Los Blancos win 3-2. Lookman’s initial advantage deceives the Colchoneros. Then the brace from Vinicius and Valverde signed the comeback and the victory of the derby, in between Molina’s momentary equalizing goal for Atletico
La Liga continues to breathe, and giving it oxygen is a magnificent, spectacular, intense derby, with 5 goals, two posts and a sending off. At the Bernabeu between two of the 8 teams still in the Champions League, Madrid is numerically worth the Premier League, it ended 3-2 for Real who with 8 days to go remain -4 behind Barcelona who at lunchtime beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 thanks to a header from Araujo and series of saves from Joan García who was continually exposed by a defense that was leaking from all sides.
scalps
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Atletico slips to -12 behind their rivals: the championship was not in Cholo’s thoughts but in his 50th derby he fought until the end to try to get rid of Arbeloa. Simeone still has the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League quarter-finals with Barça, while the scalps continue for Madrid’s second coach of the season: in Europe Arbeloa kicked out Mourinho and Guardiola, and yesterday he won his first derby. He did it with merit, pragmatism and courage, leaving out Mbappé (and Bellingham, but it was expected) and avenging the 5-2 defeat suffered in September at the Metropolitano by his friend Xabi Alonso.
the spring of wines
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On the cover are Valverde and Vinicius who for the first time in his career scored two braces in consecutive matches, against City and Atletico. “I don’t know what happens in the spring, but I tend to get in shape when the matches increase in level” said with lucid honesty Vinicius at the end of the match, who had scored just 2 goals in 19 derbies and last night doubled his tally. ‘Charrua’, on the other hand, had only received one red card in 364 matches against Madrid, and he also doubled his score yesterday. And both expulsions came against Atletico. Real made just two fouls all evening, Valverde’s in the 77th minute was punished with a questionable direct red. A kick to Baena, old enemy of ‘Charrua’: Valverde had attacked him 3 years ago in the Bernabeu car park after a Madrid-Villarreal. Before the expulsion for Valverde a post and a goal.
the news
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So let’s go with some news. Lunin for the injured Courtois, Valverde’s wood immediately, Giuliano Simeone saves twice on the line on Vinicius, Ruggeri catches the same son of Cholo who frees Lookman with a heel for the Colchonero advantage. At the start of the second half in 200 seconds a white one-two: a penalty from Vinicius for a dubious foul by Hancko on Brahim and Valverde’s goal after a terrible pass from Ruggeri and a soft entry from Gimenez. Cholo calls Molina who equalizes with a missile. Time 5 minutes and great shot from Vinicius for the final 3-2. Then the red card to Valverde and an incredible post from Julian Alvarez, until the useless final siege. La Liga is alive, and the Clásico has been set for Sunday 10 May.
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