The Madrid Derby won by Barcelona
Both sides took positives from El Derbi, but neither were happy with the end result.
After their European exit on Thursday night, Barcelona will be sleeping a little more comfortably following another stumble from their title rivals. Real Madrid missed an opportunity to put any extra pressure on the table-toppers as they were unable to beat 10-man Atlético Madrid in the third and final Madrid Derby of the season.
The game was heading for stalemate before a controversial refereeing decision gave the game the spark it needed. Jesús Gil Manzano – already the subject of much pre-match conversation – was firmly in the spotlight when he sent off substitute Ángel Correa for an elbow into the chest of Antonio Rüdiger. While it was a silly action from Correa, it hardly warranted the maximum punishment, nor did it necessitate the German to fall to the ground so theatrically.
From that moment, Real were seemingly in the box seat, but it was actually the ten men of Atleti who took the lead 15 minutes later, heading for their first win at the Santiago Bernabéu since 2016. José María Giménez showed more desire than the Real Madrid defenders to plant the ball beyond Thibaut Courtois and score his first goal of the season. The free kick was expertly delivered by Antoine Griezmann, who was once again marvellous in all aspects of the game.
Giménez was only on the pitch due to the injury sustained by Reinildo in the first half, the severity of which was confirmed by Atleti shortly after the game. The Mozambique international has been one of the best defenders this season, but his campaign has been cut short by an ACL rupture.
The goal seemed to wake up the Madridistas, who were suddenly more urgent and forced Jan Oblak into some smart saves. It was from one of those such attacks that they earned the corner through which they equalised. Luka Modrić found the dangerous area and Álvaro Rodríguez made the perfect connection to equalise. A momentous moment for the 18-year-old, who emulated his Castilla coach Raúl in scoring his first senior goal in a Madrid Derby.
In just 15 minutes of LaLiga football, the prodigious teenager already has a goal and an assist, showing how effective he can be. Carlo Ancelotti admitted that he would be part of the first-team squad next season, stating “he has a quality that few players have”. Offering a physical presence and an option for an alternative attacking approach, Rodríguez is surely now ahead of the likes of Eden Hazard and Mariano Díaz in the pecking order.
As for Real Madrid’s prospects in the title race, Thibaut Courtois conceded that this draw does little for Los Blancos, but Carlo Ancelotti is not going to give up just yet. “It’s not a goodbye to LaLiga, but it’s even more complicated than it was before the game. We have to fight until the end and see what happens”.
The reality is, however, that the deficit to Barcelona will reach double digits if the Catalans win against Almería on Sunday night. This brings the Copa del Rey Clásico into even sharper focus. Madrid are in the middle of a demanding fixture schedule and a punishing run of games.
“Now the Copa is the most important thing, we are 270 minutes away from a title” — Carlo Ancelotti
Their trip to Anfield could hardly have gone much better, giving them an almost-unassailable advantage in the Champions League, but in the league they have stumbled again. After collecting 31 of the first 33 points available, they have picked up just 21 of the subsequent 36, dropping points in six of the last 12 games, winning only half during that period. 52 is the lowest points tally for Real Madrid at this stage under Ancelotti in his four seasons at the club.
With two legs of the Copa semi-final against Barça ahead, as well as league trips to Betis and Camp Nou in the next three weeks, many could argue this is a season-defining run for them. Others would point to the Champions League becoming even more important than before given their reducing chances of retaining their league title. Either way, it was Barcelona who took the most from this particular capital clash.