on the bench next week.

Real Madrid Need Their Superstars to Play Better

Kylian Mbappé (center) failed to leave his mark against Atletico Madrid. / IMAGO/Guillermo Martinez

Real Madrid's player ratings and their winning scoreline are perhaps a little deceiving. Yes, Díaz's performance deserves to steal the headlines, but Los Blancos should not be relying on the Moroccan, who typically does not even start, to carry them in the Champions League. Especially when Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior are on the pitch.

The two superstars struggled to find the quality needed to contribute in the final third. Real Madrid had a golden opportunity in the dying moments of the game to score a third goal, but a poor pass from Mbappé and an off-balance attempt from Vinícius Júnior left Madridistas with their heads in their hands.

Too often did the Brazilian shoot when he should have passed (and vice versa), and too often did Mbappé take one too many touches inside the penalty area. They simply were not on the same page, like so many times this season, and Ancelotti's decision to roll out a 4-4-2 did the two players no favors.

The return of Bellingham should help Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé find a breakthrough against Simeone's disciplined defense. If not, Real Madrid will have a mountain to climb at the Metropolitano.