In the Spanish league match held at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Atletico Madrid forward Jonathan David faced Real Madrid defender Marc Cucurella. José Mourinho's team avoided defeat, winning against Real 2-1 despite playing with ten men.
This La Liga derby allowed Atletico to climb to second place, five points behind Barcelona but ahead of Real. Real had to accept its second defeat of the season.
The outcome of the game was largely dependent on the sending off of Dín Hüissen in the second half. He received a red card for fouling Giuliano Simeone in the penalty area, which led to a penalty kick. Alejandro Gimáldo converted the penalty, starting Atletico's winning match.
In the starting lineup, Mourinho substituted Bernardo Silva with Aurelien Tchouameni, emphasizing defensive solidity over creativity.
The first half was characterized by high tension but a lack of quality scoring chances from either side. The main topic of discussion was the incident between Jude Bellingham and Atletico defender Christian Romero. The English player attempted to win the ball, and Romero stepped on his foot; initially, Bellingham received a yellow card, but after VAR review, the referee overturned it and issued it to the Atletico player.
The Madrid team also expressed dissatisfaction with the heavy tackle by Lee Kang-in on Federico Valverde shortly before the break, which went unpunished. The game was tense and not very exciting, especially considering Madrid's star-studded attack, which included Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, and Bellingham, who failed to make an impact.
The game picked up pace at the beginning of the second half when Hüissen fouled Giuliano Simeone, who was running towards the goal, giving Atletico a free kick. After VAR review, Hüissen was sent off, and Gimáldo successfully converted the penalty against Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Mourinho reacted immediately, substituting Vinícius and Arda Güler, and bringing on club record signing Jan Diodmand and Rudiger.
Atletico then scored: Canadian player David headed the ball into the net following a low cross from Giuliano Simeone in the 59th minute, marking his third goal in three matches. The home team approached a third goal, but Courtois made an excellent save, denying Julián Álvarez a chance, and Ibrahima Konaté brilliantly responded to a shot from Gimáldo coming from the edge of the box.
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved Diodmand's shot, and Bellingham engaged in a dispute with Giuliano Simeone, reflecting Madrid's frustration at being unable to change the course of the match. In the final minutes, Madrid equalized when Rudiger headed a cross from Bernardo Silva past Oblak, but this was not enough for Mourinho's team.
