In a classy game with seven goals, Atletico Madrid kept the upper hand against Real Madrid on Saturday (September 27, 2025) and added the first defeat in La Liga under coach Xabi Alonso in the “Royal” in the “Derbi Madrileño”.
After a strong start and early lead by Robin Le Normand (14th minute), Atletico had to swallow two goals from Kylian Mbappé (25th) and Adra Güler (36th). But Alexander Sörloth (45.+3) in the added time of the first half as well as Julian Alvarez (52./Elfmeter, 63.) and Antoine Griezmann (90th+3) in the second half ensured the 5: 2 (2: 2) success and delivered a strong statement against Eintracht Frankfurt before the Champions League game on Tuesday (9 p.m.).
With now 12 points, the team of coach Diego Simeone took a step towards the top group after a so far mixed season start. Real Madrid (18 points) could lose the top of the table to Archrival FC Barcelona (16) after six victories in a row at the start on Sunday, the Real Sociedad San Sebastian receives (6.30 p.m.).
Atletico Real buys the cutting
Atletico went into the game with a lot of fire in the metropolitano at home and had the lead in the 3rd minutes. But Sörloth hesitated too long in a solo towards the Real goal and was still outlined by Eder Militao in the sixteen. The hosts whipped by the fans bought the cutting completely in the initial phase.
The “royal” hardly came forward, also because Atletico cleverly made the rooms tight with a chain of five in the backward movement. And “Atleti” played quickly and straightforward. After eleven minutes, Sörloth had the next option. But Thibault Courtois in the real goal wiped the header over the crossbar.
Real needs two shots for two goals
Shortly thereafter, Courtois was powerless when Le Normand walks a flank from Giuliano Simeone from four meters to 1-0 in the goal. Atletico stayed tuned. Nothing came from Real – until the 26th minute. Then Mbappé prevailed for the first time and netted into the long corner of the penalty area after a sprint into the penalty area. When Güler made 2-1 for the Alonso team with a drop kick from the penalty point with the second shot, the game was head – and the metropolitano was quieter for the first time.
But Atletico pumped back into the game again. Alvarez (39.) hit the post from 20 meters. A lenglet goal (43.) was withdrawn due to handball. But the Simeone team still had one: one of the numerous flanks used by Sörloth, who had just come back from a red ban, in added time in the first half to 2: 2.
Magic free kick by Julian Alvarez to 4-2
Even in round two, the red and white did not give up. After a corner, Güler Nicolas Gonzalez met the head with a defense attempt. Alvarez used the following penalty to 3: 2. Sörloth (63.) missed the next goal. This was done by Alvarez, who had decided the small Madrid derby against Rayo Vallecano during the week with three goals.
From just over 25 meters, the Argentinian from Halbinks circled a free kick to 4: 2 and his sixth season goal. In the remaining half an hour, Real Madrid fought for the connection. But the Alonso-Elf fell nothing against a passionate Atletico in the 303. Derby. For this, the recently substituted Griezmann finally made everything clear after a counterattack with the 5: 2 in injury time.
Like Atletico against Frankfurt, it continues for Real in the premier class during the week. There, the “royal” go to the FK Cairat on a adventure trip over 6,400 kilometers and twelve hours of flight to Kazakhstan (Tuesday, 6.45 p.m.).