Atletico Madrid put an end to Real Madrid’s flawless start in the 2023/24 season by delivering a remarkable 3-1 victory at the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano.
The goals came courtesy of Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata, securing all three points for Atletico and subsequently causing their rivals, Real Madrid, to fall to third place in the La Liga standings. This put them behind both Barcelona and the unexpected contender, Girona.
Here’s how the game unfolded:
Fueled by the passionate Estadio Civitas Metropolitano crowd, Atletico Madrid swiftly seized the lead within three minutes, thanks to the impressive form of Alvaro Morata. The former Real Madrid player capitalized on a brilliant cross from full-back Samuel Lino, slipping past David Alaba inside the box to head home his fourth La Liga goal of the season.
Continuing their dominance, Atletico astonishingly added a second goal in the 17th minute. Once again, it originated from the left side, with Saul Niguez delivering a precise pass to superstar Antoine Griezmann, who skillfully adjusted to head the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.
The score nearly reached 3-0 at the half-hour mark when Atletico exploited the wide spaces created by Carlo Ancelotti’s narrow formation. This led to a close-range effort by Saul, which forced Kepa into a smart save at his near post.
Despite the game being primarily controlled by the home side, Real Madrid found a way to reduce the deficit in the 35th minute. A moment of brilliance from Toni Kroos, who skillfully maneuvered past Llorente and fired the ball into the bottom left corner of the net, accounted for the goal.
Real Madrid thought they had completed their comeback just before halftime when Jude Bellingham lofted a dangerous ball into the penalty area, finding David Alaba. The Austrian struck the crossbar with his sliding attempt, but the goal was disallowed as Antonio Rudiger had interfered from an offside position during the buildup.
Within 40 seconds of the second-half restart, Morata extended Atletico Madrid’s lead to 3-1. Once again, the home side exploited Real Madrid’s vulnerable right flank, with Saul providing the cross to Morata, who efficiently headed the ball into the net.
The third goal prompted Ancelotti to make a series of substitutions, with three players coming on in the 56th minute. One of these substitutes, Aurelien Tchouameni, came close to narrowing the score to 2-1 with a fierce long-range effort that narrowly missed the target.
In the final 30 minutes, Diego Simeone’s team, as is often their trademark, defensively solidified and prevented Real Madrid from creating any significant scoring opportunities.
Real Madrid player ratings
Goalkeeper: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 5/10 – Failed to make crucial saves against Atleti’s goals.
Right-Back: Lucas Vazquez – 2/10 – Overwhelmed by Atletico Madrid, conceding all three goals from his defensive position.
Center-Back: Antonio Rudiger – 4/10 – Struggled on the field and lacked coordination with Alaba.
Center-Back: David Alaba – 3/10 – Displayed inconsistency, being caught out of position for both of Morata’s goals.
Left-Back: Fran Garcia – 4/10 – Left exposed due to the manager’s tactics, making it a challenging evening.
Central Midfield: Federico Valverde – 4/10 – Failed to adequately cover defensive gaps on the flanks, resulting in disadvantages for Madrid.
Central Midfield: Toni Kroos – 7/10 – Impressed with a stunning long-range goal in the first half.
Central Midfield: Eduardo Camavinga – 4/10 – Struggled with clumsiness during the match, particularly in midfield.
Attacking Midfield: Jude Bellingham – 5/10 – Positioned as a lone striker in the first half, which proved ineffective. Saw limited involvement in the second half.
Attacking Midfield: Luka Modric – 4/10 – Substituted at halftime after a challenging first 45 minutes, mainly due to Ancelotti’s unconventional tactics.
Striker: Rodryo Goes – 4/10 – Lacked form and impact during the match.
Substitutes:
Substitute: Joselu (45′ for Modric) – 5/10 – Failed to make a significant impact.
Substitute: Nacho Fernandez (56′ for Vazquez) – 5/10.
Substitute: Aurelien Tchouameni (56′ for Camavinga) – 5/10.
Substitute: Ferland Mendy (56′ for Garcia) – 5/10.
Substitute: Brahim Diaz (70′ for Kroos) – 5/10.
Manager – Carlo Ancelotti – 2/10 – The legendary Italian manager’s decision to employ a formation with five narrow midfielders ultimately proved costly in the Madrid derby. Simeone’s side effortlessly exploited the vacant spaces on the flanks.
