May 09, (THEWILL) – Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid 1-0 on Sunday night, despite a plethora of chances generated in the club’s first La Liga triumph in the capital rivalry since 2016.
While Real has the league wrapped up – and only returned to training on Saturday following their European exploits – Atletico’s Champions League status is in jeopardy. The hosts quickly established themselves as a team with a clear goal in mind.
Angel Correa and Yannick Carrasco both failed to test Real’s stand-in goalkeeper Andriy Lunin in the opening eight minutes of the game.
Atletico kept the pressure on Real, forcing them into their own half. After another high turnover, Matheus Cunha had a shot blocked before it could threaten the goalkeeper inside the penalty box.
While lining up a shot, the Brazilian forward was sandwiched between Eder Militao and Jesus Vallejo. Cunha’s hesitation earned him a penalty after a VAR review proved Vallejo’s clumsy challenge. Carrasco calmly converted to give Atletico a well-deserved lead in the 40th minute.
For the second half, Real got out of their own way to make a statement. The newly-crowned champions committed swaths of white shirts forward, helped by Atletico letting off their press.
However, this simply created space behind Real, which Diego Simeone’s side was unable to completely utilise. Just minutes before Antoine Griezmann robbed Eduardo Camavinga on midway, Carrasco sent a shot just over the bar.
The half-time substitute teed up Cunha for a golden one-on-one, only for the Brazilian to roll a shot into Lunin’s midriff.
Carlo Ancelotti made seven changes to the starting lineup that stunned Manchester City in midweek. It was no surprise therefore that Real’s sputtering threat was boosted by the gradual introduction of these key players.
Atletico, on the other hand, continued to create opportunities that they found new ways to miss. Griezmann missed a couple of attempts inside the penalty area in rapid succession, before Carrasco hit the inside of the post.
Simeone turned to the skies in anguish as he watched the ball agonisingly spin in front of the goal line. But, El Cholo’s prayers were answered as Atletico Madrid held on to a crucial derby victory, moving them six points clear of Real Betis in fifth position with three games remaining.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
