Kylian Mbappe netted the first goal in the capital derby, but it was only enough for Real Madrid to secure a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid.
Julian Alvarez put Atletico in the lead with a penalty in the 35th minute. However, Mbappe equalized for the home team just five minutes into the second half, helping Real Madrid maintain their position against Atletico in the standings. Jude Bellingham hit the crossbar as Madrid searched for a second goal, while Atletico’s goalkeeper Jan Oblak successfully denied shots from Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, and Mbappe, ensuring the teams shared the points at Santiago Bernabeu. “We know how to hold our ground and create our opportunities,” said Alvarez. “We are in the fight and will battle until the end.”
Atletico, who made significant investments last summer to recruit Alvarez and other reinforcements, are vying for another La Liga title after winning in 2021 and 2014 under coach Diego Simeone. “This draw leaves both teams feeling they could have achieved a better result,” Simeone expressed regretfully, noting how Alvarez and Lino missed chances to extend their lead in a dominant first half. “We had several situations where we lacked the clarity needed for a better finish.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid had to rely on a makeshift defense featuring Lucas Vazquez, midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, and young players Raul Asencio and Fran Garcia. However, coach Carlo Ancelotti also felt dissatisfied with just one point after Madrid’s strong performance in the second half. “This will be a fiercely competitive league until the very end,” Ancelotti predicted regarding the title race.
Next, Real Madrid will travel to face Man City on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League playoff. Ancelotti hinted at possible changes to his starting lineup against Man City, particularly in midfield, as he has limited defensive options aside from bringing Ferland Mendy back, making it challenging to adjust his attacking lineup. This likely means that Dani Ceballos may make way for either Eduardo Camavinga or Luka Modric in the midfield.
In other matches, Oihan Sancet scored a hat-trick, leading Athletic Bilbao to a 3-0 victory over Girona, temporarily closing the gap to one point behind third-place Barcelona. Athletic, managed by Ernesto Valverde, has not lost in 14 consecutive matches since falling to Girona on October 6.
New winger Antony continued to impress for Real Betis by scoring his first goal since joining on loan from Man United. He skillfully struck the ball from inside the box to give Betis the lead, followed by Diego Llorente’s header for the second goal in the 22nd minute. Real Betis hit the woodwork twice. However, Fran Beltran ignited a comeback for Celta Vigo with a powerful shot from outside the box in the 63rd minute. Javi Rodriguez quickly equalized, before Williot Swedberg scored the decisive goal in the 87th minute, completing a stunning 3-2 turnaround for Celta Vigo.
Alejandro Baena and Ayoze Perez scored in Villarreal’s 2-1 victory over Las Palmas. The two teams paused the game momentarily in the 20th minute to applaud midfielder Kirian Rodriguez, who wears the number 20 shirt, in support of Las Palmas’ captain. Rodriguez announced this week that he will temporarily step away from football for the second time to undergo treatment for a recurring cancer.
THANH TUẤN