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Thomas Lemar had a wonderful opportunity to equalise but he made an absolute mess of it. Moments later, a Jan Oblak own goal doubled the lead for Los Blancos. Head coach Zinedine Zidane now finds his team just three points off the top.
MATCH REPORT |
Casemiro had opened the scoring for Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid was unable to mount a comeback in the first 45 minutes. Atleti manager Diego Simeone made a host of changes at the start of the second half but those didn't work out.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:
AND IT'S FULL-TIME!!
90+3' Karim Benzema with possibly one final attack for Real Madrid. He evades a few Atletico Madrid players and keeps moving forward. However, his through-ball into the box goes out for a goal-kick.
90' FOUR MINUTES OF STOPPAGE TIME TO BE ADDED ON AT THE END OF THE SECOND HALF! Real Madrid's Lucas gets the ball at close range and fires one towards the top right corner. But Atleti keeper Oblak makes another great save.
87' CHANGE! Luka Modric makes way for Federico Valverde in the middle. Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane will be very happy with the Croatian midfielder's performance tonight.
84' FOUL! Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro brings down an opponent near the box. He's been booked already. The referee decides against giving him another card. That was a close one.
81' AMAZING SAVE! Atletico Madrid was moving forward with numbers here. There was a cross from the right flank and Saul Niguez directed the ball towards goal with a wonderful header. But Thibaut Courtois reacted well and made the save to avert Real Madrid's danger.
78' DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION FOR REAL MADRID! Manager Zinedine Zidane takes off Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior. He introduces Rodrygo and Marco Asensio into the game.
75' SHOT! Saul Niguez receives the ball at the edge of the box. He has Atletico Madrid teammates on either side. However, he takes a shot himself and misses the target by a huge margin.
72' SUBSTITUTION! It's the final change for Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone tonight. Midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia will replace striker Luis Suarez on the field.
69' REAL MADRID ATTACK! Karim Benzema and Luka Modric execute a brilliant one-two. The French striker attempts a shot on target from the edge of the box but Atleti keeper Oblak makes an easy save.
66' THROW-IN FOR ATLETICO MADRID! Captain Koke with a poor throw. The away team is still struggling to create chances here. It has clearly been wasteful up front.
63' GOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!!!!! JAN OBLAK SCORES AN OWN GOAL!!!! REAL MADRID 2 - 0 ATLETICO MADRID!!! Dani Carvajal received the ball off a rebound in midfield. He took a brilliant shot from distance. The ball beat Oblak, hit the post, hit the Atleti goalkeeper and went in. Oblak was very unlucky.
61' BOOKING! Atletico Madrid centre-back Stefan Savic receives a yellow card from the referee for his mistimed challenge on an opposition player.
59' CHANGE! A fourth substitution for Atletico Madrid now. Saul Niguez will replace Joao Felix in the middle. Diego Simeone is looking restless in the dugout, while Zinedine Zidane is fairly composed.
56' WHAT A CHANCE! Thomas Lemar has been everywhere since coming on for Atletico Madrid. He gets inside the box and only has RMA keeper Thibaut Courtois to beat, but smashes his shot just inches past the left post. He should have scored there.
55' CORNER FOR ATM! Thomas Lemar is assigned with the set-piece duty now in the absence of Yannick Carrasco. He lifts the ball into the box but the Real Madrid defence clears it away.
52' CORNER FOR RMA! Sergio Ramos took the free-kick. He smashed the ball at the wall. It went out for a corner. Toni Kroos crossed the ball into the box but Los Blancos aren't able to utilise it.
50' FREE-KICK FOR REAL MADRID! This is from a very dangerous position. It's just millimetres away from the box. YELLOW CARD! Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa is booked for a foul on Toni Kroos.
48' INJURY! The Atleti substitute Thomas Lemar comes up with a foul on Casemiro. The Real Madrid physio comes into the field. YELLOW CARD! Lemar goes into the referee's book for the mistimed challenge.
46' TRIPLE SUBSTITUTION! Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone brings in Renan Lodi, Angel Correa and Thomas Lemar for Felipe, Hector Herrera and Yanick Carrasco straightaway.
THE SECND HALF IS UNDERWAY!
Atletico Madrid did create a few chances at the end of the half but it was all Real Madrid before that. Casemiro gave Los Blancos the lead during a Toni Kroos corner and the team could have scored more. Real has been the better side in the final third.
Jan Oblak made a brilliant save to deny Karim Benzema before the opener. However, there haven't been any clear-cut chances for Atleti so far. Both managers will be giving their sides the pep-talk as we head into the final 45 minutes. Stay tuned!
AND IT'S HALF-TIME!!!
45' COUNTER-ATTACK! Real Madrid moving forward with numbers. Toni Kroos to Karim Benzema to Ferland Mendy. But the move eventually breaks down on the left flank. Just one minute of stoppage time to be added on.
42' CORNER FOR ATLETI! Luis Suarez played a wonderful one-two with Joao Felix but the Uruguayan was dispossessed at the edge of the box. However, the referee awarded Atletico Madrid a set-piece. Yannick Carrasco takes it and makes a mess of it.
39' CHANCE FOR ATLETICO MADRID! Yannick Carrasco takes the ball forward on the left flank. He tries to release Joao Felix forward with a delicate pass. However, Felix isn't able to control the ball and loses it to an opposition player.
36' YELLOW CARD! The best player of the first-half aka the Real Madrid workhorse Casemiro is the first player to be booked on the night. The referee penalises him for a silly foul.
33' REAL MADRID ATTACK! Dani Carvajal sprints forward with the ball on the right wing. He sends in a low cross into the box towards Lucas Vazquez, who tries to dribble past a defender and fails. Oblak then averts the danger with a clearance.
31' SHOT! Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos finds himself in a promising position. He has players to pass to on both sides. However, he decides to have a shot on target himself. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak makes a straightforward save for the away side.
28' CHANCE! Hermoso with a quick throw-in. Atletico Madrid goes on the counter. Marcos Llorente receives the ball in midfield and rushes forward. But his pass into the box doesn't find a teammate. Real Madrid gets the ball back.
25' CORNER FOR ATLETI! Kieran Trippier will take it. His delivery into the box is a poor one as Real Madrid wins a goal-kick. The home side, which is leading 1-0 at the moment, has enjoyed a whopping 70% possession in this game so far.
22' COUNTER-ATTACK! Real Madrid loses the ball in midfield. Stefan Savic wins it with a good tackle. He tries to find Marcos Llorente with a through-pass but he put too much power on the ball. The referee signals a goal-kick for Real.
19' CROSS! Mario Hermoso comes up with a good move on the left flank. He attempts to cross the ball into the box towards an onrushing Yannick Carrasco. However, Thibaut Courtois shows good awareness and comes off his line to collect the ball.
16' GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!!!!! CASEMIRO SCORES!!! REAL MADRID 1 - 0 ATLETICO MADRID! This was from a corner. Toni Kroos took the set-piece. The Atleti players inside the box just switched off as Los Blancos take the lead. Casemiro jumped the highest and headed the ball into the bottom right corner.
13' THROW-IN FOR REAL! Real Madrid is slowly gaining the advantage at the moment. Raphael Varane is going for the long throw into the box. The Atletico Madrid defence is alert and clears the ball away.
10' OFF THE CROSS BAR! Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema received the ball at the edge of the box. He took a touch with his right foot and let one fly with his left. Atletico Madrid keeper Jan Oblak got the slightest of touches on the ball as it hit the post and went out.
7' CHANCE! Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric receives pass from the right flank and he smashes a shot from just outside the box. The ball misses the target by a whisker.
5' FOUL! The referee awards a free-kick to Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid has started this game well, attacking on the wings. The Real Madrid backline has to be extra careful here.
3' Atletico Madrid full-back Kieran Trippier tries to slide the ball through to a teammate ahead of him but it's well blocked by Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro. The home side regains possession.
AND THE MATCH IS UNDERWAY!
The team lineups are out!
Real Madrid XI: Thibaut Courtois (G), Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos (C), Ferland Mendy, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Lucas Vazquez, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior.
COACH: Zinedine Zidane.
Atletico Madrid XI: Jan Oblak (G), Kieran Trippier, Stefan Savic, Felipe, Mario Hermoso, Hector Herrera, Koke (C), Yannick Carrasco, Marcos Llorente, Joao Felix, Luis Suarez.
COACH: Diego Simeone.
MATCH PREVIEW:
After making its best start to a season since it last won the La Liga title, Atletico Madrid can consolidate its early promise and twist the knife into its city rival when it visits Real Madrid on Saturday.
Victory would send leader Atletico nine points clear of fourth-placed Real with a game in hand and send out the clearest message yet that it means business after missing out on the title since breaking the duopoly of Real and Barcelona in 2014.
Despite a perceived inferiority complex derived from seeing their neighbours sweep up so many trophies, Atletico are in many ways a stronger unit than Real right now.
It is the only unbeaten side in La Liga and has scored more goals per game than anyone else while conceding only twice in 10 matches.
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Atletico has also shed its reputation as a conservative side only focused on defence and now boasts an attack containing the flair of Joao Felix, the ruthlessness of Luis Suarez plus the power and pace of Marcos Llorente and Yannick Carrasco.
Its attacking approach has helped it find solutions in tight games, such as its last two victories against Real Valladolid and Valencia, extending its winning streak in La Liga to seven.
That consistency has contrasted with Madrid's stuttering title defence, as Zinedine Zidane's side has lost three times already in the league including shock home defeats to Cadiz and Alaves plus a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Valencia.
Yet Madrid look to be turning a corner, with talismanic figures Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema having recovered from injury, and can always be relied on to deliver on the biggest occasions.
It has beaten Barcelona, Inter Milan and Sevilla while it overcame a poor start to the Champions League by beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0 on Wednesday to qualify for the next round. The derby against a soaring Atletico is exactly the type of game it relishes.
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