Atletico Madrid defeated Real Madrid 2-1 at a jubilant Metropolitano after Dean Huijsen’s second-half dismissal turned the Madrid derby in the hosts’ favour.
The result gives Atletico four consecutive home LaLiga games against their city rivals without defeat, including three wins and one draw. It also moved Diego Simeone’s side into second place, while Real Madrid dropped to third after suffering their second defeat of the campaign.
The derby began cautiously, with neither goalkeeper seriously tested during a first half short on clear chances. Thibaut Courtois was eventually required to push away a whipped delivery from Lee Kang-in that was heading towards the far post.
The match was nevertheless full-blooded, with both teams committing to a series of fierce challenges. Atletico were seeking only their third victory in 12 club head-to-head meetings against Jose Mourinho, while Real Madrid were attempting to win three successive derbies for the first time since December 2020.
VAR was involved in two notable first-half incidents. Jude Bellingham was initially booked after an old-fashioned 50-50 challenge with Cristian Romero. Romero, making his Madrid derby debut, then faced the possibility of a red card, but the decision was changed to a yellow card and transferred from Bellingham to the Atletico player.
Lee also escaped a sending-off after a challenge that appeared more dangerous than Romero’s, adding to the frustration of a Real Madrid side that had struggled to impose itself.
Real Madrid’s situation worsened shortly after the restart. Huijsen pulled back Giuliano Simeone and was sent off for a professional foul. The dismissal followed a VAR review of the initial penalty decision.
Courtois cut an imposing figure on the goal-line, but he could not unsettle Alex Grimaldo, who calmly converted from the spot. It was Grimaldo’s second successful penalty in three games.
Atletico then took control and doubled their lead before the hour mark. Jonathan David slid the ball into the net from Giuliano Simeone’s driven cross, becoming the first Atleti player in the 21st century to score in each of his first three LaLiga appearances.
The hosts appeared comfortable for much of the remainder of the contest, but Real Madrid ensured a tense finish when Antonio Rudiger headed in from Bernardo Silva’s inviting free-kick.
Despite the late pressure, and whistles from the crowd as the closing stages unfolded, Atletico held on to complete a significant derby victory.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Giuliano Simeone, Atletico Madrid.