Real Madrid 3-2 Atlético Madrid: Los Blancos come from behind to close gap to Barça | OneFootball

Real Madrid came from behind to claim a 3-2 win in the Derbi Madrileño, closing the gap to Barcelona and denying Atlético Madrid just their second LaLiga double over los Blancos since the 1950/51 season.

Atléti took the lead shortly after the half-hour mark through a close-range finish from Ademola Lookman, but los Blancos were lethal in front of goal after the break and needed just 10 minutes to turn the game around through a Vinicius Jr penalty and a Fede Valverde strike.

The visitors equalised with a stunning Nahuel Molina strike before Vinicius Jr restored Real Madrid’s lead from the edge of the box.

Having been made to see out the victory with ten men following Fede Valverde’s dismissal, Álvaro Arbeloa’s side close the gap to Barcelona in the LaLiga table to just four points, having trailed by seven after the blaugrana‘s win against Rayo Vallecano earlier on Sunday.

As it happened

Knowing that Barcelona had extended their lead at the top of the LaLiga table to seven points with victory against Rayo Vallecano earlier on Sunday, Real Madrid started well in the Derbi Madrileño.

Vinicius Jr found his way into the final third and was felled by Robin Le Normand, although the referee opted to allow play to continue. Brahim Díaz’s layoff for Dani Carvajal on the edge of the box was a well-worked move, and while the defender slipped as he unleashed his shot, it was still fierce enough to force a save from Juan Musso.

Álvaro Arbeloa would have been pleased with his side’s early display at the Santiago Bernabéu, but they lacked that clinical touch inside the penalty area. Fede Valverde was also denied inside the opening 10 minutes, striking the base of the post after being played through by Aurélien Tchouaméni and making the foray forward from the halfway line on his own.

But Atléti threatened too, and produced a fine chance just seconds later when Antoine Griezmann’s cutback allowed Marcos Llorente to get a shot off under pressure from Carvajal. Andriy Lunin did well to recover and make the save after initially letting the midfielder’s effort sneak under his body, and VAR found that Carvajal’s slide tackle on Llorente was not deserving of a penalty.

Real Madrid had opportunities to take the lead when Arda Güler’s volley into the ground skipped wide of the far post and then when the Turkish international’s corner was met by Vinicius Jr, who twice saw his shot blocked by Giuliano Simeone before Llorente finally cleared.

Los Blancos hadn’t made their chances count, and it came back to bite them shortly after the half-hour mark. Johnny Cardoso picked out Ademola Lookman on the left, with the Nigerian international drawing out two defenders before playing out wide for Matteo Ruggeri. The ball soon found a way back to Lookman, though, with the 28-year-old London-born forward slotting home from close range after a tidy backheel assist from Simeone.

The hosts could have drawn level just before the break when a Carvajal cross towards the penalty spot was met by Tchouaméni, though the Frenchman’s header flew wide of the post after he arrived late in the box.

But while the first half had been a tale of missed chances and wastefulness in front of goal for Arbeloa’s men, they emerged from the break with a newfound potency in front of goal. Díaz danced towards the byline on the right flank before his ankle was clipped by David Hancko, with Vinicius Jr despatching a composed effort from the penalty spot that sent Musso the wrong way.

Real Madrid needed just three minutes to turn the tie around, taking the lead for the first time on the night when Valverde closed down a loose clearance from an under-pressure José Giménez before firing past Musso with aplomb.

That would just be the start of a thrilling second half, though, because while Atléti had nothing to play for in terms of league position, they were seeking just their second LaLiga double over their city rivals in 75 years. The first came in the form of Nahuel Molina, who rippled the back of the net with a stunning strike from range to restore parity, just a week after an equally-impressive finish against Getafe.

Nobody needed to tell Arbeloa’s men that a point would not be enough in their fight to reclaim the LaLiga title, and so just six minutes after Molina’s emphatic equaliser, Vini Jr took it upon himself to restore the hosts’ lead from the edge of the box. Trent Alexander-Arnold pushed forward from the right before switching play to the Brazilian, who edged past Álex Baena and cut inside to shoot.

Holding onto that lead would soon be made much more difficult, though, when Real Madrid saw captain Fede Valverde dismissed for a challenge on Baena. The Uruguayan attempted to nip his boot around the legs of his opponent and José Luis Munuera Montero did not hesitate to show a straight red card, with Arbeloa’s protests from the touchline proving moot.

Julian Álvarez looked to make Atléti’s newfound advantage count inside the final ten minutes when he was played in by Molina in a central area, unleashing a fierce strike that seemed destined to test Lunin but ultimately crashed against the frame of the goal.

The final whistle at the Santiago Bernabéu brought an end to an enthralling Derbi Madrileño, with Real Madrid emerging victorious as they keep pace with Barcelona at the very top of the LaLiga table.