Atletico Madrid welcomed Real Madrid to the Vicente Calderon in La Liga on Sunday looking to continue an impressive run against their rivals, which had seen them lose just one of their last eight meetings with Los Blancos.
It was Real Madrid that opened the scoring at the Calderon, however, with Karim Benzema netting with a header in the ninth minute to stun the home supporters.
Atletico had the chance to level from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute, but Keylor Navas denied Antoine Griezmann after Sergio Ramos had brought Tiago to the ground inside the box.
It took Atletico until the 83rd minute to level the scores and Luciano Vietto's close-range finish was enough to secure a share of the spoils in the Spanish capital.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.
Evening all! Sports Mole's live La Liga coverage continues from the Spanish capital as Atletico Madrid welcome Real Madrid in one of the biggest derbies in European football. There is simply no downplaying the importance of tonight's match, even at this early stage of the season. Surely Atletico cannot afford another defeat this early, but Real Madrid's recent record against Atletico has been disappointing.
Kickoff at the Vicente Calderon is not for another hour and a half, but be sure to remain with me throughout the evening for all of the build-up and team news, followed by the game from 7.30pm UK time. I shall also be providing an analysis and player ratings, which will be live before the end of the night. Let's hope for another pulsating and entertaining clash between these two fierce Madrid rivals.
El Derbi madrileno, or 'The Madrid Derby', is a fixture that dates back to the 1927-28 season, when these two professional sides met for the first time in a competitive match. It was Real Madrid that opened with a 3-0 victory and it has been a fixture dominated by Los Blancos down the years. That has not been the case in recent seasons, however, with Atletico's improvement very evident.
In fact, Atletico have only lost one of their last eight games against Real Madrid in all competitions, winning four times. Last season, Atletico beat their rivals in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey, but were eliminated by Los Blancos in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
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What's more, Real Madrid have not scored in their last four visits to the Vicente Calderon in all competitions. Indeed, if Los Blancos do not win this game, they will equal their worst ever winless streak in the venue, which occurred between 1956 and 1963. That poor record against Atletico was certainly one of the main reasons why Carlo Ancelotti lost his job last summer! Over to you Rafael Benitez...
In La Liga, however, it has been Real Madrid domination for some time. Los Blancos have won on 10 of their last 14 visits to the Calderon in the league, losing just once in the process. That defeat was a big one, however, with the hosts putting four unanswered goals past Real Madrid in February 2015.
It might still be early in the season, but it would be fair to say that Atletico cannot really lose another La Liga game at this stage if they have serious ambitions of winning the league once again. In all of the three previous full seasons under Diego Simeone's leadership, Atletico were unbeaten at this stage of the league season, but they have already lost twice this time around.
Simeone's side opened the new La Liga season with a 1-0 win over Las Palmas, before putting three unanswered goals past Sevilla at the Estadio Ramon. The first heavyweight clash of the season pitted Atletico against Barcelona and it was the visitors that triumphed 2-1 courtesy of a winner from a certain Lionel Messi. That result would have knocked confidence, even at that early stage of the season.
Atletico opened their Champions League campaign with an impressive 2-0 victory at Galatasaray in their next match, before beating Eibar 2-0 to return to winning ways in the league. Another victory, this time against Madrid rivals Getafe, suggested that their season was back on track, but the capital side were disappointingly beaten 1-0 at high-flying Villarreal in the league last time out.
Atletico will actually enter this match off the back of successive defeats having lost 2-1 at home to Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday. It would be fair to say that their new players are taking time to settle, but if results go against them this weekend, they could find themselves out of the top six.
Just a reminder that the team news is expected to land in the next five or 10 minutes and it will certainly be interesting to see who has been selected. Both managers are without key players...
... BREAKING TEAM NEWS! Fernando Torres is given the nod in attack for Atletico Madrid, with Jackson Martinez and Luciano Vietto both on the bench. Angel Correa also starts, as does Oliver Torres in a deeper midfield position. We are still waiting on the confirmed team for Real Madrid this evening!
It is understood that Mateo Kovacic will start for Real Madrid here, while Gareth Bale is expected to be on the bench. Still waiting on the confirmed news from Los Blancos. Come on now...
INCREDIBLE ANSWER FROM THE FANS. There are no tickets left for the match! Second full house of the season at the Calderón. THANKS! #GoAtleti
— Atleti English (@atletienglish) October 4, 2015
TEAMS
ATLETICO: Oblak; Juanfran, Godin, Gimenez, Luis; Gabi, Tiago, Oliver; Correa, Torres, Griezmann
REAL: Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, Casemiro; Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo
So there we have it. Very interesting team news from Atletico, with Fernando Torres leading the line ahead of both Martinez and Vietto. It is the back five that was expected, while Gabi and Tiago will line up in the centre of the park. Spanish youngster Oliver Torres is given another chance to impress, with Saul Niguez only among the subs. Koke, meanwhile, remains on the sidelines for Simeone's side.
As for Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos is back from a shoulder problem, while Gareth Bale returns to the bench following injury. Casemiro is chosen to start ahead of Mateo Kovacic in the middle of the park, while Isco will lend his support to Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in the final third.
So there we have it. The team news has been confirmed and we are now just 45 minutes from kickoff at the Vicente Calderon. Safe to say that the atmosphere is already building inside the stadium and in the surrounding area. Matches simply do not get bigger than this in the Spanish capital.
Right, we have spoken about Atletico, but what about Real Madrid? Now under Rafael Benitez's guidance, this is a massive season for Los Blancos, who will be looking to wrestle the La Liga title back from Barcelona. Incredibly, Real Madrid have only won the league once since the 2007-08 season and have had to watch Barcelona and Atletico Madrid enjoy success in recent campaigns.
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Los Blancos made a poor start to last season, but an incredible run before Christmas suggested that they would run away with the division in the second half of the campaign. Barcelona recovered, however, and ultimately won the title by two points. For all the praise that went Barcelona's way, it is worth remembering that Real Madrid finished just two points shy of the treble winners.
See. Atletico and Real Madrid fans can be friends...
Amores que están por encima de los colores. pic.twitter.com/6F9lye0whD
— La casa del fútbol (@casadelfutbol) October 4, 2015
Too many away defeats cost Real Madrid last season, however, with five occurring on their travels. They only lost once at home in the league, but the margins in Spain's top flight are so slight. Los Blancos did finish 14 points clear of third-place Atletico, however, which was a big improvement on the season before.
Back to Atletico for a moment, it is worth remembering that Simeone's side only finished two points clear of fifth-place Sevilla last season and just one clear of fourth-place Valencia. Dropping out of the top four this season seems unlikely, but it is not impossible to think that it could happen.
Right, to the new season. Real Madrid opened their La Liga campaign with a disappointing 0-0 draw at newly-promoted Sporting Gijon, but recovered to thump Real Betis and Espanyol in their next two â scoring 11 times in the process and not conceding. They then beat Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0 in their Champions League opener, before recording a 1-0 victory against Granada on September 19.
An impressive 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao continued Real Madrid's charge, but they were held to a 0-0 draw by Malaga last weekend in what was a quite incredible game. Cristiano Ronaldo could have had five or six himself, but a wonderful performance from Carlos Kameni in the away side's goal kept the two teams on terms at the Bernabeu. Benitez will be demanding a response in this match.
Real Madrid will enter this game off the back of a win, however, having beaten Malmo 2-0 in their Champions League clash on Wednesday. As a result, Benitez's side top Group A after two games and are the strong favourites to advance as group winners. The Champions League is also a viable target this season as Real Madrid look to challenge on all fronts. Kickoff is fast approaching at the Calderon!
The Malmo clash was also a special game for a certain Ronaldo, who scored his 500th and 501st professional goals. The Portuguese might have drawn a blank against Malaga last time out, but he has 10 goals in eight games this season and 324 in 308 matches for the Spanish giants since joining from Manchester United in 2009. Oh, he has also netted 55 times for his country, which is not too bad. It would be just like the 30-year-old if he had another big say for Real Madrid in the capital this evening.
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In terms of what is ahead for Real Madrid, they will welcome Levante after the international break, before travelling to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on October 21. A difficult trip to in-form Celta Vigo will then occur, before they host PSG, travel to Sevilla and host Barcelona in their next three.
This man is back on the bench for Real Madrid this evening...
Gareth Bale warming up! pic.twitter.com/97hOlaTBo5
— SocialRMadrid (@SocialRMadrid) October 4, 2015
PREDICTION! Atletico have such a strong recent record against Real Madrid â losing just one of their last eight against Los Blancos â but I just have a feeling for the visitors here. It is the type of match where the first goal could be all-important and I can see Real Madrid edging ahead and ultimately claiming all the points with a hard-fought 2-1 win. Both sets of players are about to join us on the pitch!
KICKOFF! Here we go then - the pre-match handshakes have been undertaken and the flags have been exchanged. As expected, there is a wonderful atmosphere inside the stadium, which is a sell-out this evening. Right, it is the home side that get the first 45 minutes of action underway here...
... victory for Real Madrid here would actually take them to the top of the table following Villarreal's defeat at Levante earlier this evening. Barcelona, meanwhile, lost 2-1 at Sevilla on Saturday. A lot on offer for Real Madrid, who have taken control of the early possession in Madrid.
There is a sea of red, white and blue inside the stadium, but Real Madrid have also travelled well in terms of support. The visitors have a half-chance as Modric picks out the head of Ronaldo inside the Atletico box, but his effort was always angling wide of the post. Positive start from Real Madrid.
Half-chance for Atletico this time as Luis breaks down the left before delivering a low cross into Correa, but the Argentine can only fire wide of the post from a tight angle. It has been a bright opening six minutes from both teams, while there has hardly been a challenge of note thus far.
Atletico's defence comes under pressure following good ball work from Real Madrid, but Oblak comes out to clear ahead of Benzema, before Godin beats the French forward to the ball. Both goalkeepers are being put under pressure at the moment. The tempo of the game is very high here.
GOAL! Atletico 0-1 Real Madrid (Benzema)
First blood to Real Madrid! The visitors take the lead in the ninth minute as Carvajal delivers a super cross onto the head of Benzema, who thumps his effort past Oblak. Silence in the Calderon!
CHANCE! Almost an immediate response from the home side as Oliver Torres feeds a pass into Correa, who drills one towards the bottom corner, but it was always moving away from the goal. Neither defence has looked particularly comfortable in the early stages, which is excellent news for the neutral.
It is the Real Madrid supporters making most of the noise at the moment, but Atletico have moved the ball pretty well since falling behind and will not panic at this stage of the match. That said, you do get the feeling that Atletico need to score the next goal in this game. Fourteen played in Madrid.
CLOSE! It is a one-man operation for Atletico at the moment as Correa again finds space before attempting to beat Navas, but his effort is wide of the post. Correa looks a real threat early on here.
Real Madrid again threaten on the counter as Ronaldo takes control in a wide position before attempting to find Isco, but the pass just had too much pace. Casemiro is doing a good job of protecting his back four at the moment as Atletico struggle for space in a central position.
BOOKING! Gabi (Atletico) is booked for a late challenge on Benzema.
Real Madrid have just started to take control of the possession here, with Kroos and Modric seeing plenty of the ball in the middle of the park. Atletico are very deep at the moment, but have the pace to threaten on the counter attack. The opening 20 minutes of this contest have just flown past here.
PENALTY AND BOOKING! Ramos (Real Madrid) is booked and Atletico have a penalty as the Spaniard brings Tiago to the ground inside the box. It was clumsy defending all-round from the visitors, with Ramos conceding possession to Torres far too easily in the build-up to the spot kick.
SAVED! Navas dives to his left and pushes away Griezmann's spot kick!
Well, that has livened up the stadium! It was definitely a penalty, but Navas was on hand to make a wonderful save. We have a proper game on our hands as Atletico continue to press forward here.
End-to-end football in the last couple of minutes as both teams go in search of the game's second goal. Atletico are now a threat each time they break into the final third, but Real Madrid's pace on the counter will be a concern for the home team. It has been a blistering 26 minutes of football here.
Real Madrid enjoy another period of sustained ball possession, but Atletico quickly crowd the white shirts and manage to clear the danger. The next goal - if there is one - could be vital.
Not too much in the way of clear chances in the last few minutes, but the intensity of the game remains extremely high. The referee is also forced to intervene following a strong challenge between Casemiro and Correa. Just the one yellow card (Gabi) to report in the opening 31 minutes.
Correction: There has of course been two yellows, with Ramos also booked for the spot kick.
Little over 10 minutes of the first period remaining and Real Madrid are in control of the possession. In case you have joined us late, Benzema sent the away side into the lead in the eighth minute, but Griezmann has missed a penalty for the hosts. No chances to report in the last few minutes.
CHANCE! Ronaldo's first real chance arrives after good work from Benzema, but the Portuguese can only fire over the crossbar from inside the box. Not the 30-year-old's best effort, that is for sure.
Simeone is currently waving his arms around on the sideline, making sure that his players keep on pressing in the latter stages of this first period. You get the feeling that there is a goal in this for Atletico, but Real Madrid will also fancy their chances of notching another. It is very finely balanced here.
Fernando Torres twists and turns inside the Real Madrid box before firing over the crossbar, but the offside flag had been raised and it would not have counted. Torres has been bright here.
Real Madrid have a free kick in an advanced area as Oliver fells Carvajal...
... Ronaldo goes for goal from the set piece, but his effort was always rising over the crossbar. The Portuguese has had two strikes on goal in this first period, but neither have threatened Oblak.
BOOKING! Correa (Atletico) is booked for a late challenge on Carvajal.
Carvajal has actually stayed down following that meaty challenge and does not look happy...
... Arbeloa is readying himself to come on, but Carvajal might well continue here.
REAL MADRID SUB! A change indeed has to be made as Alvaro Arbeloa enters the field in place of Carvajal. Not ideal for the away side, certainly not at this stage of the first period.
The referee has been more involved than he would have liked in the last couple of minutes as both sides commit to late challenges. Neither team has really had a clear sight of goal for some time now and it appears that Real Madrid will indeed enter the interval with their one-goal lead in tact.
Just the one minute to be added at the end of this first period.
HALF-TIME: Atletico 0-1 Real Madrid
So there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with Real Madrid leading 1-0 courtesy of a ninth-minute header from Benzema. Atletico had the chance to equalise from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute when Ramos brought Tiago to the ground, but Griezmann could not find a route past the impressive Navas. It has been a highly-charged first 45 minutes at the Calderon.
STATISTICS! Real Madrid have shaded the possession with 55%, while they have had five attempts, but just one of those - the goal - was on target. Atletico, meanwhile, have hit the target once - from the penalty spot - but Navas has otherwise been untested. As expected, it has been an emotional game in terms of challenges and the referee has already gone to his pocket on three separate occasions.
BENCH WATCH! Atletico have a whole host of attacking options on their bench this evening, with all three summer signings - Martinez, Vietto and Carrasco - all available. As for Real Madrid, Gareth Bale will be hoping to play a part, while Kovacic, Jese and Vasquez are also in reserve for Real tonight.
RESTART! Here we go then - both sets of players join us on the pitch for the second 45 minutes. Can Atletico overcome this one-goal deficit? The visitors get the second period underway here...
... ATLETICO SUB! Carrasco has replaced Oliver at the interval.
Not too much of a surprise that Simeone made a change at the interval, but Real Madrid have started this second period on the front foot. You sense that there is a mistake in this Real Madrid defence, however, and Atletico will be keen to take advantage. Still 1-0 to the visitors at the Calderon.
Simeone seems to have identified Arbeloa as the weak link in the Real Madrid back four, with Correa and Griezmann now playing on the right-back's side. Ramos dives into a meaty challenge with Griezmann outside the Real Madrid box, but the referee indicates that the ball was played.
CHANCE! First chance of the second period falls to the home side as Correa slides a super pass into Torres, but the striker just fires wide of the post from a tight angle. Much better from Atletico.
Real Madrid have the chance to score a second after a swift counter leaves Atletico short at the back, but Isco cannot find either Ronaldo or Ramos, who had ventured forward from the back. The home side break down the other end with Carrasco, but Varane is on hand to make the challenge.
Ronaldo wants more protection from the referee following a strong challenge from Gimenez, who did not really get anywhere near the ball. I should imagine more yellow cards will follow here!
Arbeloa is given a tough time by Griezmann and decides to pull the Frenchman to the ground, which brings groans from the home supporters. Atletico are of course awarded a free kick, but the delivery from Carrasco is short of the required standard. This second period is ticking on now.
Simeone is never afraid to make changes and it appears that another one is on its way. Vietto is the player that is receiving his final instructions. I should imagine that will be for Correa...
... ATLETICO SUB! Vietto enters the field in place of Correa.
BOOKING! Varane (Real Madrid) is booked for a heavy challenge on Torres.
Not too much from Real Madrid going forward at the moment, but they are defending well. Atletico twice have strikes inside the box, but Varane and Ramos are on hand to make blocks.
BOOKING! Juanfran (Atletico) is booked for a late challenge on Ramos.
BOOKING! Casemiro (Real Madrid) is booked for a heavy tackle on Luis.
It appears that Bale will soon join the action for Real as he receives some instructions on the sideline. Isco to depart? It would be a surprise to see either Benzema or Ronaldo leave the field.
ATLETICO SUB! Jackson Martinez replaces Torres for the hosts.
Good possession from Real Madrid in the last couple of minutes, which has just slowed Atletico's progress in the final third. Bale will soon join the action for the visitors.
REAL MADRID SUB! Bale indeed joins the action in place of Isco.
Simeone has played all of his aces now, but Benitez still has one permitted change remaining. You just get the feeling that there is something in this game for the hosts. Real Madrid have not really threatened to score a second since the break. Little over 20 minutes of football remaining in Madrid.
Atletico continue to pass and probe in the final third looking for that opening, but the latest chance comes and goes when Carrasco hits the side netting from a wide angle. Both managers have taken to the touchline, but as expected, Benitez looks slightly more relaxed than Simeone.
It is good game management from Real Madrid at the moment as they continue to keep the ball in the final third, which is frustrating Atletico and the home supporters. Little over 15 to play here.
Atletico continue to look the team more likely to score, but the home side are not exactly creating chance after chance. Truth be told, there has hardly been an opportunity of note in this second period. As it stands, Navas's penalty save in the first period is looking more and more important.
Atletico cause some concern inside the Real box as Vietto and Jackson release strikes, but both are blocked. Down the other end, Ronaldo hits the side netting with a powerful effort.
It is still very early in the season, but this would be Atletico's third league defeat of the campaign and their third straight loss in all competitions, which will be a worry for Simeone. Little under 15 minutes of football remaining and at the moment, Benzema's header is winning this for the visitors.
REAL MADRID SUB! Mateo Kovacic replaces Benzema.
Half-chance for Real Madrid to score a second as Modric tries his luck from distance, but his effort was always moving wide of the post. Los Blancos are threatening to kill this on the counter.
BOOKING! Vietto (Atletico) is booked for a late challenge on Modric.
CHANCE! Just about as close as Atletico have come in this second period as Carrasco delivers a super cross onto the head of Vietto, but the striker can only nod his effort wide of Navas's front post.
We have only had two shots on target in this game - the goal and the penalty, which is an indication of what type of fixture it has been. Still time for that to change late on though.
BOOKING! Griezmann (Atletico) is booked for a late challenge on Modric.
GOAL! Atletico 1-1 Real Madrid (Vietto)
We are all square at the Calderon! Atletico level the scores in the 83rd minute as Vietto stabs home from close range after Griezmann had made contact on a low Martinez cross. Not too sure about some of the defending from Real Madrid, but this stadium has just absolutely erupted here.
Real Madrid looked to be heading for all three points, but Atletico are not a team that give up easily. The visitors have a half-chance to regain their lead as Marcelo delivers towards Ronaldo, but Oblak is on hand to claim. We are all set up for an exciting final five minutes of this match.
You still get the feeling that something big will happen in the final few minutes of this game. A goal, a missed chance, a red card - something is waiting to occur. I can almost sense it!
BOOKING! Godin (Atletico) is booked for a heavy challenge on Ronaldo.
BOOKING! Arbeloa (Real Madrid) is booked for a late challenge on Carrasco.
Yellows all over the shop at the moment as both teams stop counter attacks.
Gabi has one deflected into the arms of Navas as we wait for stoppage time.
THREE MINUTES! Three additional minutes will be played here.
SAVE! Wonderful chance for the home side to take the lead as Martinez collects a loose ball just inside the Real box, but Navas is on hand to save the striker's curling effort. What a stop!
End-to-end football at the moment as Oblak collects a Ronaldo strike before releasing Luis. Varane then makes a spectacular clearance down the other end with Vietto waiting to pounce.
FULL-TIME: Atletico 1-1 Real Madrid
So there we have it. The referee brings the second period to a close at the Vicente Calderon with the two Madrid rivals sharing the points in a 1-1 draw. On balance, that is probably just about a fair result. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for the action once again. Until next time!
Written by
Matt Law
Matt Law
