Real Madrid extended their perfect start to the La Liga season with a comfortable and controlled victory against rivals Atletico Madrid in an ill-tempered derby on Sunday night.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side remain without injured talisman Karim Benzema, but continued their outstanding form, which has seen them win all nine of their matches across all competitions this season. Rodrygo and Federico Valverde scored inside the first half as Real dealt brilliantly with the hostile atmosphere of Atleti’s stadium.
Rodrygo nonchalantly half-volleyed in from Aurelien Tchouameni’s perfectly-weighted chip over the top of the Atletico Madrid defence to open the scoring. Valverde then tucked home the rebound after Vinicius Junior charged onto a Luka Modric through-ball and struck the post with a toe-poke.
Diego Simeone started Antoine Griezmann for the first time this season, but it took a mistake from Thibaut Courtois to gift them a way back into the match, as Mario Hermoso shouldered in. Hermoso was then sent off in the closing stages for a second yellow card following flash points with Dani Carvajal and Dani Ceballos as Atleti's efforts to comeback fizzled out. Here are Mirror Football’s talking points from the match in Madrid.
Vinicius fires back at the racists
The match started in a disgusting manner as video emerged on social media of Atletico Madrid fans singing racist songs about Vinicius. The Real star spent the build-up to the game responding after agent Pedro Bravo said the Brazil star needed to "stop playing the monkey" live on Spanish television.
Vinicius vowed to continue dancing in celebration after scoring goals and that is exactly what he did on Sunday night. It was his teammate Rodrygo who opened the scoring, but the duo immediately got their stance to stick it to the racists by dancing by the corner flag.
It was a fantastic moment of defiance from the young Real forwards and their teammates, who responded to hatred in the best possible way.
Atleti crowd disgraces itself
Not satisfied with singing abhorrent racist songs about Vinicius, Atleti’s fans also decided to add a different kind of bad behaviour to their repertoire on Sunday night. During the first half objects rained down from the stands during the celebrations after Real’s two goals.
During the half-time break an announcement came on over the speaker system inside the Metropolitano Stadium imploring supporters to stop. But they didn’t – midway through the second period Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was seen handing an object to the referee to draw attention to the ongoing issue.
Spanish football is a reflection of Spanish society. Racism and anti-social behaviour in the stands in Madrid needs to be clamped down on.
Valverde’s hot streak
When Benzema suffered an injury against Celtic in Real’s Champions League opener on September 6 there was obvious concern for the club’s fans: who is going to score the goals? Rodrygo, Vinicius and even Eden Hazard were the answers many had. Not many would have predicted Valverde’s hot streak.
The Uruguayan midfielder has been something of an under-the-radar presence for Real in recent years. He’s a dependable and hard-working player who Carlo Ancelotti has come to rely on – but he’s never reached the same level as some of the team’s other stars.
That is beginning to change. After scoring just once last season, Valverde now has four already this campaign, including three in his last three games. The 24-year-old has added a clinical edge to his athleticism and technical proficiency to take a step up in the pecking order at the star-studded club.
Griezmann starts but flops
Before this game, Antoine Griezmann had not started a single match for Atletico Madrid. His appearances had come off the substitutes’ bench in the 62nd minute, 62nd minute, 64th minute, 63rd minute, 61st minute, 63rd minute and 63rd minute – all down to the bizarre circumstances of his loan deal from Barcelona.
He had done well in those substitute appearances, scoring three important goals to secure a 3-0 win over Getafe on the opening day of the season and victories against Valencia and Porto. Those good times were quickly forgotten in the derby as the French striker offered very little indeed.
Griezmann was far from the only Atleti player to flop – but he was the one who the most was expected from.
Felix strop shows Atleti problems
Griezmann wasn’t the only player who struggled. Joao Felix was hauled off in the 62nd minute for Alvaro Morata having failed to score once again. The Portuguese youngster has now gone eight games this season without finding the back of the net and is feeling the pressure.
As he came off he walked straight past Simeone and down the tunnel in a strop which showed cracks in the Atletico dressing room. He reappeared later on to watch the closing stages of the defeat, but all is not well inside the club.
Atletico are now seventh in La Liga – eight points behind their city rivals. That is some gap to make up.
