Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid: Winners and Losers from La Liga Game
A second-half goal from substitute Arda Turan proved the winner as Atletico Madrid beat city rivals Real Madrid 2-1 in Saturday’s derby at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Only 10 minutes had ticked off the clock when Tiago opened the scoring for the guests, but after enjoying the majority of possession Real Madrid equalised 16 minutes later through a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty.
That would be the only goal the hosts would muster, however, and some neat interplay between Antoine Griezmann and Juanfran set up Turan for the decisive strike in the 76th minute.
Real Madrid, who came into the match on the back of a loss to Real Sociedad, will now have some adjustments to make ahead of next week’s Champions League match against Basel, while Atletico will go into their Tuesday tussle with Olympiakos full of confidence.
Following are some of the winners and losers from the Madrid derby.
Winner: Antoine Griezmann, Who Provided the Crucial Spark
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Real Madrid began the second half as they finished the first—enjoying the majority of possession while their guests sat back and absorbed the pressure.
Atletico required a spark, and in the 64th minute they were provided one when Antoine Griezmann replaced the ineffective Raul Jimenez.
Twelve minutes after his introduction the France winger spun off his marker and dished the ball to Juanfran, whose cross was dummied by Raul Garcia en route to Arda Turan.
The Turkey international was completely open in the goalmouth and made no mistake with his finish.
Loser: Real Madrid’s Defensive Set-Pieces, Which Again Proved Costly
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That Real Madrid struggle to defend set pieces is news to no one.
It was hardly surprising, then, that Tiago was able to open the scoring in the 10th minute after connecting with Koke’s corner.
From there it seemed as though the hosts, as well as their fans, held their breath whenever a corner or free kick was drilled in.
Even the marking on Arda Turan when the cross came in from wide on the right ahead of the winner was non-existent.
Winner: Miguel Angel Moya, Who Kept Atletico in the Match
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Real Madrid really should have put Saturday’s derby to bed in the first half when they were bossing the match.
As it happened, the few chances they were able to conjure up were turned away by Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya.
On either side of Cristiano Ronaldo’s successful penalty, Moya made a key stop—first on Gareth Bale and then on Karim Benzema.
The hosts were unable to take the lead against their local rivals on their own patch—something for which Moya was largely responsible.
Loser: Gareth Bale, Who Did Next to Nothing
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Gareth Bale played one of his poorest matches in a Real Madrid shirt on Saturday.
Until his substitution in the 72nd minute, the Wales winger struggled opposite Koke and Guilherme Siqueira, and his first-half shot that Miguel Angel Moya managed to tip away was his only effort on target.
Neither Bale nor Ronaldo was particularly impactful at the Bernabeu, and without their power from the flanks Real Madrid were a far easier opponent for Atletico to deal with.
Winner: German Burgos, Whose Substitutions Made the Difference
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With Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone watching from the stands due to a touchline ban, it fell to German Burgos to oversee the Primera Division champions’ encounter with Real Madrid.
He did a masterful job.
Although his side lacked attacking impetus through much of the match, his second-half introductions of Antoine Griezmann and Arda Turan proved the difference at the Bernabeu.
Griezmann’s work down the right set up the winning goal that an unmarked Turan scored from inside Real Madrid’s 18-yard box.
Loser: James Rodriguez, Whose Real Madrid Struggles Continued
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James Rodriguez—the top goalscorer at the 2014 World Cup—has yet to make much of an impact at Real Madrid, and his struggles continued on Saturday.
Although his distribution was generally accurate, he made neither the well-timed runs nor expertly-placed shots that saw him rocket to superstardom in Brazil, and through much of the match he was unable to find the necessary space on the pitch in which to weave his magic.
Granted, this Real Madrid side is a work in progress, what with his own arrival from AS Monaco and the summer acquisition of Toni Kroos, and it’ll be down to manager Carlo Ancelotti to design tactics and strategies that fit with his current team rather than the one that included the departed Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria.
But Rodriguez is yet to make an impression at his new club, and until he does the €80 million Madrid spent on him will continue to look excessive.
