This game makes you want to return: Real Madrid has gained a small advantage against local rival Atletico. Both teams met in the 2-1 (1: 1) extremely worth seeing and offered football class in the round of 16 of the Champions League.
The Derbi Madrileño actually offered much more, and with it exactly what so many had hoped for. Technically strong teams, big fight, great atmosphere – but it was actually just the overture in Bernabeu, next week Wednesday (12.03.2025) will be the big showdown in the Estadio Metropolitano. Because after the first leg, the outcome of the Real-Atletico duel is open despite the victory of the royal.
Rodrygo lets the Bernabeu shake
Real did a dream start. Federico Valverde, who was painfully missed at the league defeat at Betis Sevilla at the weekend, showed how valuable he is when he staged Rodrygo with a steep pass and the Brazilian scored 1-0 for the hosts after a short dribbling into the middle (4th).
It was the first dream goal of this prestigious game of the two teams from the Spanish capital – of which the much stronger was at the beginning. Shortly after his goal, Rodrygo was back and fell in the duel with Javi Galan, but despite the protests there was no penalty (6th). And after Vinicius Jr. had his class flashed for the first time, there was no goal because José Maria Gimeenez was still grown into his shot (13th).
Alvarez leaves Courtois from an impossible position no chance
After that, Atletico took command, but needed a little start -up time to be dangerous. After the best attack by Diego Simeone’s team until then, Valverde took the equalizer from the foot (27th) after a cross from coach son Guiliano Simeone, his colleague Samuel Lino. But five minutes later the doorbell rang in the real goal.
Again it was a wonderful goal, in this case even a little more spectacular than that on the other. Alvarez dribbled from the left into the penalty area and shot the ball with a lot of effet and pace from an actually impossible angle into the long corner to the inner post – that an exceptional goal like Thibaut Courtois did not have the touch of a chance, underpins the quality of this shot (32nd).
Diaz seems to be falling, but then cheers with the real fans
But the spectacle was far from over. Diaz made an outstanding game in the first half – and then he crowned that too. The real middle field player stumbled in the opposing penalty area, but kept control of his feet, played two opponents and circulated the ball into the far corner (55th). Diaz cheered, jumped over the gang into the real curve and celebrated with his own fans.
Shortly afterwards, Courtois’ fingertips prevented this joy only when the goalkeeper was able to defuse Antoine Griezmann’s low shot (60th). For an hour, the two teams had offered a rousing game at the time – after that the football spectacle failed to materialize and it became a fighting game.
This realized that too much happened in front of the two goals and it remained 2-1. The Madrid home team almost almost went into the second leg with an even better cushion, but Marco Llorente prevented Vinicius Jr. to shoot the ball into the empty goal (90.+1).