Atletico Madrid defeated Real Madrid 2-1 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Sunday to move into second place in LaLiga.
Diego Simeone's side took full advantage after Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen was sent off early in the second half. Second-half goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Jonathan David secured the derby victory for the hosts before Antonio Rüdiger scored a late goal for the visitors.
Goalless opening half
The derby began at a competitive pace in front of more than 70,000 spectators at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium. Álex Baena committed a heavy challenge on Real Madrid midfielder Arda Güler after five minutes, drawing a foul from the referee.
One minute later, Atlético manager Diego Simeone received the first yellow card of the match for complaining to the referee from the touchline. Neither side managed to create clear scoring opportunities during the opening 13 minutes of play.
Jonathan David had the first notable chance for Atlético in the 15th minute, connecting with a header inside the penalty area that was cleared by the Real Madrid defense. Real Madrid responded in the 21st minute when Aurélien Tchouaméni struck a shot from outside the box that sailed over the crossbar.
Giuliano Simeone missed a clear opportunity for Atlético in the 22nd minute, sending a strike wide of the left post from inside the box. Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior then missed two chances in quick succession, firing over the bar from inside the box in the 24th minute and lifting another effort high from the edge of the area in the 26th minute.
Atlético defender David Hancko saw a long-range effort blocked by the visiting defense in the 32nd minute before Marc Pubill received a yellow card three minutes later. The half featured two separate video assistant referee reviews before the break.
In the 37th minute, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was shown a yellow card, but the booking was overturned following a VAR review. Two minutes later, Atlético defender Cristian Romero received a yellow card after a VAR review confirmed a studs-up challenge on Bellingham. The referee added three minutes of stoppage time as the teams went into half time tied at 0-0.
Red card and second half goals
Atlético made a tactical change at the start of the second half, bringing on Koke to replace Marc Pubill. The home side threatened immediately in the 47th minute when Álex Baena cut inside the penalty box, but Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved his strike.
The key moment of the match arrived in the 49th minute when Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen brought down Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty box. The referee initially showed Huijsen a yellow card in the 50th minute, but after inspecting the pitchside monitor on a VAR review in the 52nd minute, he upgraded the call to a direct red card, leaving Real Madrid with ten players.
Alejandro Grimaldo stepped up to take the penalty in the 53rd minute and calmly placed his shot into the corner to give Atlético a 1-0 lead. Real Madrid manager José Mourinho responded in the 54th minute with a double substitution, bringing on Yan Diomandé and Antonio Rüdiger for Vinicius Junior and Arda Güler.
Atlético doubled their advantage in the 59th minute. Giuliano Simeone delivered an assist to set up Jonathan David, who finished past Courtois to make it 2-0 and prompt a joyful celebration on the touchline from manager Diego Simeone.
Late drama at the Metropolitano
Both managers turned to their benches as the second half progressed. Atlético introduced Julián Álvarez for goalscorer Jonathan David in the 62nd minute, while Real Madrid brought on Eduardo Camavinga for Aurélien Tchouaméni in the 71st minute after Ademola Lookman had replaced Álex Baena for the hosts in the 67th minute.
Atlético came close to scoring a third goal in the 65th minute. Courtois produced a saving hand stop to deny a shot from Cristian Romero, before Rüdiger cleared the ball off the goal line to block a follow-up attempt from Julián Álvarez.
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé tried to create an opening in the 75th minute, but Atlético's defense closed down the attack. Two minutes later, Yan Diomandé received a precise pass inside the box, only for Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak to rush out and make the save.
Jude Bellingham received a yellow card in the 78th minute for a heavy tackle on Julián Álvarez before being replaced by Bernardo Silva in the 82nd minute. Atlético made their final changes in the 89th minute, bringing on Robin Le Normand and Morten Hjulmand for Cristian Romero and Kang-In Lee.
The referee signaled six minutes of additional time at the end of the 90 minutes. In the 90th minute, Bernardo Silva delivered a precise cross into the penalty box, allowing Rüdiger to connect with a header and cut Real Madrid's deficit to 2-1.
Atlético defended their lead through the remaining minutes of stoppage time to secure the 2-1 victory at the final whistle.
Confirmed lineups and team lists
Atlético de Madrid lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Jan Oblak in goal behind a defense of Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Cristian Romero, and David Hancko. Giuliano Simeone, Álex Baena, Johnny Cardoso, and Alejandro Grimaldo formed the midfield unit, supporting forward pair Kang-In Lee and Jonathan David.
Real Madrid started with Thibaut Courtois in goal behind defenders Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté, Dean Huijsen, and Marc Cucurella. Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni started in central midfield behind an attacking group of Arda Güler, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappé.
Recent form and broadcast details
The victory moved Atlético de Madrid into second place in LaLiga, overtaking Real Madrid in the table. Atlético entered the derby following two straight wins, having defeated Osasuna 4-0 on September 16 and Real Sociedad 3-0 on September 13. Their previous results also included a 2-1 loss to Liverpool on September 9, a 3-0 loss to Athletic Club on August 5, and a 3-1 victory over Sevilla on August 29.
Real Madrid had entered the derby following a 3-2 victory against Elche on September 15. Their earlier results in the campaign included a 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano on September 12, a 2-1 win against Inter Milan on September 8, a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis on September 4, and a 4-0 victory against Málaga on August 30.
Prior to kickoff, betting operators had favored Real Madrid to win the derby. Betsson listed Real Madrid at 1.98, a draw at 3.60, and an Atlético win at 3.55. Betano priced Real Madrid at 1.98, a draw at 3.75, and Atlético at 3.55. Bet365 set odds of 1.95 for Real Madrid, 3.80 for a draw, and 3.60 for Atlético. 1XBet quoted 2.03 for Real Madrid, 3.94 for a draw, and 3.71 for Atlético. Caliente offered 1.99 for Real Madrid, 3.90 for a draw, and 3.55 for Atlético, while Doradobet listed Real Madrid at 1.94, a draw at 4.00, and Atlético at 3.50.
The match was broadcast live on television across Spanish-language markets by ESPN and streamed via the Disney+ Premium Plan. The fixture kicked off at 9:15 a.m. local time in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. In Costa Rica and Mexico, the game started at 8:15 a.m., while coverage began at 10:15 a.m. in Bolivia, Venezuela, and the United States cities of Miami, New York, and Washington D.C. The match kicked off at 11:15 a.m. in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and at 4:15 p.m. in Spain.
