MADRID — Real Madrid‘s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in Saturday’s derby means there’s no change at the top of the table, with just one point still separating the two teams. Julián Álvarez‘s first-half penalty had Atletico hoping they might secure their first win at the Santiago Bernabéu since 2016, but Kylian Mbappé‘s equalizer early in the second half meant the visitors had to settle for a point.
Real had the better of the second half as both goalkeepers, Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak, making important late saves. Here are three talking points, after a result that leaves LaLiga’s title race wide open.
1. Penalty call means more ammunition for ref debate
After all the noise this week — the refereeing complaints, the open letters, the social media posts — it was time for the football. Or was it?
The build-up to this derby was dominated by Real’s demands for “structural reform” of refereeing, and Atletico’s critique of their rivals for putting officials under pressure. So of course, when the game began, it was no different.
Naturally, the spotlight was on referee Cesar Soto Grado and his VAR colleague Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea. There were deafening whistles for both officials’ names when they were read out over the stadium tannoy, pre-match. The only question was: when would the first big decision come? And would they get it right?
For the first half hour of the game, very little happened: it was exactly the game Atletico and Simeone wanted, with not much football and precious few chances. Then, that moment of polémica (Spanish for “controversy”) arrived.
Aurélien Tchouaméni, once again playing out of position at centre-back, reached for the ball inside the box and seems to catch Samuel Lino‘s foot with his studs. A long, drawn-out VAR check followed. Tchouameni had trodden on Lino’s foot, but by the time the contact came, the ball had gone.
Referee Soto Grado came across to check the pitchside monitor, and as the stadium held its breath — or rather, whistled vociferously — he awarded a penalty that Julian Alvarez coolly converted, chipping the ball down the middle of the goal. It was the first penalty awarded against Real Madrid all season in LaLiga, but that won’t stop the incident being endlessly debated and cited.
At halftime, there were more whistles as Soto Grado walked off the pitch, but that was as much a reflection of fan frustration at Real’s performance as anything. In the first half, they had created very little, with an xG (expected goals) of just 0.23.
2. Mbappé leads the fightback to underline his improving form
After the break, Real Madrid looked a different side. It took just five minutes in the second half for Mbappé to equalize, pouncing on the ball inside the box, after Jude Bellingham‘s shot had been blocked by defender José María Giménez. Mbappé’s instinctive, confident finish, struck hard into the ground to bounce up and past goalkeeper Jan Oblak, was one of a player whose form continues to curve upwards.
The France star now has 23 goals in all competitions this season, with nine of those coming already in 2025. Further proof of his form could be seen in the pre-game as he briefly celebrated with LaLiga’s Player of the Month award.
Mbappé is becoming one of this team’s leaders, and his reaction to the goal — racing back to the centre circle, hungry for more — showed that.
The goal was also a precursor to Madrid’s best spell in the match. Moments later, Bellingham headed against the crossbar, reaching the ball just a fraction of a second ahead of Mbappé. Madrid were well on top, but Oblak kept Atletico in the game, weathering the storm. Later, Mbappé could have provided the perfect finale, but he was denied by Oblak in the 89th minute; at the other end, Courtois saved too in added time.
There have been doubts about whether Mbappé really is “back” considering that his goals since Christmas have mostly come against so-called lesser teams like Las Palmas, Salzburg and Real Valladolid. That wasn’t the case here, and with Manchester City coming up in the Champions League, there will be two opportunities this month to put that theory to the test.
3. A draw means either team — or Barça — could still win LaLiga
A win for Real Madrid on Saturday night would have sent them four points clear at the top of the table. It wouldn’t have been an insurmountable lead with 15 games still to play, but it would have been a significant one. But they couldn’t complete the job in the second half, and the draw means Atletico — who led the table before dropping points against Leganés and Villarreal in January — remain very much in the picture.
Atletico’s first-half performance at the Bernabéu was vintage Simeone, the team looking near-impossible to break down. They moved in unison to deny any space, sometimes with a backline of six players, with wingers Giuliano Simeone and Lino dropping back to help the defence. In that first half it meant Real Madrid, despite their much vaunted “fantastic four” attack of Mbappé, Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, looked toothless.
The second half was less convincing and in the end, Atletico had Oblak to thank for earning them a point.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona will have been looking on with interest, having seemingly bounced back from their December slump. A win for Barça at a struggling Sevilla on Sunday would put them a point behind Atletico and two behind Real, with Barça due to visit Atletico next month. The prospect of a proper, three-horse title race that goes the distance is now a very real one.
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